India will soon acquire an 'ice-class vessel', for research expeditions in the Antarctic and Arctic regions. A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, approved the acquisition of the ice-class research vessel, at a total cost of 490 crore rupees, by March 2013.<br/>An official spokesperson said the vessel is planned to have accommodation facilities for 60 scientists and will also have a flight deck for a helicopter with adequate deck and laboratory space with requisite instrumentation facilities and equipment. <br/>