| Arctic Research Vessel | USCG Healey | |
| Science Support | ||
| Baltic Rooms | Yes | No |
| Specialized equipment (Multibeam, CTD, etc.) | Yes | No |
| Laboratories | Larger | Smaller |
| Deck Layout | Better | Two decks, poorly arranged |
| Heated Decks | Yes | No |
| Open Deck Space | More and better | Less |
| Technical Assistance | Yes | Maybe |
| Crew Experience | Longer term | < 2 or 3 |
| Crew Attitude | Better | O.K. |
| Scientist Capacity | 36 | Up to 50? |
| Vessel Capabilities | ||
| Ice Capability | Good, up to 4 feet | Very good, > 4 feet |
| Ice Channel Aft Clear | Yes | No |
| Ice Milling | No | Yes |
| Slamming | Maybe | No |
| Endurance | 90 days | 65 days |
| CASPPR | Yes | ??? |
| Days available for science | 270/year | 144/year |
| Organizational Factors | ||
| Scheduling | Excellent | Poor |
| Long Range Planning | Yes | Yearly |
| Memory | Yes | No |
| Costs | ||
| To NSF | $33,000/day | $20,000/day |
| To taxpayer | $33,000/day | $108,000/day |
| Total Cost over 30 years | $387,300,000 (8100 days) | $858,000,000 (4320 days) |
Science Support
Organizational Factors
Costs
Science Support
Costs