The first helicopter
carrier will be delivered to the Russian Navy by the end of 2027.
MOSCOW, September 11.
/TASS/. Russia’s first two amphibious assault ships will be laid down at the
Zaliv shipyard in Crimea in May 2020, two sources in Russia’s shipbuilding
industry told TASS on Wednesday.
"Two amphibious
assault ships with water displacement of up to 15,000 tonnes will for the first
time in the Russian history be laid down at the Zaliv shipyard in Kerch in
2020," the source said.
He added that the
first helicopter carrier will be delivered to the Russian Navy before the
current state armament program expires at the end of 2027.
The other source
specified that "both ships will be laid down in May 2020."
According to him, the
ships will be able to carry over 10 helicopters of various types and will be
equipped with a dock-type chamber for landing craft utilities (LTU).
"The development
of technical specifications of the new ships has entered the final stage. Once
they are ready, in coming months, an agreement will be signed to build the
helicopter carriers," he said.
TASS has been unable
to officially confirm the information, provided by the sources, at the time of
the publication.
The Zaliv shipyard in
Kerch has facilities to build vessels up to 300 meters in length and up to 50
meters in width and, therefore, can build ships with a displacement exceeding
150,000 tonnes.
Earlier, a source in
Russia’s shipbuilding industry told TASS that no later than by the end of the
year, the Defense Ministry will complete developing technical specifications
for a universal amphibious assault ship. There are plans to build the lead
universal amphibious assault ship and deliver it to the customer under the
state armament program through 2027 while the work on the first serial-produced
vessel will be completed before the early 2030s, the source said.
Universal amphibious
assault ships, also called helicopter carriers, are distinguished by their
large displacement (20,000 tonnes and more) and can carry a large group of
heavy helicopters of various designation (up to 16 helicopters aboard Mistral
ships and more than 30 aboard US Wasp-class vessels), and also vertical
take-off rotorcraft.
Universal amphibious
assault ships can carry from several hundred to over one thousand marine
infantry personnel, boats and other craft for landing the assault force and
transport the armor. Universal amphibious assault ships normally feature a
powerful combat control system and can act as a command and control vessel for
a grouping of forces.
Source: ITAR-TASS
11-09-2019
