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4 Mistrals won't be enough: Russian Navy likely to order several Project 11711 Ivan Gren class

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World Navy Force News - Russia
 
 
 
4 Mistrals won't be enough: Russian Navy likely to order several Project 11711 Ivan Gren class
 
Russian Navy sources reported to Izvestia that the Navy needs at least 18 landing/amphibious ships. With the four Mistrals LHD ordered covering 50% of this need, Russian Navy still needs about 10 more ships.
The first two Mistrals will be delivered in 2014, but next year Russian Navy will receive another class of landing ship: The Project 11711 Ivan Gren class. If tests are conclusive, Russian Navy is likely to order several more ships of this class to cover its needs in amphibious vessels.

Project 11711 ships are smaller than Mistrals which makes them more convenient for deployment in the
enclosed Black and Baltic seas. A ship like that is capable of landing 300 marines, 40 armored personnel
carriers, or 13 tanks.

The Ivan Gren has two helicopters, a 76mm caliber cannon, two AK-630 antiaircraft guns, and multiple
launch rocket systems. The ship whose water displacement is 5,000 tons cost the Russian budget 5 million rubles.
Insiders say that the Ivan Gren is the only Project 11711 ship under construction. A source said, "A year ago, we began negotiations over construction of another one but nothing came of it."

Unless construction of new Project 11711 ships is initiated, the Russian Navy is doomed to the use of the old landing ships of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s vintage, mostly of Polish origin. The Russian Navy currently includes 15 ships such as these and three Soviet landing ships of Project 1171.
     
Russian Navy sources reported to Izvestia that the Navy needs at least 18 landing/amphibious ships. With the four Mistrals LHD ordered covering 50% of this need, Russian Navy still needs about 10 more ships.
Project 11711 Ivan Gren during construction
(picture: Internet)
     
A source within the Defense Ministry said, "The Navy needs at least 18 ships of this class. Say, four Mistrals will meet approximately 50% of the requirements and leave the rest to smaller ships like the Ivan Gren."

As for the delays with construction of another Project 11711 ship, insiders explain that decisions to launch serial construction are always made after test runs of the first ship. A source said, "Do not forget that Gren's predecessors were made for the Soviet Navy in Poland. We are kind of learning to build big landing ships."

Delays may also be explained by the fact that the military is waiting for sea trials of the ship to occur and ask the manufacturer to conduct some changes. This, in essence, besides the fact that it would generate additional time-related changes to the original plan, would result in a "Project 1171.1M."
     
Russian Navy sources reported to Izvestia that the Navy needs at least 18 landing/amphibious ships. With the four Mistrals LHD ordered covering 50% of this need, Russian Navy still needs about 10 more ships.
Project 11711 Ivan Gren specifications
(picture: Internet)
     

However, landing ships are not the Navy's first priority according to some. Captain 1st Class (Ret.) Konstantin Sivkov explains: "Landing ships will be needed only if and when our Navy is ordered to participate in NATO operations which is unlikely."


Konstantin Makienko of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Techniques pointed out that the Russian
Navy needed fighting ships more than it did landing craft. Makienko said, "The way I see it, we need escorts- corvettes, frigates, destroyers. That's what the Navy is short of, these days."