Russia’s latest amphibious assault ship to resume sea trials no sooner than late May.

The Project 11711 large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov will resume sea trials no sooner than the second half of May, a source in the shipbuilding industry told TASS on Wednesday.

Pyotr Morgunov large amphibious assault ship (Picture source: Vitaly Nevar/TASS)

"The shipbuilders’ sea trials may resume in the second half of May. The exact date for the large amphibious assault ship to take to the sea will be determined after the May holidays are over," the source said.

The shipbuilders’ sea trials of the large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov were earlier expected to restart in the second half of April but were later postponed to the beginning of May. After that, the warship’s state trials were expected to begin. The shipbuilders planned to deliver the large amphibious assault ship to the Russian Navy in late May. The source did not specify the reasons for the delay in the resumption of the warship’s sea trials.

The press office of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation, which integrates the Yantar Shipyard where the large amphibious assault ship is being built, reported on March 31 that the program of the warship’s sea trials was over 50% fulfilled. According to the Corporation’s press office, the large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov returned to the Shipyard on March 30 after its new deployment to the sea under the program of the shipbuilders’ sea trials.

The Pyotr Morgunov is the first serial-produced Project 11711 warship designed by the Nevskoye Design Bureau. The contract on the warship’s construction was concluded with Russia’s Defense Ministry in September 2014 and the warship was laid down in June 2015.

The Pyotr Morgunov is the largest in its class and displaces 5,000 tonnes. The warship is expected to be accepted for service in the Russian Navy after all of its trials are over.

The Pyotr Morgunov will be able to take on its board 13 main battle tanks, or 36 armored personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles. An option is envisaged for taking a marine infantry battalion on its board.

The amphibious assault ship can also transport a reinforced marine infantry company with organic military hardware and land it with the use of pontoons.

The amphibious assault ship is armed with 30mm six-barrel artillery guns and two Kamov Ka-29 transport/attack helicopters in its deck hangars.

The Project’s lead ship Ivan Gren was floated out in Kaliningrad in May 2012. It was accepted for service in the Russian Navy on June 20, 2018.

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