Nevskoye Design Bureau offers LHD project to Russian Navy.

The Nevskoye Design Bureau has offered a universal landing ship (UDK or LHD in English) project to the Russian Navy, the bureau’s head, Sergei Orlov, has said.

Project 11780 (pictured here) is an unrealized Soviet LHD project developed by the Nevsky Design Bureau during the 1980s. This design could serve as base for a future Russian LHD. Another design bureau, Krylov State Research Center, has developed another design on its own initiative. Picture via nevskii-bastion.ru

"We are offering a universal landing ship version with a displacement of about 30,000 tons and a large amphibious ship with a displacement of 6,000-7,000 tons to the Navy," he said.

Orlov added that the Nevskoye Design Bureau had not received any instructions from the Defense Ministry so far to start work on the universal landing ship. It is the designers’ own initiative. The universal landing ship will be able to carry air cushion ships.

"We are still at the research and development stage in this field so far... Today, the entire concept of landing forces has changed. It is necessary to rethink what kind of a ship they need and how many helicopters, paratroopers and weapons this ship needs. Will it be possible to use the ship in civil life if necessary?" Orlov noted.

Besides, the Nevskoye Design Bureau is also offering a modernized version of the Ivan Gren large landing ship, which is longer and wider than the original ship, to the Russian Defense Ministry. "Having created two ships, the fleet can see the concept of a new large landing ship. Now we have a very clear idea of what we should do with the Ivan Gren," Orlov said.

Viktor Bursuk, the Russian Navy’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief for armaments, said earlier that the designing and construction of universal landing ships would get under way after 2020 not earlier than a new landing ship will be designed.

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