KALININGRAD, June 20. /TASS/. The large amphibious assault ship Ivan Gren has been accepted for service in the Russian Navy in an official ceremony of hoisting the St. Andrew’s flag aboard the warship, TASS reports from the scene.

The Ivan Gren is the first amphibious assault ship designed and built in Russia’s modern history. The Ivan Gren is the Project 11711 lead ship designed by the Nevskoye Design Bureau. The work on the warship lasted over 20 years due to numerous readjustments to meet the Russian Navy’s requirements.

After an order of the Russian Navy’s commander-in-chief was read out on assigning the Ivan Gren to the 121st brigade of the Kola Flotilla warships, Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief Vice-Admiral Viktor Bursuk handed over the St. Andrew’s flag to the ship’s commander. The warship’s crew vowed never to haul down the flag before the enemy, after which it was hoisted aboard the combat vessel.

The Project 11711 large amphibious assault lead ship Ivan Gren was developed by the Nevskoye Design Bureau in St. Petersburg in northwest Russia. It was laid down by the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad in west Russia in December 2004 and launched in May 2012. Its sea trials began in June 2016.

On November 30, 2017, the large amphibious assault ship Ivan Gren started undergoing state trials in the Baltic Sea. The Ivan Gren is expected to join Russia’s Northern Fleet.

The Yantar Shipyard is building another Project 11711 warship, the Pyotr Morgunov, which is expected to be delivered to the Russian Navy in late 2018.

The Ivan Gren can carry 13 main battle tanks or 36 armored personnel carriers (infantry fighting vehicles) and up to 300 marines. 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 Ivan Gren is armed with 30mm six-barrel artillery systems and two Kamov Ka-29 transport/attack helicopters in its deck hangars.