ST.PETERSBURG, May 23 (AVN) - The Almaz shipyard will set afloat the Project 1232.2 (Zubr class) small air-cushion landing ship on May 28, a spokesman for the shipyard administration told the Military News Agency on Wednesday.
The vessel is intended for the Greek Navy and will be supplied to the customer in late July or early August this year, the spokesman said.
The contract on supplying two vessels was signed by the Russian Rosvoorouzhenie state-owned arms trader and the Greek Ministry of National Defence on January 24, 2000. Currently the Rosoboronexport company has succeeded Rosvoorouzhenie in implementation of the contract which is estimated at some USD100m.
The first Zubr was supplied to Greece on December 20, 2000 and was named Kelafonia. The vessel was completely produced by the shipyard. The second Zubr was previously used by the Baltic Fleet. Later it underwent thorough modernisation at the shipyard and was particularly prepared to operate in the tropical conditions.
Project 1232.2 was developed by the Almaz central naval design bureau. The Zubr (NATO classification Jaeger) has the total displacement of 535t, length 56.2m and width 22.3m. The vessel can carry three T-80 tanks or 10 BTR-70 APCs and 140 marines. The maximum endurance is 600 miles with the speed of 60 knots. During the demonstration of the vessel to the Greek military in the town of Baltiysk in 1999 the Zubr moved on the land with the combat load of 150t at the speed of 60 knots and overcame obstacles two metres high.
The Zubr is equipped with mine planting systems, two artillery systems, two projectile launchers and air defence systems which enable it to cover landing operations.
Implementation of the contract is the first export supply of such vessels. Earlier Project 1232.2 was considered to be one of the most classified project of the Soviet/Russian shipbuilding industry. According to the data obtained by the end of 2000, the Russian Navy had six Zubr vessels of which four are in the Baltic Fleet and two in the Black Sea Fleet.