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Russian latest amphibious assault ship resumes trials in Baltic Sea

As the shipyard spokesman said, at the final stage of the shipbuilders’ sea trials, the ship will conduct artillery firings

MOSCOW, May 25. /TASS/. The Project 11711 large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov has taken to the Baltic Sea to continue shipbuilders’ sea trials, spokesman for the Yantar Shipyard Sergei Mikhailov told TASS on Monday.

"On May 23, the large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov returned to the Baltic Sea for completing the shipbuilders’ sea trials. Their final stage is due to last until the beginning of June," the spokesman said.

The warship interrupted its trials in late March and returned to the Yantar Shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) for repair works, the spokesman said.

"During the trials, a part of the ship’s hydraulic system components went out of order. Now all the defects have been removed and the amphibious assault ship is currently at sea," Project 11711 Head Andrei Parfyonov said.

As the shipyard spokesman said, at the final stage of the shipbuilders’ sea trials, the ship will conduct artillery firings. The warship will switch over to state trials in early June, after which it will be delivered to the Russian Navy.

The shipbuilders’ sea trials of the large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov were earlier expected to resume in the second half of April and then in early May, following which the warship’s state trials were due to begin. The warship was expected to be delivered to the Russian Navy in late May.

As the press office of the United Shipbuilding Corporation reported on March 31, the program of the shipbuilders’ sea trials was over 50% fulfilled before the warship’s return to the Yantar Shipyard.

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.