The new BDK of the 11711 project can receive additional protection from drones
The new large amphibious assault ship Sergei Kabanov, laid down in Kaliningrad on Tuesday, may receive protection against unmanned boats and drones, the deputy general director of the Nevsky Design Bureau told Izvestia. This representative of the 11711 series is being built according to an upgraded design. Experts note that the navy's need for such ships is great.
What will be the new BDK of the 11711 project?
The laying of a large amphibious assault ship of the modernized project 11711 Sergey Kabanov took place at the Baltic Yantar Shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) in Kaliningrad, the USC press service told Izvestia.
Ceremonial laying of the large amphibious assault ship Sergey Kabanov at the Yantar plant, Kaliningrad, July 8, 2025
Image source: Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
— The ship is being built by order of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation according to the project 11711 modernized by the Nevsky Design Bureau of the USC. These are the largest displacement ships under construction for the Navy in modern Russia. The upgraded project is distinguished by its architecture and an enlarged helicopter deck in the aft part," the corporation said.
The BDK is named after the Soviet naval gunner and military commander, Lieutenant General Sergei Ivanovich Kabanov, who led military operations in the Baltic, Northern and Pacific Fleets during the Great Patriotic War.
Andrey Ivlev, Deputy General Director for Design at the Nevsky Design Bureau of the USC, told Izvestia that the issue of retrofitting the BDK of the 11711 project with protective equipment against unmanned boats and drones is currently being considered.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
He also said that the laid-down ship is being built according to a modernized project.
— The new ship of the 11711 project will be similar to the two ships under construction "Vladimir Andreev" and "Vasily Trushin". The bureau took into account the operational experience of the BDK project 11711 when developing the upgraded project, two ships of this project are under construction,— said Andrey Ivlev.
Tasks for large amphibious ships
There is a need for such ships, first of all, in the Pacific Ocean, where there are many islands, Admiral Sergey Avakyants, ex-commander of the Pacific Fleet, told Izvestia. In addition, according to him, the BDK project 11711 is needed in the Black Sea and the Baltic.
— Now the main role of amphibious ships is not amphibious landings and amphibious operations that require a great advantage over the enemy in the area, but military transportation, convoys, troop movement, maneuvering, and so on. This is their main task and main function now," he explained.
According to the admiral, such ships should carry unmanned boats and drones.
— Future surface ships and submarines should be carriers of robotic complexes, which include unmanned aerial vehicles, underwater drones, and surface unmanned boats and ships. These complexes are needed for defense — to combat submarines, mines, underwater sabotage forces and means, as well as attack systems with shock functions. All ships should be built and designed in such a way that they should be carriers of robotic systems.
In addition to the Ivan Gren type BDK, the remaining large amphibious assault ships of the 775 project are still Polish—built during the Soviet era, Rear Admiral, military expert Mikhail Chekmasov told Izvestia.
"By and large, they have served the established deadlines, which have already been extended several times," he explained. — Updating the fleet of amphibious assault ships is an important task for our country. The ships of the 11711 project have new capabilities — helicopters can be accommodated on board, and more troops can be accommodated than on Polish-built ships.
The expert noted that the navy's need for large amphibious assault ships is great.
— It is unknown what historical stage we will enter, and what we will have to do with our opponents. A modern amphibious assault ship must carry out amphibious landings without coming under enemy fire. At one time, the Americans and the French implemented the so-called over-the-horizon landing. This situation remains relevant to this day. Moreover, these may not necessarily be actions directly related to the war, or it may be necessary to assist our friends who are on different continents. As it was in Syria, the paratroopers came there first," Mikhail Chekmasov concluded.
Sergey Kabanov will become the fifth representative of the Ivan Gren 11711 project. 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 June, the third Vladimir Andreev BDK was launched, and it is planned to accept it into the fleet next year. The fourth representative of the project, Vasily Trushin, is also under construction. The last two ships are intended for service in the Pacific Fleet.
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.
Starting from the third representative of the BDK series, they are built according to a modernized design and have differences from their two predecessors. In particular, the ship's superstructure architecture 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. The upgraded BDK can accommodate several helicopters at once.
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 used during the operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria. After the start of the special military operation, amphibious assault ships began to be used to transport cargo.
Roman Kretsul
