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Polnocny-class landing ship
Libyan example of Polnochny class
Class overview
Name: Polnochny
Builders: Stocznia Północna shipyard at Gdańsk, (Poland), Stocznia Marynarki Wojennej at Gdynia, Poland
Operators: Naval Ensign of Russia Russian Navy
Naval Ensign of Egypt Egyptian Navy
Naval Ensign of India Indian Navy
Naval Ensign of Poland Polish Navy
Naval Ensign of Ukraine Ukrainian Navy
Naval Ensign of Bulgaria Bulgarian Navy
Succeeded by: Ropucha class landing ship
Lublin class
Subclasses: Polnocny-A(Type 770); Polnocny-B(Type 771); Polnocny-C(Type 773);
Modified Polnocny-C(Type 776); Polnocny-D(Type 773U), NS-722
In commission: 1967
Completed: 108
Active: 33
General characteristics
Type: Landing craft 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 embarked 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:

  • Polnocny-A (Project 770) (46 built):
Displacement: 800 tons full load
Length: 73 m
Speed: 19 knots (35 km/h)
  • Polnocny-B (Project 771) (36 built):
Displacement: 834 tons full load
Length: 73 m
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h)
  • Polnocny-C (Project 773) (24 built)
Displacement: 1150 tons full load
Length: 81.3 m
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h)
  • Modified Polnocny-C (Project 776) Amphibious Assault Command Ship (1 built - ORP Grunwald)
Displacement: 1253 tons full load
Length: 81.3 m
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h)
  • Polnocny-D (Project 773U) (4 built)
Displacement: 1233 tons full load
Length: 81.3 m
Speed: 16 knots (30 km/h)
Aircraft facility: One helicopter platform
  • NS-722 class (1 built in 2002)
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[]

  • Angola: 3 ships
  • Algeria: 1 Polnocny-B
  • Azerbaijan: 2 Polnocny-A, 2 Polnocny-B
  • Bulgaria: 2 Polnocny-A (withdrawn from use)
  • Egypt: 3 Polnocny-A
  • India: 1 Polnocny-C, 4 Polnocny-D
TOPAS 2AP TBiU 53 8

A Polish Polnocny-class vessel unloading armoured personnel carriers.

  • Russia: 6 Polnocny-B
  • Syria: 3 Polnocny-B
  • Ukraine: 1 Polnocny-C
  • Vietnam: 3 Polnocny-B
  • Yemen: 1 NS-722[2][3]

Historical operators[]

Ethiopia, Somalia, Libya, Iraq, Poland

References[]

  • Watts, A.J.(2006); Jane's warship recognition guide; Collins; ISBN 0-06-084992-4
  • Jarosław Ciślak; Polska Marynarka Wojenna 1995 (Polish Navy 1995); Lampart, Warsaw 1995; ISBN 83-86776-08
  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. [1][dead link]
  3. "Marines: August 6, 2002". Strategypage.com. 2002-08-06. http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htamph/articles/20020806.aspx. Retrieved 2013-09-03. 

External links[]


All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Polnocny-class landing ship and the edit history here.
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