KALININGRAD, November 14. /TASS/. The large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov under construction at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad on order from Russia’s Defense Ministry will start trials no later than March 2019, Shipyard CEO Eduard Yefimov said on Wednesday.

"The Pyotr Morgunov is in a high degree of its readiness. The ship is expected to accommodate the crew in January, enter trials no later than February-March and begin shipbuilders’ sea trials in June," the chief executive was quoted by the Shipyard’s newspaper Vperyod as saying.

The large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov was floated out at the Yantar Shipyard on the Baltic coast on May 25.

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. It arrived at the Northern Fleet’s man naval base of Severomorsk in late October.