Security Vessel News Roundup | September 3 – US and Australian landing craft plus Russian Navy's new surface ships
New landing craft have been delivered to the US and Tongan militaries while the Russian Navy has welcomed a new stealth warship to its fleet. Construction is continuing on another US-built landing craft and a Russian minesweeper.
Russian Navy takes delivery of new stealth corvette
Russia's Zelenodolsk Shipyard recently delivered a new Project 22800 or Karakurt-class guided-missile corvette to the Russian Navy.
Like her sisters, the future Taifun ("Typhoon") has a length of 67 metres, a beam of 11 metres, a displacement of around 800 tonnes, and a speed in excess of 30 knots.
Australia delivers new landing craft vessel to Tonga
Australia has delivered a new landing craft vessel to Tonga, with an official handover ceremony taking place at the Masefield Naval Base on September 2.
According to Australia’s Department of Defence, the VOEA Late, which was provided under the Pacific maritime security program (PMSP), is expected to enhance Tonga’s humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities. The vessel is also intended to improve the nation’s ability to deter, detect, and disrupt illegal maritime activities in the region.
Austal USA launches US Navy landing craft utility vessel
Austal USA has launched the company’s first US Navy landing craft utility vessel, LCU 1710, at its ship manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama. The launch, which took place on August 22, marks the first of twelve Navy LCUs under a $91.5 million contract awarded to the company in 2023. Austal USA currently has three LCUs under construction.
Landing craft utility vessels are carried aboard amphibious assault ships to an objective area and are used across a range of military operations to deliver vehicles, personnel, and cargo from sea to shore and back. The company stated that these connectors provide a heavy-lift capability and can carry a similar payload capacity to several C-17 aircraft.
Keel laid for Russian Navy minesweeper Leonid Balyakin
The Sredne-Nevsky Shipbuilding Plant of Russia's state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation laid the keel of a new Project 12700 mine countermeasures (MCM) vessel at its Saint Petersburg facilities on Friday, August 29.
The future Leonid Balyakin will be the 15th in the Project 12700 series, otherwise known as the Alexandrit-class. The MCM vessel's namesake is Rear Admiral Leonid Nikolaevich Balyakin, a Soviet Navy officer who saw service in World War II and who was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union decoration.
US Navy takes delivery of 15th LCAC 100-class landing craft
The US Navy recently took delivery of a new landing craft air cushion (LCAC) built by New Orleans-based Textron Systems Corporation.
LCAC 114 is the 15th vessel in the LCAC 100-class. Like its sisters, it has an LOA of 92 feet (28 metres), a beam of 48 feet (15 metres), a height of 26 feet (7.9 metres), and four crewmembers consisting of a pilot, a co-pilot, a loadmaster and a deck engineer.
