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Project 23900 Universal Landing Ship [UDK]
(Universalnyiy Desantnye Korabli)

This artwork is confusing, since a quick look would suggest it is an LPD with the forward superstructure running the full width of the ship. Only close observation and malice aforethought would reveal it is an LHA/D with a very large island to the starboard of the flight deck.

The two newest UDCs of project 23900 will be laid by the end of the week, Izvestia sources in the military-industrial complex and the military department said. The contract for their construction has been signed, and the work at the shipyard is actually already underway. However, the official ceremony will only take place now. The names of the ships will also be announced on it. It is planned that they will be called "Sevastopol" and "Vladivostok", sources said to the editorial board, not excluding that the name "Kerch" could be chosen for the second ship. On 20 July 2020, two universal landing ships of the 23900 project named after colonel generals of the coastal forces "Ivan Rogov" and "Mitrofan Moskalenko" were laid down at the Zalyv shipyard in Kerch. In parallel, the ceremonies were held at two other enterprises - at the "Northern Shipyard" in St. Petersburg and "Sevmash" in Severodvinsk. Two frigates of project 22350 were laid in St. Petersburg. They were named after Russian admirals Ivan Yumashev and Emil Spiridonov. Two multi-purpose nuclear submarines called Voronezh and Vladivostok were laid in Severodvinsk.

Just when the USS "Bon Homme Richard" amphibious assault ship was burned into the "Acquaintance Richard", Russia announced that it had started construction of two newest type 23900 amphibious assault ships. The plan and model of the Russian amphibious assault ship project, which has been transferred for many years, is finally real! This was not about salting American wounds and putting eye drops on American eyes. But the US Navy shouted "despicable" and the Russian media are happy!

Russia can be considered a large sum of money, investing 1.4 billion US dollars to build two 23900 amphibious assault ships, and call this new warship a "universal landing ship." But no matter what it is called, this large amphibious ship with a flat deck is an amphibious assault ship that can carry a large number of helicopters.

According to Russian media, the 23900 amphibious assault ship has a total length of 220 meters, a width of 33 meters, a draft of 7.5 meters, a displacement of about 25,000 tons, a speed of 22 knots, and can carry up to 20 helicopters. In addition, the 23900 type amphibious assault ship is also equipped with a dock cabin that can park landing craft, and can transport up to 900 Marines, equivalent to two battalions, and has a very powerful island capture and landing operation capability.

From the main scale, this amphibious assault ship is similar to the Mistral class, Juan Carlos class and other amphibious assault ships, but it is smaller than the US class, Wasp class and Type 075 and other large amphibious assault ships, and their combat capabilities are also weaker. Russia will equip the amphibious assault ship with Ka-52K armed helicopters and Ka-29 assault transport helicopters.

In order to fill the "window period" of aircraft carriers, Russia needs to build amphibious assault ships that can serve as a substitute for aircraft carriers to a certain extent. Due to disrepair, the Russian navy’s only aircraft carrier "Kuznetsov" has been in service for a long time with illness and was unable to exert its due combat effectiveness. During the Syrian civil war, "Kuznetsov" went to support the Syrian government forces. "There have been many accidents, including the crash of carrier-based aircraft. When Russia took control of the situation in Syria, it immediately began overhauling the "Kuznetsov". However, due to the sinking of the only large floating dock capable of carrying the "Kuznetsov", Kuznets The time of Zov’s return to the Russian Navy has been pushed back and forth again and again. The Russian Navy will face the embarrassing situation of no aircraft carrier available for a long period of time.

In the Russian plan, the first ship of the 23900 amphibious assault ship will be delivered in 2026, and the No. 2 ship will be delivered in 2027. These two 25,000-ton amphibious assault ships are most likely to be deployed in the Black Sea Fleet and the Pacific Fleet. Especially in the direction of the Black Sea. Recently, conflicts broke out between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Caucasus. Turkey announced its support for Azerbaijan, while Russia hoped that all parties would resolve the issue peacefully.

In the Pacific, the issue of the four northern islands between Russia and Japan still cannot be resolved. The Japanese have begun to convert the Izumo-class helicopter carrier into a quasi-aircraft carrier, and the Russian Pacific Fleet must also have an aircraft carrier, not to mention the resistance to the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. , At least it can deter Japan, especially for the island-capture amphibious mobile regiment established by the Japanese.

By the end of 2019 the construction of large landing helicopter carriers was already a reality. In the Spring of 2020, it was planned to lay the first one in Kerch at the Zaliv factory. What specific project of the ships in question is not yet clear. Although again it can be safely assumed that this was most likely to be a variation on the theme of the Surf / Avalanche project, widely advertised at the naval salons, which are the Russian counterparts of the French Mistrals. New ships capable of delivering dozens of Ka-52K attack helicopters, 60 light armored vehicles and at least 20-30 main battle tanks and marines to the shore.

The construction of the first two Russian universal landing ships (UDK) at the Zaliv plant in Crimea will cost about 100 billion rubles, the contract will be signed before the end of April. This was reported 10 April by TASS from a source in the military-industrial complex. “The contract for the construction of ships should be signed in the third decade of April. The cost of helicopter carriers will be a little less than 100 billion rubles,” the source said. He noted that the laying of the UDC at the Zeriv Kerch plant should take place in early May. "The lead ship is planned to be transferred to the fleet in 2026, the second helicopter carrier - in 2027," the source said.

As sources in the military-industrial complex and shipbuilding industry reported earlier to TASS, a technical design for both ships was prepared and meets the technical requirements of the Navy’s commander-in-chief. The total displacement of the helicopter carriers will be 25,000 tons, with a maximum length of about 220 meters. One ship will carry more than 20 heavy helicopters on board, will receive a docking chamber for landing boats and will be able to carry up to 900 marines. UDK, also called helicopter carriers, available in the naval forces of several countries, can carry a group of heavy helicopters for various purposes, transport several hundred or more marines, are equipped with a dock for boats, and transport armored vehicles. Ships of this class were not built in Russia and the USSR.

Although it can carry a certain amount of helicopters for combat, it still lacks an important link to fight against similar American amphibious assault ships. , That is the vertical/short takeoff and landing fighter. Russia is also the first country in the world to successfully develop such fighters in parallel. It has successively developed Yak-36, Yak-38, Yak-141 and other vertical/short-range takeoff and landing fighters. However, with the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Yakov The Lev Design Bureau became a design bureau proficient in trainer aircraft design, and never regained the ability to develop vertical/short takeoff and landing fighters.

However, in the long run, both Russia and China have real needs for this kind of fighter, so possibly they can adopt a cooperative development method on the basis of the Yak-141 fighter, or start the development of a new vertical/short-range fighter. Relying on the aviation strengths of China and Russia and their respective advantages, conduct collaborative research and development. In this way, both parties can share the risk, but also increase the production of this fighter jet and reduce costs. This kind of cooperative development model is not uncommon in the West. If China and Russia can come together on the development of vertical/short-range takeoff and landing fighters, then perhaps in the foreseeable future, both can have a fifth-generation vertical/short Take off and land fighter.

The Ivan Rogov and Mitrofan Moskalenko project 23900 universal amphibious assault ships (UDC), which are being built at the Zaliv shipyard in Kerch, will carry unmanned boats for anti-submarine and mine defense of the ship. This was reported to TASS 22 June 2023 by a source in the naval sphere. "Project 23900 amphibious assault ships, in addition to a group of sea helicopters, will carry and control unmanned boats designed for anti-submarine and mine defense of the ship," the agency's interlocutor said during the International Maritime Defense Show (IMDS-2023).

He clarified that these are unmanned reconnaissance boats of the Typhoon type, equipped with drones and sensors for detecting foreign submarines. In addition, unmanned boats "Skanda" will be based on board the UDC, designed to search for and neutralize sea mines. Earlier, a TASS source said that the Project 23900 UDC, in addition to basing a group of marine helicopters, will carry and control a certain number of attack and reconnaissance helicopter-type drones.