Production of Zubr-Class Air-Cushion Ships Resumes Only in 2019-2021, Shipbuilders Say

Referring to the Russian Navy’s top officers, the newspaper announced the keel-laying of the first Zubr-class ship was scheduled in 2018.


The information about restoration of Zubr shipbuilding project from 2018 was refuted by director general of the Almaz Shipbuilding Firm Leonid Grabovets, being interviewed by Mil.Today. As for him, about four years are needed to kick off serial production.

"We won’t start building Zubr ships soon, mass production of their turbines has not been launched in Russia yet, reduction gears are not available either. Gas turbines and diesel generators were made in Ukraine, then the latter were replaced with Swedish ones. Reduction gears can be supplied by St. Petersburg plant Zvezda", Grabovets said.

The Almaz shipyard’s director added that at this stage one must wait for test results of the first Russian mass-produced maritime gas turbines. The company is ready to build Zubr-class ships, but the yard will need to employ experts and buy additional equipment, said Grabovets. "If we’re instructed to build these ships, Almaz will find people promptly; we know where to get them. However, that would be upon trials completion, anyway".

NPO Saturn (Rybinsk, Russia) plans to finish development works on substitution of imported Ukrainian gas turbine engines and complete tests by December 2017. It was promised to start batch production of marine gas turbines in 2018. Project 12322 ships are equipped by powerplant M35 with engines M70FRU2.


According to an insider at More shipyard, the company has not been instructed to resume production of Zubr-type landing craft yet.

"These talks were in 2014, soon after Crimea’s reintegration into Russia, but they never materialized", said the source. The More shipyards’ officials added that the company possessed both the staff and the production experience of Project 12322 landing ships. "We still advice Chinese shipbuilders, and have not closed the Zubr project in fact".

The insider said Russian powerplants were heavier than the Ukrainian ones, so the technical project needed alterations. "Design documentation must be also adapted, in total, that will take up to 1.5 years. So, production launch of Zubr ships in 2018 is unreal, wherever it could be", he concluded.

Izvestiya writes that finding a contractor is the key issue now: "The Navy is about to ask for bids Almaz (St. Petersburg), More (Crimea), Khabarovsk Shipyard, and, possibly, Yantar (Kaliningrad)". The first two yards did build such ships, Yantar provided repairs, and Khabarovsk Shipyard produced Project 12061 Murena air-cushion boats for South Korea. The newspaper named Almaz as a ‘heavy favorite’.

A source aware of the situation stumbled at the distinct advantage of Almaz over More shipyard. "Sure, Saint Petersburg shipbuilders are excellent professionals, but they haven’t worked on Zubr project for over ten years, while More practically continued works making ships for China".

Mil.Today failed to get an official comment from the Russian Navy’s shipbuilding department.

For reference

Project 12322 Zubr small-size air-cushion landing ship has been developed by the Almaz Central Maritime Design Bureau since 1978. The ship’s prototype was built in 1986 and commissioned by the Soviet Navy two years later.

Displacing 535 tons, the ship is 57 meters long and 20 meters wide, powered by high-temperature gas turbine engines (M35 powerplant). Four propellers 2.5-meter in diameter each provide air cushion. Other three propellers with variable angle of attack 5.5-meter in diameter each set the ship in motion allowing to accelerate up to 70 knots. The ship is capable to accomodate three tanks (up to 150 tons in total) or 10 armored personnel carriers with marines onboard. Landing is possible on any unprepared shore.