The Ondatra class Soviet designation Project 1176 ''Akula'' ("shark") is a class of
landing craft
Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force (infantry and vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. Pr ...
built for the
Soviet Navy and
Russian Navy between 1971 and 2009.
Construction
The vessels were
built by the Azovskiy Shipyard, Rybinsk Shipyard and Vladivostok Shipyard. Over 40 vessels of this type were built for service with the Soviet and Russian navies, and additional vessels were built for export. The vessels are designated as type DKA ''Desantanyy Kater'' and are similar in type to the
US Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
Landing Craft Mechanized
The landing craft mechanized (LCM) is a landing craft designed for carrying vehicles. They came to prominence during the Second World War when they were used to land troops or tanks during Allied amphibious assaults.
Variants
There was no ...
(LCM).
The Ondatra landing craft have a limited range (2-day, ) and have a shallow
draught that make them ideal for
amphibious operations
Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducted ...
and
littoral
The littoral zone or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely inundated), to coastal areas ...
combat. The carries one Ondatra for use as a
tug for its
air-cushioned landing craft
An air-cushioned landing craft, also called an LCAC ( landing craft, air cushioned), is a modern variation on the amphibious landing boat. The majority of these craft are small- to mid-sized multi-purpose hovercraft, also known as "over the bea ...
.
Although still under construction in 2009, the Project 1176 is a 1970s design that is reaching the end of its operational life. The class may be replaced by the newer Project 21820 that is currently entering service in the Russian Navy. The Dyugon-class vessels carry two
main battle tanks
A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...
compared to the Ondatra's single tank, it is armed (2 MPTU-1 of 14.5 mm), and can attain compared to the Ondatra's .
Ships
42 vessels are documented for the
Soviet Navy and
Russian Navy.
See also
*
List of ships of Russia by project number
The list of ships of Russia by project number includes all Russian ships by assigned project numbers. Ship descriptions are Russian assigned classifications when known. (The Russian term "проект" can be translated either as the cognate "pr ...
References
External links
Project 1176 landing craft(English)
{{Ukrainian ships
Cold War naval ships of the Soviet Union
Amphibious warfare vessels of the Soviet Navy
Amphibious warfare vessels of the Russian Navy
Landing craft