Russian Military Hovercraft Lands on Crowded Beach

**kellyhound** · #1 ● 08-22-2013, 08:50 AM

The Zubr-class (Project 1232.2 class, NATO reporting name Pomornik) is a class of air-cushioned landing craft of Soviet design.

This class of military hovercraft is, as of 2012, the world’s largest hovercraft.

It is designed to sealift landing assault units (such as marines or tanks) from equipped/non-equipped vessels to non-equipped shore, as well as transport and plant mines.

There are currently nine ships in active service in the world. The Zubr is used by the Russian, Ukrainian, and Greek navies.

The transfer of the Kefalonia (L- 180), the first of two Zubr hovercraft purchased by Greece, to the Hellenic Navy marked the first time that a Russian-made ship was purchased by the navy of a NATO member.

High strength and floatability of the craft are provided by a rectangular pontoon, the main load-carrying part of the ship's hull. The superstructure built on the pontoon is divided into 3 compartments with two longitudinal bulkheads: combat material compartment in the midsection fitted with tank ramps, and outboard sections housing main and auxiliary propulsion units, troop compartments, living quarters, and NBC protection systems.

To improve working conditions in the battle stations, troop compartments and living quarters, they are fitted with air-conditioning and heating-systems, sound/heat-insulating coatings, and structures made of vibrodamping materials. The ship provides normal conditions for the crew to take meals and rest.

Personnel are protected against effects of weapons of mass destruction with airtight sealing of combat stations, crew and troop compartments, as well as individual gas masks and protection suits.

The ship is also protected from influence mines with the horizontal winding to compensate for the ship's and the transported material's magnetic fields. The central command post and MS-227 device compartments are strengthened with alloy armour.

The Zubr landing craft has a cargo area of 400 square metres (4,300 sq ft), and a fuel capacity of 56 tons.

It can carry three main battle tanks (up to 150 tonnes), or ten armoured vehicles with 140 troops (up to 131 tonnes), or 8 armoured personnel carriers of total mass up to 115 tonnes, or 8 amphibious tanks or up to 500 troops (with 360 troops in the cargo compartment).

At full displacement the ship is capable of negotiating up to 5-degree gradients on non-equipped shores and 1.6m-high vertical walls.

The Zubr remains seaworthy in conditions up to Sea state 4. The vessel has a cruising speed of 30-40 knots.