MOSCOW. May 19 (Interfax-AVN) - The Orion 12 (P) ground effect vehicle (GEV) will soon enter service in the Russian Federal Security Service's Border Troops.
"This GEV is at the final stage of testing," Alexander Skinder, Deputy General Director at the Industrial and Financial Investment Group, told Interfax-AVN at the Integrated Safety and Security Exhibition in Moscow on Wednesday.
Three Orion 12 GEVs have been built so far, one of them is almost through the trial operation with border guards, he said.
Another GEV of this type is currently at the F.F. Ushakov Maritime Academy in Novorossiisk, which is opening a training center for operating GEVs, Skinder said.
For a country such as Russia, the need for GEVs is huge, Skinder said.
Orion 12 is fitted with a Chevrolet LS-3 piston engine. According to unofficial reports, the new aircraft is being offered to potential buyers for a price of approximately 22 million rubles.
The Orion 12 has a maximum takeoff weight of 3,900 kilograms. It has a capacity of 12 personnel and can cover a distance of up to 1,300 kilometers, flying at an altitude of 0.8 meter. Its cruising speed is 185 kilometers/hour, reaching maximum of 220 kilometers/hour. The Orion 12 has a seakeeping ability (wave height) up to two meters.