23.12.2011
Russian Navy command made a decision not to purchase Project 12322 Zubr small-size air-cushion landing ships, reports Izvestiya referring to a source in Navy Main HQ.
Instead, it is planned to build new dynamic and static buoyancy boats which will be based on various landing ships including
Mistral-class helicopter carriers.
Development of
Zubr small-size air-cushion landing ships started in the USSR in 1978, and the first serial ship joined Soviet Navy in 1988. Its carrying capacity is 3 main battle tanks with overall mass of 150 tons or 10 armored personnel carriers weighing up to 131 tons plus 140 marines, or 8 infantry fighting vehicles with mass up to 115 tons. Instead of armor,
Zubr is capable to accommodate other 366 men.
In total, 14
Zubr-class ships had been launched; only two of them remained in inventory of Russian Navy. Five ships were utilized, two – uncompleted, and five – sold to Greece where they are currently used as tourist craft.
