KALININGRAD, May 28. /TASS/. The large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov tested its radio-technical equipment and air defense radars during the final stage of shipbuilders’ sea trials in the Baltic Sea, the Baltic Fleet’s press office reported on Thursday.
"At the Baltic Fleet’s naval ranges, the ship’s crew and industry representatives tested the ship’s radio-technical armament and air defense radars. For this purpose, Ka-27 helicopters and Su-30SM, Su-27 and Su-24 aircraft of the Baltic Fleet’s naval aviation were involved," the press office said in a statement.
The Baltic Fleet’s aircraft and helicopters made flyovers of the ship, simulating a notional enemy’s air attack weapons at various speeds, altitudes and distances, the press office said.
As was reported earlier, on May 23, the large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov left the Yantar Shipyard where it had been built and sailed to the Baltic Sea for completing the shipbuilders’ sea trials. Their final stage is due to last until the beginning of June.
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 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. The warship was laid down in June 2015 and put afloat in May 2018. The Pyotr Morgunov entered the shipbuilders’ sea trials on December 13, 2019.
The Pyotr Morgunov is the largest in its class and displaces 5,000 tonnes. It 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.
Since April 2019, the Yantar Shipyard on the Baltic coast has been building two modernized Project 11711 ships: the Vladimir Andreyev and the Vasily Trushin.