Polnocny-class landing ship

Class overview
Name: Polnochny
Builders: Stocznia Północna shipyard at Gdańsk, (Poland), Stocznia Marynarki Wojennej at Gdynia, Poland
Operators:
Succeeded by:
Subclasses:
  • Polnocny-A (Type 770);
  • Polnocny-B (Type 771);
  • Polnocny-C (Type 773);
  • Modified Polnocny-C (Type 776);
  • Polnocny-D (Type 773U);
  • NS-722;
  • Kumbhir-class tank landing ship.
In commission: 1967
Completed: 108
Active: 33
General characteristics
Type: Landing ship, tank
Displacement: 834 tons full load (Polnocny-B)
Length: 73 m (239 ft 6 in)
Beam: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught: 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
Draft: 23 m[1]
Propulsion: 2 Soviet Kolomna 40-D two stroke diesels, 2 shafts, 4,400 bhp
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h)
Range: 1,000 nmi (2,000 km) at 18 kn (33 km/h)
Complement: 41
Armament:
  • Strela 2(SA-N-5) surface-to-air missile system (4 launchers)
  • 30 mm AK-230 air defence gun (2 or 4 twin mounts)
  • 140 mm Ogon 18-barreled rocket launcher(2)

The Polnocny (or Polnochny)-class ships are amphibious warfare vessels. They were designed in Poland, in cooperation with the Soviet Navy and were built in Poland between 1967 and 2002. They now serve in several different navies, and some have been converted to civilian use. The name comes from the Stocznia Północna shipyard (Northern Shipyard) at Gdańsk, where they were built. 107 were built by 1986 (last 16 by Stocznia Marynarki Wojennej (Naval Shipyard) at Gdynia, Poland). In 2002, one ship of a modernised design NS-722 was built in Gdynia for Yemen.

Characteristics

The Polnocny-class ships are classified as medium landing ships in the Russian Navy, and are loosely equivalent to Western tank landing ships. They are equipped with a bow ramp that allows beach landings. The Polnocny-C version can carry 8 armored personnel carriers, or 250 tons of stores. Unlike their Western counterparts, these ships can provide substantial fire support for landed troops with their onboard multiple rocket launchers. Other armament consists of anti-aircraft guns and short-range surface-to-air missiles.

Variants

The Polnocny class comprises several sub-types that vary in size and capacity:

Displacement: 800 tons full load
Length: 73 m
Speed: 19 knots (35 km/h)
Displacement: 834 tons full load
Length: 73 m
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h)
Displacement: 1150 tons full load
Length: 81.3 m
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h)
Displacement: 1253 tons full load
Length: 81.3 m
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h)
Displacement: 1233 tons full load
Length: 81.3 m
Speed: 16 knots (30 km/h)
Aircraft facility: One helicopter platform
Displacement: 1,410 tons full load
Length: 88.7 m
Speed: 17 knots (31 km/h)
Aircraft facility: One helicopter platform

Operational service

Built in large quantities, the Polnocny-class ships were once the mainstay of the Soviet amphibious forces, and gave the Soviet naval infantry an effective force projection capability. They were gradually phased out in favour of hovercraft, and few remain active in the Russian Navy.

Current operators

A Polish Polnocny-class vessel unloading armoured personnel carriers.

Historical operators

See also

References

  1. ↑ Couhat Jean. Combat Fleets of the world 1982/1983 Their Ships, Aircraft, and Armament Paris: Editions Maritimes et d'Outre-Mer, 1981 ISBN 0-87021-125-0 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 78-50192 Pg.3
  2. ↑ http://vimpel.boinaslava.net/index.php?module=bg_pr770EMA
  3. ↑ Wertheim, Eric (2007). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. p. 448. ISBN 9781591149552.
  4. ↑ "Trials of Landing Ship Ibn Haritha". Zagreb: Adria-Mar Shipbuilding Ltd. 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Libya threatens to bomb North Korea-flagged tanker". BBC News. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  6. ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20061026062521/http://www.tau.ac.il/jcss/balance/Yemen.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2006. Retrieved February 12, 2007. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ "Marines: August 6, 2002". Strategypage.com. 2002-08-06. Retrieved 2013-09-03.
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