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Russian latest amphibious assault ship deploys to Baltic Sea to wrap up trials

The shipbuilders’ sea trials are due to be completed by mid-July, according to Shipyard Spokesman Sergei Mikhailov

© Vitaly Nevar/TASS

KALININGRAD, July 9. /TASS/. The large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov built at the Yantar Shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) deployed to the Baltic Sea to wrap up the program of shipbuilders’ sea trials, Shipyard Spokesman Sergei Mikhailov told TASS on Thursday.

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"The Pyotr Morgunov has left the Shipyard’s wharf and taken to the sea today to complete the shipbuilders’ sea trials," the spokesman said.

The shipbuilders’ sea trials are due to be completed by mid-July, he specified.

As was reported earlier, the large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov conducted artillery firings against air and naval targets in the Baltic Sea as part of the final stage of the shipbuilders’ sea trials and checked its radio-technical armament and air defense radar stations with the help of the Baltic Fleet’s aircraft.

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.

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