MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. Russia’s new amphibious assault ships laid down at the Yantar Shipyard on the Baltic coast in April will differ considerably from their Project 11711 Ivan Gren-class predecessors, Head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation Alexei Rakhmanov told TASS on Monday.
"Changes are still ongoing [in the technical specifications] and they are being approved by the Navy. When we finish this work, we will tell about what will be changed," the corporation’s chief said.
The Yantar Shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) laid down two large amphibious assault ships on April 23 this year. As reports said, the shipbuilders were laying down Project 11711 large amphibious assault ships. However, the video materials showed that the new amphibious assault ships would be helicopter carriers. Also, instead of two superstructures typical of other Project 11711 warships, the new amphibious assault ships will carry only one. Therefore, it was presumed that the new vessels will feature considerably greater displacement compared to Project 11711 amphibious assault ships.
The new amphibious assault ships are expected to enter service with the Russian Navy before 2025. They have been named the Vladimir Andreyev and the Vasily Trushin.
The Project 11711 lead ship Ivan Gren built at the Yantar Shipyard was delivered to the Russian Navy in June 2018. The shipbuilders are preparing to deliver the second warship of this Project, the Pyotr Morgunov.
The Ivan Gren-class warships 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.