ICGV Þór The ICGV " Þór " ( Thor ) is an UT 512L type offshore patrol vessel designed by Rolls Royce for the Icelandic Coast Guard , built to replace the aging ICGV " Óðinn " . The construction of the ship was approved by the Icelandic government on 4 March 2005 . Construction of the ship began at the ASMAR Naval Shipyard in Talcahuano , Chile on 16 October 2007 . Construction was delayed by over a year due to the 2010 Chilean earthquake , but damage to the structure of the ship was not as detrimental as had been expected . After repairs , the ICGV Þór was delivered to ICG personnel on 23 September 2011 in Chile . She arrived in Reykjavík on 27 October 2011 . Its main tasks are EEZ patrol , fishery inspection and search and rescue support . The ship is named after the Norse god Thor . Origins . The origins of the ship date back to 4 March 2005 , in a proposal drafted by then - Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs ( which is now a nonexistent entity ) , Björn Bjarnason , regarding the purchase of a new vessel , in order to replace the aging ICGV " Óðinn " , and aircraft for the Icelandic Coast Guard . The Althing decided that this was an exigent matter , and so a high priority was placed upon the proposal . A needs analysis pertaining to the acquisition of a multi - purpose vessel and aircraft for the ICG was initiated on 31 September 2005 . The main demands were that the vessel should be designed for rescue work and patrolling , pollution prevention , fuelling search and rescue helicopter s in flight , and meeting civil defence requirements anywhere around the country . In addition , it was to be equipped for response to , and prevention of , terrorist threats and be suitable for operations involving the police or customs authorities , and for all types of rescue and salvage work . The bollard pull of the vessel was to take account of the greatly increased volume of passenger and cargo shipping in Iceland ’ s economic zone and coastal waters . Construction . Bids for the construction of the ship were open to application and submission at the State Trading Centre . After processing through the STC , the bids were to be submitted dually to the Ministry of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs and the ICG . 15 bids were received from 12 countries . The winning bid was the second bid of ASMAR , Chile ' s largest shipbuilding corporation . The contract for the construction of the new vessel was signed on 20 December 2006 by Björn , Árni M . Mathiesen , Minister of Finance , and Georg Kr . Lárusson , Director of the ICG , and Carlos Fanta de la Vega , Rear Admiral of the Chilean Navy and Director of the ASMAR Naval Shipyard . Construction commenced on 16 October 2007 . The ship was launched on 29 April 2009 at a ceremony in the ASMAR Naval Shipyard in Talcahuano . The then - unnamed vessel received the official name " Þór " , or " Thor " , after the Thor . Design . The ICGV " Þór " ' s design is concurrent with that of the NoCGV Harstad ; in fact , both vessels were designed by Rolls Royce plc . The vessel is powered by two Rolls Royce Marine Bergen diesel engines . The ship ' s propellers are two Rolls Royce Marine KaMeWa Ulstein feathering propellers ( feathering propellers are rotated parallel to the water flow in order to reduce drag ) . The ship is long overall , a wide , and a has a height of . The maximum speed of the vessel is , while its towing capacity , or bollard pull , is . The cargo deck covers . The vessel is outfitted with various life - saving equipment , designed to aid it in rescue missions , including two MOB boat s and six Viking life rafts . Other specially - designed equipment the vessel is outfitted with includes oil booms , 1 × 40 mm Bofors gun , and oil skimmers . 2010 tsunami incident . In 2010 , a magnitude 8 . 8 earthquake struck Chile , forming an immense tsunami that left a lethiferous wake along the Chilean coastline . It was feared that the ICGV " Þór " would have been damaged beyond repair in the disaster , as the shipyard itself was known to have incurred massive damage . Despite the odds , the ship had sustained minimal damage . After being placed in dry dock for minor repairs , the vessel was delivered , albeit more than a year late . Delivery . After being fully repaired following the earthquake and the ensuing tsunami , the ICGV " Þór " was delivered to ICG authorities and personnel at the ASMAR shipyard on 23 September 2011 . The ship then embarked on the voyage to Reykjavik harbour , and was slated to arrive in late October of the same year . After making stops in cities such as Halifax , the ship finally arrived in Reykjavik on 27 October 2011 . The vessel maintains a complement ( number of personnel onboard the ship ) of 48 .