GEO BARENTS

GEO BARENTS (IMO: 9252503) sailing under the Norway flag. It has an overall length of 253 feets and a beam of 66 feets.

Vessel Identification

MMSI: 258826000 IMO: 9252503 Call Sign: LAKK6 Flag: Norway Vessel Type: Search and Rescue / Offshore Supply Vessel AIS Type: Other

Specification

Gross Tonnage: 9,889 GT Deadweight: 5,100 DWT Length Overall: 119.6 m Beam: 22 m Draught: 6.1 m Year Built: 2003 Hull Material: Steel

Propulsion

Engine Type: Diesel-Electric Propulsion System: Azimuth thrusters Number of Engines: 4 Speed (Service): 14 knots Speed (Maximum): 16 knots

Shipyard

Builder: Fincantieri Country: Italy Year Delivered: 2003

Owner / Operator

Operator: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF / Doctors Without Borders) Technical Manager: MSF Previous Owner/Operator: Compagnie Générale de Géophysique (CGG), operated as a seismic research vessel Country of Operator: International (MSF headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland)

Navigation / Communications Equipment

AIS Class: Class A Navigation Systems: GMDSS equipped Communication Systems: Satcom, VHF/UHF radio systems Positioning: GPS / DGPS

Operating Region

Primary Area of Operation: Central Mediterranean Sea Operational Zone: Search and rescue operations primarily in the waters between Libya, Tunisia, and Malta, including international waters off the North African coast Port of Registry: Tromsø, Norway

Vessel Description

GEO BARENTS is a multipurpose offshore support and search and rescue vessel currently operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) as a dedicated humanitarian SAR platform in the Central Mediterranean. Originally built in 2003 by Fincantieri in Italy, the vessel was initially designed and deployed as a geophysical/seismic survey ship for CGG, where it conducted offshore seismic research operations globally.

MSF acquired the vessel in 2021 and converted it for humanitarian search and rescue missions targeting migrants and refugees crossing the Central Mediterranean. The vessel is equipped with medical facilities capable of treating survivors of maritime distress, including onboard medical staff, trauma care capability, and significant survivor accommodation capacity. The ship can accommodate several hundred rescued persons at a time and carries rescue boats (fast rescue craft) for deployment during SAR operations.

The vessel operates under Norwegian flag and is registered in Tromsø, complying with Norwegian Maritime Authority regulations. It maintains continuous presence in the Central Mediterranean and regularly coordinates with Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers (MRCCs) including Rome MRCC. GEO BARENTS has become one of the most active humanitarian SAR vessels in the Mediterranean, recording thousands of rescues since its deployment under MSF operations.