Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Polnocny class landing ship

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Name
  
Polnochny

In commission
  
1967

Polnocny-class landing ship

Builders
  
Stocznia Północna shipyard at Gdańsk, (Poland), Stocznia Marynarki Wojennej at Gdynia, Poland

Operators
  
Russian Navy  Egyptian Navy  Indian Navy  Polish Navy  Ukrainian Navy  Bulgarian Navy  Libyan 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; Kumbhir-class tank landing ship.

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.

Contents

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 onboard 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 (1 withdrawn from service, 1 operational )
  • Egypt: 3 Polnocny-A
  • India: 4 Polnocny-D
  • Libya: 2 Polnocny-C
  • Russia: 6 Polnocny-B
  • Syria: 3 Polnocny-B
  • Ukraine: 1 Polnocny-C
  • Vietnam: 3 Polnocny-B
  • Yemen: 1 NS-722
  • Historical operators

  • Cuba
  • Ethiopia
  • Iraq
  • Poland
  • Somalia
  • References

    Polnocny-class landing ship Wikipedia