The largest landing hovercraft. Russian Navy: small landing ship "Mordovia" carried out artillery firing and landed amphibious assault
The Zubr class ship, or Project 12322, is a small landing craft equipped with an air cushion and developed back in Soviet times. After the project was declassified, the Zubr was recognized as the most powerful hovercraft in the world. Vessels of this class have in their arsenal such countries as Ukraine, Russia and Greece. It is noteworthy that the Zubr is the first ship produced in the USSR and subsequently acquired and put into service by NATO countries.
The Zubr is designed to perform the following tasks: it transports the personnel of military units, military equipment and is engaged in cargo supply to unequipped coastlines. An air cushion allows you to land troops on 70% of the coasts of the entire world's oceans. The cargo compartment can accommodate three tanks, the total weight of which can reach up to 150 tons, or 10 armored personnel carriers (up to 130 tons) and another 140 marines.
In addition, 8 infantry fighting vehicles or amphibious tanks with approximately the same size can be accommodated here. With the conversion of the cargo compartment, another 366 people can be accommodated here. It turns out that the total number of people that the Zubr can deliver to the shore reaches 500 people.
The engine of the ships has a capacity of 50 thousand horsepower. The engine is an M35 power plant manufactured at the Nikolaev enterprise Zorya-Mashproekt. The ship has four NO-10 injection units with a propeller, the diameter of which is 2.5 meters. Their rotation consumes all the power of the power plant. Three reversible screws are responsible for the horizontal movement of the Zubr. The diameter of each 4-bladed propeller is 5.5 meters.
The Zubr is 57.3 meters long, 25.6 meters wide and 21.9 meters high. The displacement reaches 555 tons. The fuel reserves in the tanks are designed to cover a distance of 300 nautical miles (550 km), the maximum speed limit is 60 knots (111 km/h). The ship is operated and maintained by a crew of 27 people.
The ship "Zubr" has artillery and missile weapons. Artillery armament is reduced to two 30-mm AK-630 automatic artillery systems installed on the ship. The ammunition load of each is 3000 shells. Two launchers A-22 "Ogon" for 140-mm unguided rockets are the ship's missile armament. Their ammunition load includes 66 NURs for each. 8 Igla portable anti-aircraft systems are designed for air defense.
Marines - special kind troops. They must land on unprepared sections of the coast, where no one is waiting for them. The factors that ensure victory are too short to list. This is surprise, speed of delivery to the landing site, stealth and the ability to get powerful fire support. As a rule, landings are carried out using landing ships equipped with ramps, or with the help of auxiliary watercraft. But the Russian marines have the technical means that no other army in the world has. Ships of the Zubr project can not only land troops, but also move on land, regardless of the nature of the soil, while firing and sowing panic in the enemy camp.
First experiences
The secret to speed and unparalleled all-terrain capability lies in original way movement. Powerful propellers are created under the bottom of the vessel and it hangs at a given height. The idea arose in the late twenties from the Soviet engineer Levkov, who worked at the Novocherkassk shipbuilding plant. He built a prototype, named after the author of the project "Levkov-1" (L-1), but, despite the obvious promise, fell "out of place." In the middle and second half of the thirties, the emphasis was rather on traditional combat weapons, and the disputes were between the "horsemen" and "tankers". There was no one to appreciate the brilliant idea. The work was curtailed, and they were remembered only in the 50s, when Soviet intelligence learned about similar Western developments.
Design Bureau "Almaz" was instructed to create a special landing craft. Large-tonnage warships (battleships, cruisers) were then cut for scrap, and the country's leadership, represented by N. S. Khrushchev, liked unusual, revolutionary and fantastic projects. This was the firstborn of "Almaz" - "Skat", which was a symbiosis of an amphibian and a boat that left the dock in the early sixties. Before a platoon of Marines, this ship delivered to the landing point at the speed of a courier train (90 km / h). The direct descendant of this miracle of technology was the Zubr, a ship on air cushion.
Alternative landing concepts
A vehicle with a wheeled or tracked undercarriage can move on land and overcome difficult obstacles, but the range of obstacle heights is limited. There are facilities that can swim, but their navigable qualities usually do not correspond to the concept of "vessel", they are slow-moving and relatively helpless until the moment they enter the shore. There are warships special purpose, intended for the transportation and landing of troops, which may include several units of armored vehicles and manpower. These boats also have drawbacks, they are vulnerable due to low speed, they need a suitable shore to successfully complete a combat mission. Only 14% of all beaches are suitable for landings from MDK (an abbreviation means small landing craft) of a water-displacing type, mooring close and opening ramps.
There is another concept developed in recent decades. This is an over-the-horizon landing. Its essence lies in the fact that the main ship is located far from the coast, and the delivery of armored vehicles is carried out by special self-propelled small vessels. It is for such landing that Mistral-class helicopter carriers are ready. Landing in this way is possible, of course, only under conditions of complete domination of land, air and water. What will happen to the landing force if the enemy has effective countermeasures (coastal defense systems, for example) can be easily imagined. He will serve as food for the fish.
The Zubr landing ship is fast, it does not stop on the shore, its firepower in itself poses a danger to the enemy defenses. All in all, it's an almost perfect means of disembarkation. It can serve 78 percent of the world's sea and ocean coasts.
Frame
The construction of the world's most advanced means of amphibious assault was based on the production and scientific base created in the Almaz Design Bureau. In the late seventies, Soviet shipbuilders had experience in building hovercraft (Kalmar, Skat and other landing ship projects). The most successful was KVP "Jeyran" (project No. 12321). Its development was the next in order index 12322 Zubr. The main supporting structure of the hull is made in the form of a rectangular pontoon (57.3 L x 25.6 W x 21.9 H, m), on which the superstructure is mounted, in turn, divided into three longitudinally oriented compartments. According to the functional purpose, the cargo space is the central space, on the sides of which there are power units, places for personnel and transported units, protective systems that ensure vital activity (including in the case of use. The premises of personnel and troops are equipped with air conditioning, ventilation, heating systems, they are noise- and thermally insulated.There are conditions for eating.
The body is made using all-welded technology, the material is a high-strength non-magnetic aluminum-magnesium alloy of increased corrosion resistance.
The layout idea belongs to the chief designer of the project Koronatov G.D.
Electrical part
Controlling power drives is not an easy task. Russian military vessels of conventional types are driven by turbine engines, with the exception of submarines, the propellers of which are loaded on electric motors. To simplify control systems, the power system of the MDK Zubr was organized according to a similar principle. A hovercraft is not easy to keep at a given height above the surface, it requires a lot of energy. It is produced by power plants, there are two of them, each is based on a hundred-kilowatt gas turbine generator (there are also two of them). The total capacity of the M35 type power plant, manufactured by Zarya-Mashproekt, is 50,000 horsepower. The concern of the commander of the BCH-5 (electromechanical warhead) is the main switchboards (MSB). Management is carried out remotely from the GKR (main command post), many operations are automated in order to improve ergonomic performance. The circuit also contains remote controls.
Pneumatics
Keeping a heavy vessel (its displacement is 555 tons) at a given height is also not easy, it is, after all, not a helicopter. The air cushion under the body is created by four four-bladed injection screws with a diameter of 25,000 mm, equipped with forced pitch control devices. Together with the electric motor, each of them makes up the injection unit (NO-10). Horizontal movement is carried out according to the glider principle. The Zubr air cushion landing ship is propelled by three propellers with adjustable rotary blades with the possibility of reverse with a diameter of 55,000 mm, mounted on polymer composite ring landings that reduce noise. Through these propellers, the ship accelerates to a record speed of 90 km / h, and changing the ratio of thrust of each of them allows you to effectively maneuver.
pillow borders
In order for the injected air not to go to the sides, but to “work”, keeping the heavy vessel at a given clearance, limiters are structurally provided. They are an elastic fence made according to a two-tier scheme. The receiver is flexible, the hinged elements are divided crosswise by two keels, transverse and longitudinal. This whole complex system allows you to reliably “lean” on compressed air such a colossus as the Zubr. The hovercraft rests or moves as long as the pressure balances its weight, rises if necessary to overcome uneven terrain, and sinks to the ground when it is time to land troops and unload military equipment. It does not matter for him what the nature of the surface is, whether it is water or land, the range of waves is quite wide, and the ability to “crawl” far beyond the coastline distinguishes it from other, more common and traditional landing craft.
Capacity
The landing hovercraft "Zubr" in its full name is modestly referred to as "small". It can deliver "only" a mechanized battalion of marines in ten armored personnel carriers along with crews to the desired point in the coastal zone. In fact, in terms of size and carrying capacity in the KVP class, it has no equal. In terms of landing capabilities, it corresponds, rather, to the concept of a “medium landing ship” (it still does not reach a large one), if we take an analogue in the form of a conventional water-displacing vessel, mooring and opening ramps on the edge of the coast. As the Zapad-2009 exercises showed, the following variants of military units can actually be landed from the Zubr MDKVP:
Three T-80 (T-90) tanks with a total weight of up to 150 tons;
8 infantry fighting vehicles (115 tons);
10 APCs plus 140 Marines;
Eight amphibious light tanks.
The landing force is located in four cabins for 140 people each. It is possible to deliver only manpower, without equipment, in this case, another 366 places will appear, and the total number of disembarked military personnel will increase to five thousand. This may be necessary in case of a need for reinforcements, but the autonomy of navigation is reduced to several hours. Marines are people too, they need to eat and rest, and conditions in the cargo hold are not the most comfortable.
For direct disembarkation, bow gates are used, which fold down and represent a ramp resting on the ground.
Armament
The Zubr landing ship is not only a means of delivering personnel and equipment to inhospitable enemy shores, it can deliver rocket and artillery strikes in order to suppress possible resistance of a dug-in enemy, provide fire support and defend against possible attacks by enemy aircraft. Without these combat capabilities, such a perfect machine in the eyes of military experts would have remained a mere "trough", even if it was fast and maneuverable.
Here is a set of “tools” that the Zubr is equipped with to provide the necessary firepower. The hovercraft is armed with:
Two launchers "Fire" A-22, firing unguided rockets of 140.3 mm caliber.
Two automatic installations AK-630 caliber 30 mm with an ammunition load of three thousand shells.
Eight Igla anti-aircraft missile systems (sometimes foreign operators use American Stingers).
On board there is a Slyabing electronic warfare system, which makes it possible to interfere with the operation of enemy communication and detection systems.
In addition, the Zubr can lay mines, up to 20 of them in the ammunition load. The maximum installation time is 1 hour 20 minutes.
Of course, this ship does not reach the cruiser, but it should be borne in mind that in the conditions of modern warfare it should not act alone, and naval, as well as air, and, if necessary, tactical and missile support will be provided to it.
American equivalent
Landing ships hovering above the water surface are also in service with the American army. Their official name is LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion), they are intended for the same purposes as the Bison. The layout of the overseas sample differs from the architecture of the Soviet counterpart, there is no superstructure as such, but there is a 182 sq. m, on which the equipment is placed together with the contingent to be disembarked. LCAC is much more modest than the Zubr both in size and power plant capacity (16 thousand hp). Its length is 27 meters, width - 14 m. Fuel consumption, however, rolls over, seven hundred liters of fuel are burned per hour. The ship weighs. It moves on a glider, two propellers with a diameter of 3 m 70 cm push it forward or backward. approximately the same as that of the vessel of the Zubr project. Additional engines are used for steering. Lifting thrust is provided by four downward-facing propellers. Payload weight - 70 tons.
In an effort to lighten the design, American engineers decided to do without superstructures and quarters for personnel, which creates the risk of being washed overboard - the deck becomes slippery from water spray at speed.
The craft does not have its own weapons.
If we summarize all the tactical and technical data of the American landing hovercraft, we can conclude that its combat capabilities are about three times inferior to the qualities of the Zubr. Marines he can take no more than 170 on board, provided there is no military equipment on deck. However, this machine also deserves attention, apart from it, not a single Western DKVP can compete with the model of the Soviet design.
Controlling a ship of the San Antonio and WASP types requires very serious training, and it is not easy to master it. These ships are based only in the United States, at a naval base in Virginia.
How many Zubrov are left?
With all the merits of this wonderful example of the Soviet defense industry, it is impossible not to add a fly in the ointment to the glorious barrel of honey, which its creators undoubtedly deserve. At the time of the collapse of the USSR, as part of Cherno navy there were eight units of the Zubr DKVP. This brigade of landing ships was not divided equally, but fraternally: Russia got five (among them - the first prototype, it can be ignored), and Ukraine - three ships (Kramatorsk, Artemovsk and Gorlovka). The advocates of universal justice should not be indignant. The Ukrainian fleet did not even need those Zubrs that it received; it was beyond the power of the military budget to maintain them. In addition, two more ships were being completed in Feodosia, one of which was completed. Again, justice requires noting that the Russian fleet also disposed of its Zubrs not in the best way. When Greece (a NATO member country!) expressed a desire to acquire unique warships, both Ukraine and Russia offered to buy a couple of pieces each. The deal went through.
Then the three remaining units were decommissioned from the Ukrainian Navy as unnecessary, and, apparently, cut into scrap metal, the demand for which is always there.
So, in the end, the Greeks have the most Zubrovs, as many as four. The Russian fleet has two units, and China has one completed at Ukrainian shipyards. By the way, China plans to build four more copies. Ukrainian specialists provided assistance and
As a consolation, it can be stated that the combat use of the Bison during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict has so far been the only and successful one. Details of military operations with their participation are not known to the general public.
In a small cozy museum of the Baltic Fleet, located in a German-built building in Baltiysk (Kaliningrad region), the guide demonstrates historical relics - first from the time of Peter the Great (guns, anchors and flags from Swedish ships), then from the times of the First and Second World Wars. And now, finally, he turns to modern exhibits, demonstrating with particular pride the control panel of the Project 12321 Jeyran landing hovercraft, most of which were based in Baltiysk, installed on the stand: “It is unlikely that you will see something like this anywhere else!” “Well, why not? I cautiously remark. “Just yesterday I saw how the Zubr was run!” The guide grins with increased respect: “And how, didn’t you go deaf?”
| Small landing craft hovercraft (MDKVP) project 12322 "Zubr" | ||
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Cruising range: 300 nautical miles Endurance: 5 days Crew: 27 people |
Developer: Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau |
Full displacement: 555 tons Height (hovercraft): 21.9 m |
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Length: 488 m Width: 74 m |
Power of gas turbine units: 5 x 10,000 hp | Full speed: 60 knots |
| Landing capacity: 3 tanks (up to 150 tons), or 10 armored personnel carriers (up to 132 tons), or 8 infantry fighting vehicles (up to 115 tons), or 8 amphibious tanks, as well as 140 troops | Armament: two MC-227 launchers for 140-mm unguided rocket projectiles (ammunition - 66 projectiles), two 30-mm automatic launchers AK-630 (ammunition - 3000 projectiles), 8 sets of Igla MANPADS | |
Landing ship "Mordovia", standing on the concrete pier of the military harbor of Baltiysk, looks a bit like a whale washed ashore. Only helplessness does not emanate from him at all - the open mouth of the lowered "lip" of the flexible rubber fencing and the front ramp are more like a predatory smile. Several infantry fighting vehicles lined up in front of the ship, and one of the officers gestures to help the drivers back inside. After the last BMP takes its place in the troop compartment, the officer carefully checks the placement of vehicles. He doesn’t like something, at his command several BMPs move forward - literally a few centimeters. Finally, the results of the check satisfy the officer, and the cars are secured with chains. The commander of the ship, captain 3rd rank Sergey Konov explains the meaning of these manipulations: “Accurate load centering is very important for a hovercraft. If the trim at the stern exceeds 2°, the bow rises too high above the water, the stern part drops, and the pressure of the oncoming air flow may exceed the air pressure created by the pillow. There will be a danger of breaking the flexible rubber barrier on the move, which is approximately equivalent in effect to a collision with a wall.
When the ship turns on the pumping units and rises on an air cushion, a huge cloud of the smallest water dust rises into the air, and on a clear day everything around begins to sparkle with numerous rainbows.
In a water coat
Hiding in a corner of the wheelhouse (so as not to disturb anyone), I observe the preparations for going to sea. The posts report readiness, and finally, the command is given to start the engines, freeing a herd of 50,000 horses. In the armored pilothouse, the roar of the engines is fairly muffled, and I can only guess how this incredible sound is perceived from the outside. At the same time, I understand that it will not work to ride with the breeze: during the movement, access to the deck is prohibited, since when the engines are running, a person can simply be blown away.
"Climb!" - the commander of the ship, personally sitting at the helm, flips one of the toggle switches on the remote control. Two blowing units are installed on each side, the air intakes of which are closed from above by rotary blades. The click of the toggle switch turns the vanes and the blowers begin to supply air to the pillow. Dust rises around the Mordovia, the ship, shaken by a large tremor, rises above the surface. Turning the steering wheel from side to side, Sergei Konov swings the heavily loaded Zubr, slowly sliding down the concrete slope into the water. When the ship is completely on the water, an amazing sight opens from the wheelhouse - everywhere you look, many rainbows sparkle - this light is refracted on a cloud of water dust raised by an air cushion. At full speed (and this is 60 knots!) The ship is almost invisible - only the bow and the glazing of the wheelhouse protrude from the cloud of water dust. Which, according to officers, also serves as a masking factor: water dust interferes with enemy radar signals, making it difficult to detect and target. The aluminum-magnesium alloy body is non-magnetic, and given the height of its flight (about half a meter), the Bison is not afraid of either magnetic or contact mines.
The ship is equipped with five gas turbine engines - two lower ones, each of which drives two injection units (on board), and three upper ones - traction, rotating 5.5-meter variable-pitch propellers in ring nozzles.
Commander and helmsman
Hovercraft are the only ones where the commander does not just give an order to the helmsman, but is personally at the helm. Displacement ships and ships sitting deep in the water are much more inertial and predictable. The Zubr, on the other hand, hovers above the water without touching it, and reacts literally to gusts of wind: “The main problem that makes it difficult to control a hovercraft is its windage,” Sergey Konov explains. - The area of the lateral projection is more than 500 m 2, so even a moderate wind makes its own corrections, not to mention the gusts that knock the ship off course. Therefore, in the management of the Zubr, there is more from aviation than from navigation, instantaneous reactions and wind correction.
The most formidable armament of the Zubr is two launchers for 140-mm unguided rockets, which are used for fire support of the landing. But you will not see these launchers in the ship's navigational position. The fact is that they are made retractable, and are put forward only to launch NURSs, and after the end of the shooting, they again fall below the deck.
Off-road clearance
Finally, the Zubr reaches its destination - one of the beaches of the Baltic coast. Two sailors, with the help of sights, inspect the landing area and report that everything is clear. The ship slows down and, raising clouds of sand and dust, falls ashore. "Landing!" - the commander flips the toggle switch, transferring the blowing units to the landing mode: the blades of the upper air intakes are closed, the air circulates inside the pillow, cooling the engines. The "Zubr" settles on the sand, lowers the bow and the gangway, along which, one by one, five infantry fighting vehicles move down to the beach. The gangway is removed, and then again the rise to the pillow - and into the sea. The whole operation takes a couple of minutes.
Loaded with machinery, the Zubr heavily leaves the pier in the cold waves Baltic Sea. Outside, however, it is quite difficult to understand this - with apparent ease, albeit slowly, the ship, slightly shifting from side to side, slides into the water. But inside, in the wheelhouse, this is clearly visible: the commander, with the help of variable movements of the steering wheel to the right and left, sways the ship from side to side, so that it would be easier to move this almost 500-ton colossus, trembling with the whole hull under the pressure of 50 thousand horsepower, with rough concrete.
Technically, a ship can not only go ashore, but also go much further on land or in a swamp. Flexible rubber fencing consists of two parts - a receiver and hinged easy-to-replace elements ("kerchiefs"). Thick reinforced rubber is quite resistant to various damages, and small holes do not affect driving performance. The ship can overcome obstacles up to 1.6-2 m high, and does not notice those that are less than a meter at all. There was a case when, during a demonstration of a night landing, one of the export samples intended for Greece simply “rolled out” the GAZ-66, which was supposed to highlight the landfall. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the car, of course, had to be written off. Not without reason, the manufacturer claims that the Zubru is available for landing up to 70% of the total length of the coastline of the seas and oceans of the world.
In the event of a global war, one of the priorities for the Soviet army was to be the capture of the Black Sea and Baltic straits. For the success of such an operation, surprise was required, that is, the landing units had to reach the landing point with maximum speed. To ensure it, the Soviet naval commanders planned to use unusual landing ships - small landing hovercraft (MDKVP).
Don't let the word "small" fool you, Soviet hovercraft (SVP) were the largest in the world, and the Project 12322 Zubr amphibious assault ship displaced more than 550 tons. It is the largest hovercraft ever built in the world. Each airship is capable of carrying 550 paratroopers or 3 tanks and a company of marines for 300 nautical miles. In addition, the Zubr hovercraft is capable of seriously supporting the landing force with fire: it is armed with unguided rockets and automatic cannons.
In addition to the unique speed, the hovercraft has other advantages. For conventional landing craft that use a ramp, only 17% of the coast of the World Ocean is accessible, for hovercraft this figure is 78%. Such an airship can move not only on water, but also on land. It is even able to overcome small obstacles and minefields. Therefore, Zubr-class ships can land troops even in the depths of enemy defenses.
Developments in this direction were carried out in many countries, but Soviet Union was the undisputed leader. Looking at a 550-ton hulk of a ship that can glide over water at a speed of 60 knots, you feel proud of the country that was able to create such technical masterpieces.
In 2011, the Russian military leadership decided to stop purchasing Project 12322 Zubr landing craft. They are planned to be replaced by new landing ships of various types, which still need to be created. Them specifications so far unknown.
Currently, the Russian Navy is armed with two Project 12322 landing ships: Mordovia and Evgeny Kocheshkov, and both of them are in need of major repairs.
In addition to the Russian naval forces, the Zubr landing ships are in service with the Greek Navy; in the period from 2000 to 2004, four ships were sold to this country. IN last years China is showing great interest in hovercraft.
The history of the creation of the landing ship "Zubr"
A few decades ago, many naval experts believed that a revolution was coming in the tactics of warfare at sea, associated with the use of ships and hovercraft. Such vessels had great operational flexibility and could be involved in a variety of functions. Most of all, such an airship was suitable for landing operations.
Work on the creation of such vessels was carried out in the UK, USA, France and China. Interested in a hovercraft and Soviet admirals.
The Americans began to seriously engage in the development of hovercraft after the outbreak of the Vietnam War, the hovercraft proved to be an ideal means of action in the Mekong Delta. In the West, relatively small ships of this class were built (rather, boats), their main task was to operate in the coastal zone or to land troops from large ships.
In the USSR, this issue was approached somewhat differently. Back in the mid-60s, in the Leningrad design bureau Almaz, they began to create a landing hovercraft project 1232 Jeyran. And it was definitely not a boat. The vessel ensured the transfer of not only paratroopers, but also heavy military equipment: the airship could deliver two T-55 tanks over a distance of 300 nautical miles. The total displacement of the Jeyrans was 350 tons. This airship has become the largest in the world, overtaking the nearest competitor by almost two times. In addition to the Jeyrans, a number of hovercraft were put into mass production in the USSR: Omar, Skat, Kalmar.
Soviet industry built 18 serial ships of the Jeyran class for the Navy.
However, the military needed an even larger landing craft.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Navy, Admiral Gorshkov, and Minister of Defense Ustinov were considered ardent admirers of the SVP, as well as ships in general created on the basis of dynamic support principles (ekranoplans, SVP, hydrofoils). Therefore, already in 1978, the designers of the Almaz Design Bureau were given the task of developing a more powerful ship called the Zubr.
This airship was supposed to take on board three tanks, have a higher speed and reinforced artillery armament. In fact, the ships of project 12322 Zubr became a further development of the Jeyrans. Their construction was planned to begin immediately at three plants: in Leningrad, Feodosia and Khabarovsk.
The lead ship of Project 12322 Zubr was laid down in 1983, launched in 1986, and two years later it became part of the Soviet Navy. After the tests, minor changes were made to the design of the subsequent Bison.
After the collapse of the USSR, five project 12322 SVPs ended up in the Russian Navy, and three were transferred to Ukraine. In 2000, a contract was signed with the Greek Navy, according to which four ships of Project 12322 Zubr were transferred to this country. In 2013, Ukraine manufactured the first Project 12322 ship for the Chinese Navy.
After the annexation of Crimea, Russian officials of various ranks repeatedly announced plans to resume the construction of Project 12322 ships at the Feodosia More shipyard. However, it is not clear how to link such statements with the refusal of the Russian fleet from these ships.
Description MDKVP project 12322 "Zubr"
Project 12322 Zubr MDKVP is the largest ship of its kind in the world. He can travel 300 miles at a speed passenger car. To reduce weight and protect against corrosion, the ship's hull is made of aluminum-magnesium alloys, the most important and vulnerable parts and assemblies are protected by aluminum armor.
The basis of the ship's hull is, in fact, a pontoon, which provides the vessel with stability and unsinkability. Interior spaces The ship is equipped with soundproof coatings that dampen the vibration of the hull. The living quarters are also equipped with air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems.
The superstructure, located on the pontoon, is divided into three compartments by longitudinal partitions. In the middle compartment there are places for armored vehicles, it is equipped with ramps and tracks for tanks. In the side compartments of the ship is the power plant, living quarters and support systems.
To maintain the air cushion, the ship has a flexible fence, which consists of two tiers. The fence is divided into sections by longitudinal and transverse keels.
The total capacity of the Zubra power plant is 50 thousand liters. from. It consists of five gas turbine engines, two of which provide the operation of four NO-10 blower units, which form an air cushion, and three more gas turbine engines drive three propellers, which give the ship translational motion. The propellers are located in the stern of the vessel, they have four blades and a diameter of 5.5 meters. Each screw is in a special ring nozzle.
There are two more additional power plants on board, each of which has a capacity of 100 kW.
The Zubr hovercraft can take on board three main battle tanks (total weight no more than 150 tons) or ten armored personnel carriers, or eight infantry fighting vehicles. In addition to military equipment, the ship can take 140 paratroopers, who are housed in four special rooms. Instead of tanks or infantry fighting vehicles, the Zubr can accommodate another 360 people on board (that is, about 500 people in total).
In the bow of the vessel there are folding gates through which the landing takes place.
All Project 12322 ships are equipped with two radar stations, satellite navigation system, compasses, drift log, day and night vision devices. Communication systems provide the possibility of negotiations in different ranges.
Project 12322 Zubr ships are capable of not only delivering and disembarking troops, but also supporting them with fire. To do this, the ship has two MS-227 "Fire" installations capable of firing unguided 140-mm rockets, as well as two automatic 30-mm guns with a fire control system. To protect the ship from the air, the crew can use the Igla portable anti-aircraft missile systems.
It should be noted that even its developers do not know the maximum speed of the Zubr hovercraft. During the tests, they dispersed the ship to 70 knots, but at such speeds a dangerous and little-studied effect is observed - the meanness of the flexible part of the ship's fence.
Most experts associated with the navy believe that the Project 12322 Zubr ships were several decades ahead of their time. However, these ships also have serious disadvantages.
Firstly, these ships are expensive, and their operation is even more expensive: the cost of one of the ship's five turbines is about $1 million, and its engine life is about 4,000 hours. Turbines for Zubrov were manufactured at the Nikolaev Zarya plant, at present Ukraine has stopped military-technical cooperation with the Russian Federation.
Secondly, the Zubr hovercraft have a low level of security, which causes reasonable concerns about their survivability. It should not be forgotten that this lightly armored ship is loaded with flammable fuel. SVP and economy do not differ.
Until now, ships of this type have not been involved in serious clashes with a well-armed enemy, so their combat effectiveness is questionable.
In the cargo compartment of the landing ship and swim to the military test site” - another editorial task in itself seemed very interesting! And it was worth looking for photos of the Bison on the Internet, as the desire to pack a suitcase and set off towards adventure began to play with special force. With its very appearance, the Bison will attract the attention of anyone, even a person infinitely far from technology. Well, our hearts - the hearts of convinced motorists and techies - this landing ship not only melted, it heated to a white heat. Let's go!
The propellers, with which the Bison moves and is controlled, are excellent even in static mode. The ship is amazingly beautiful! Remember the triple center air vents on the Ferrari 550 Maranello or the current Mercedes-Benz A-Class? In my opinion, from a design point of view, there is a lot in common between deflectors and these screws. Yes, and with the actual - too. Both of them direct the air.
The bison was developed in the USSR by the forces of the Leningrad TsMKB Almaz, which has vast experience in building such equipment. The Almaz design bureau has been designing and producing hovercraft since 1955, and the predecessors of the Zubr were the landing ships of the Skat, Omar, Kalmar and Jeyran projects. All of them are very similar to their successor, but have only two propellers.
The construction of the first Bison began in 1983 at the Primorsky shipyard and the More shipyard, located in the Crimea on the eastern coast of the Feodosiya Gulf. The construction of the debut ship with the index MDK-95 was completed in 1986, and after finishing tests that lasted for two years, the ship entered the combat structure of the Navy.
A total of 17 such ships were laid down, but two remained unfinished. Of the fifteen Bison today, five have been disposed of, four are in the Greek Navy, four are working in the Chinese Navy, and two more are on the balance sheet of the Baltic Sea Fleet. Here they are - standing at the pier in the military harbor of the city of Baltiysk. MDK-50 "Evgeny Kocheshkov" and MDK-94 "Mordovia". We load our cars to Mordovia.
Inside the Zubr is a small world. With its own kitchen, compact but cozy cabins and a wardroom for four officers. All these rooms are located at the level of the middle deck, where we drive cars without any problems along a folding solid ramp. A steep, almost vertical gangway leads to the captain's bridge from the middle deck. We leave the cars below, pulling them firmly to the deck with cables and carefully - crossbar by crossbar - we climb up.
The captain's cabin is impressive. Spacious, bright - it offers stunning views. In front of the commander's seat there is a steering wheel and a huge console: the Zubr's navigation aids include two radar stations, gyro and magnetic compasses, day and night sights, a radio direction finder and a drift log. The Bison was and remains a unique ship, awarded a bronze medal at the 44th Salon of Inventions and Innovations Brussels Eureka-95. Even today it is the world's largest landing hovercraft.
Just think about it: the displacement is 555 tons. 56 meters long, 22 meters wide and 150 tons of capacity! Bison can take on board 3 tanks or 8 infantry fighting vehicles. Or maybe ten armored personnel carriers or 140 paratroopers and 130 tons of cargo. At the same time, about 70% of the coastlines of our planet are available for disembarking people and unloading Zubru equipment. The ship can deliver fighters to the place of hostilities at a speed of 60 knots or 111 km / h!
The ship itself is armed with: two six-barreled artillery mounts AK-630 with a caliber of 30 mm; two rocket launchers A-22 "Fire" with a caliber of 140 mm; eight launchers of MANPADS "Strela-3". Agree, inspires! But I really hope that, except for exercises, this arsenal will never come in handy.
On the middle deck, where the cars were, there was a hum from five gas turbine engines with a total power of 50,000 hp. incredible. And the deck under your feet walks as if you are very drunk or are in the epicenter of a small earthquake. At the same time, vibrations are at a minimum. Having risen to the captain's bridge, you find yourself as if in a different reality. Not only does it not shake at all, it is also quite quiet.
If you find a landmark on the water surface or on the shore, you will be literally amazed at how fast the ship is moving. According to the sailors, in eight or nine hours on the Zubr you can reach St. Petersburg. Our run to the military training ground "Khmelyovka" lasts no longer than half an hour. And now sit down if you are standing: during these half an hour the Bison has used up about 3 tons of diesel fuel. Claimed consumption - 6 tons per hour! And yet it's worth it. Swimming (naval sailors call it that) on this ship is one of those adventures that you remember for a lifetime and tell your grandchildren.
We descend from the cabin to the middle deck, start the cars and roll out along the ramp to the sandy shore of the military training ground in Baltiysk. There are other tests ahead - much more familiar and very interesting in their own way.