Two New Russian Ivan Gren-class Warships Likely To Be Helicopter Carriers

Moscow’s two new Project 11711, Ivan Gren-class amphibious assault ships are likely to be helicopter carriers with a single superstructure.

Construction of the two new ships under this project, Vladimir Andreyev and the Vasily Trushin, was completed in April of this year. It is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in 2025. Video footage of the new ships hinted they could be helicopter carriers with one superstructure. These ships are expected to have much greater displacement in comparison to its predecessors, TASS reported Monday.

“Russia’s new amphibious assault ships laid down at the Yantar Shipyard on the Baltic coast in April will differ considerably from their Project 11711 Ivan Gren-class predecessors,” Head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation Alexei Rakhmanov said.

"Changes are still ongoing [in the technical specifications] and they are being approved by the Navy," the corporation’s chief said.

The shipbuilders are preparing to deliver the second warship of this Project, the Pyotr Morgunov soon.

The Project 11711 lead ship “Ivan Gren” is developed by the Nevskoye Design Bureau in St. Petersburg in northwest Russia. It was laid down by the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad in west Russia in December 2004 and launched in May 2012. Its sea trials began in June 2016, and the ship was delivered to the Navy in 2018. The amphibious assault ship Ivan Gren is armed with 30mm six-barrel artillery systems and two Kamov Ka-29 transport/attack helicopters in its deck hangars.

The Ivan Gren-class warships can carry 13 main battle tanks or 36 armoured personnel carriers (infantry fighting vehicles) and up to 300 marines. The amphibious assault ship can also transport a reinforced marine infantry company with organic military hardware, and land it using pontoons.