Elbrus: New Kind of Supply Ship for Russian Navy

13.11.2012 Having conducted an open online auction for three logistic support ships for Russian Navy in the summer of 2012, Russian defense ministry's Federal Procurement Agency (Rosoboronpostavka) concluded a contract on their construction with JSC Severnaya Verf shipyard on June 29.

On the 100-th anniversary of Severnaya Verf, Nov 14, the shipyard will lay down the Project 23120 lead ship named Elbrus by decree No. 657 of Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Viktor Chirkov issued on Oct 31, 2012.

Central Navy Portal holds the information what kind of vessel is in question. As of design, it will be the first ship of such kind in Russian Navy.

The project was developed by JSC Spetssudoproekt design bureau under direction of chief designer Anatoly Petrov and is classified in Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping as KM Arc4 [1] ?UT 1 DYNPOS-2 BWM (E-S) Supply vessel.

The ship will be operated under the flag of the Russian Federation.

Purpose:

- embarkation, storage, shipping and transshipment of dry cargoes on shore, surface ships, and submarines
- towage support, assistance to vessels in distress

Navigation area:

- unlimited stand-alone navigation in non-Arctic seas
- stand-alone navigation in the Barents Sea in summer/autumn shipping season
- icebreaker-assisted navigation in the Barents Sea in winter/spring season

Operating conditions:

- all-year-round, in accordance with Arc4 ice conditions category

Design type:

- seagoing, steel, single-deck vessel with rudder propellers, bow deckhouse, free space at the aft deck, double bottom and boards, bow thrusters, and towing winch.

Dimensions:

- length overall: 90.0 meters
- hull beam: 22.0 meters
- max draft: 8.65 meters

Displacement and deadweight:

Full displacement at 8.5-meter draft is about 9,000 tons. Deadweight at 8.5-meter draft is about 3,600 tons.

Speed:

- designed speed of the fully loaded ship at max draft, Beaufort wind force three, sea disturbance, total power of main diesel generators 15,000 kilowatt is at least 18 knots
- speed through 0.6-meter thick flat ice is about 2 knots

Dynamic positioning:

- 2% of the depth during salvage and other works, including that at force 5 sea disturbance

Crew:

- 27 men

Rescuees capacity:

- about 50 persons

According to the contract, Severnaya Verf will deliver the lead ship in Nov 2014, the second one in Nov 2015, the third one in Nov 2016. The ships are built for Northern, Black Sea, and Pacific fleets.