It was already launched on Friday, and as part of the armament program, it is planned to build up to a dozen BDK project 11711.
The large amphibious assault ship (BDK) "Vladimir Andreev" of project 11711 will be transferred to the fleet next year. On Friday, it was ceremoniously launched in Kaliningrad. This BDK, already the third in the series, was built according to a modernized design and has tangible advantages over its predecessors. According to experts, the navy's need for such a class of ships capable of operating both in combat conditions and in the humanitarian field has now grown noticeably.
The ceremonial launching of the Vladimir Andreev BDK took place
On Friday, a solemn ceremony of launching the large amphibious assault ship "Vladimir Andreev" project 11711 took place at the Yantar plant in Kaliningrad.
— This ship was built according to the modified technical design of the Nevsky Design Bureau using the most advanced scientific and technical groundwork. During its construction, the experience of operating the ships of the series was taken into account," said Admiral Alexander Moiseev, Commander—in-Chief of the Navy. — As part of the next armament program, we envisage up to 10 ships built of such a project. Everything will be finally clear after the approval of this program.
Launching ceremony of the large amphibious assault ship project 11711 "Vladimir Andreev" in Kaliningrad
Image source: Photo: United Shipbuilding Corporation
Ilya Samarin, General Director of the plant, said that Vladimir Andreev will be transferred to the fleet in 2026.
"This beautiful ship, which the factory workers are building and launching this year, will fly the Navy flag next year," he said.
According to him, another similar ship will be laid this year, which will be transferred to the Navy in the next 4-5 years. Samarin also said that the fourth ship of this project, the Vasily Trushin, will be launched in December this year.
What is the Vladimir Andreev BDK?
The ceremonial laying of the ship took place on April 23, 2019. He became the third representative of Project 11711 of the Ivan Gren type. The construction of the first BDK was delayed from 2004 to 2018. The second one, Pyotr Morgunov, was commissioned five years after its foundation, in 2020. These two ships serve in the Northern Fleet. In addition to Vladimir Andreev, the fourth representative of the project, Vasily Trushin, is also under construction.
Large amphibious assault ship of project 11711 "Ivan Gren" at the berth of the main base of the Northern Fleet in Severomorsk
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Pavel Lvov
The third ship in the series is named after Admiral Vladimir Andreev, who led amphibious operations in the Pacific Ocean during the war with Japan in 1945.
"No one canceled the classic amphibious operation," military expert Captain 1st Rank Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia. — Given the special military operation, it cannot be ruled out that it will all come in handy. These are the necessary ships. They will probably be armed with naval and aerial drones. Our Marine Corps is currently developing, and there will be five divisions in the fleet. They are warriors of the three elements — air, sea and earth. And disembarkation is likely to be required. Therefore, these are very important ships.
Unlike the previous ships of the Vladimir Andreev series, it is focused on the group use of helicopters, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia.
Launching ceremony of the large amphibious assault ship project 11711 "Vladimir Andreev" in Kaliningrad
Image source: Photo: United Shipbuilding Corporation
"You can place several of them," he explained. — And this is a landmark event for the Russian Navy. We haven't had amphibious assault ships with group-based helicopters for a very long time. While other countries are actively building such ships.
The Vladimir Andreev and the subsequent Vasily Trushin are intended for the Pacific Fleet, the expert added.
Launching ceremony of the large amphibious assault ship project 11711 "Vladimir Andreev" in Kaliningrad
Image source: Photo: United Shipbuilding Corporation
— We have island territories there. Some countries consider them controversial," he said. — And in case of aggression, it is a very good ship for the transfer of troops and reinforcements. In addition, it can be used for humanitarian operations in case of natural disasters.
The BDK of Project 11711 is larger than the most common large amphibious assault ships of Project 775 in the fleet. These are the largest displacement ships built for the Navy in modern Russia.
The ship can accommodate up to 300 Marines, 15 tanks or about 35 armored personnel carriers. The front ramp allows them to be landed on an unprepared shore even in conditions of strong sea waves. The ship is armed with two AK—630 and AK-630M-2 six-barrel artillery systems.
AK-630 artillery system
Image source: Photo: TASS/Sergey Karpukhin
The Vladimir Andreev was built according to a modernized design and has differences from its two predecessors. In particular, the architecture of the superstructure has been changed, the area of the helipad has been increased, the power of the propulsion system has been increased, thrusters have been added and displacement has been increased. The living conditions for the personnel have been improved, modular cabins have been created.
Large amphibious assault ships of the Pacific and Northern Fleets are often used to transport cargo in the interests of garrisons on islands and remote coasts. They were actively involved during the operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria. The Syrian Express supplied the Russian group in the SAR with continuous flights. After the start of the special military operation, amphibious assault ships began to be used to transport cargo.
Roman Kretsul
