Ropucha-class landing ship

Ropucha I, note twin 57 mm guns fore and aft.
Ropucha II has one single-barrel 76 mm gun forward, 2 AK-630 CIWS aft.
Class overview
Builders: Stocznia Północna shipyard at Gdańsk, Poland
Operators:
Preceded by: Polnocny class
Subclasses:
  • Project 775 (Ropucha I),
  • Project 775M (Ropucha II)
In commission: 1975
Completed: 28
Active:
  • Project 775: 12
  • Project 775M: 3
General characteristics [1]
Type: Landing Ship Tank
Displacement:
  • 2,200 tons standard
  • 4,080 tons full load
Length: 112.5 m (369 ft 1 in)
Beam: 15 m (49 ft 3 in)
Draft: 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion: 2 diesel engines; 2 propellers, 19,200 hp (14,300 kW)
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range: 6,100 nmi (11,300 km; 7,000 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Capacity:
Complement: 87-98
Armament:

The Ropucha-class (toad), or Project 775 landing ships are classified in the Russian Navy as "large landing craft" (Bol'shoy Desantnyy Korabl). They were built in Poland in the Stocznia Północna shipyards, in Gdańsk. They are designed for beach landings and can carry a 450-ton cargo. The ships have both bow and stern doors for loading and unloading vehicles, and the 630 m² of vehicle deck stretches the length of the hull. Up to 25 armored personnel carriers can be embarked.

Ropucha II in Sevastopol Bay. The bottom photo shows the ship with open doors.

While being designed for roll-on/roll-off operations the ships can also be loaded using dockside cranes. For this purpose there is a long sliding hatch cover above the bow section for access to the vehicle deck. There are no facilities for helicopters.

The 28 ships of this type were commissioned from 1975 to 1991. The last three ships were of the improved variant Project 775M, also called Ropucha II. These have improved defensive armament and accommodation for an increased number of troops.

They were built for the Soviet Navy during the Cold War, but the current Russian Navy has little need for a long-range amphibious capability and most of them are kept in reserve or are retired. However, during the 2008 South Ossetia war ships of this type were used for landing troops at the Georgian port of Poti.

One ship of this class, U402 Kostiantyn Olshansky, is in service with the Ukrainian Navy, and another was transferred to South Yemen in 1979 and was in service with the Yemen Navy until 2002, after that she was sold as a civilian cargo named Sam of Yemen and is this in service. The later vessel is the only unit of this class in (former) service outside the former USSR.

On 3 August 2012 international media reported that three vessels of the class, Aleksandr Otrakovskiy, Georgiy Pobedonosets and Kondopoga would visit the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria. The ships were part of the Northern Fleet. Earlier reports, quoting a source at the Russian general staff, said the ships would spend a few days in Tartus and would take on fresh supplies of food and water. British media added that the ships each had up to 120 marines on board. The Russian defence ministry left open the possibility that the ships might dock there at some point for logistical reasons, saying they had every right to do so. The General Staff source, who was not named, had said that after calling in at Tartus they would head for the Bosphorus and the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.[2][3]

On 24 March 2014 a Russian Navy flag was raised aboard Kostiantyn Olshansky .

See also

References

  1. ↑ 10.11.2010 (2008-08-10). "Black Sea Fleet hazers broke young sailor's jaw". Rusnavy.com. Retrieved 2013-09-03.
  2. ↑ "BBC News - Russia denies warships heading for Syria's Tartus port". Bbc.co.uk. 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2013-09-03.
  3. ↑ Loiko, Sergei L. (3 August 2012). "Russia reportedly sending warships with marines to Syrian waters". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
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