Keel laid for Russian Navy's fifth Ivan Gren-class landing ship

Yantar Baltic Shipbuilding Plant, a division under Russia's state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation, has laid the keel of a new Russian Navy Project 11711 or Ivan Gren-class landing ship.

Sergey Kabanov will be the fifth ship in the Ivan Gren-class. Upon completion, she will measure 120 by 16 metres and will be capable of transporting up to 13 main battle tanks or 36 armoured personnel carriers as well as 300 troops at a speed of 18 knots.

A flight deck will also be available for use by Ka-52 attack helicopters. Of the Ivan Gren-class ships, only Sergey Kabanov, Vladimir Andreyev, and Vasily Trushin will be fitted with these flight decks. These and other features such as increased vehicle-carrying capacities will make each of the three ships more than 40 per cent heavier than their two earlier sisters Ivan Gren and Pyotr Morgunov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier confirmed that 11 Ivan Gren-class ships will be built.