"Nikolai Vilkov" - Alligator Class Landing Ship.

 military, ship, historical layer / disappeared object

Project # 1171 Tapir
NATO Reporting name : Alligator Class Landing Ship
"Николай Вилков: Nikolai Vilkov" (Nicholas Fork)
(Hull# 081)

100th brigade of amphibious ships (Fokino)
Subordinate to The "Primorsk" (Maritime Province) Flotilla (Fokino)
Приморская флотилия

Laid down 3.09.1971, launched 30.11.1973, commissioned 30.07.1974,

Large landing ship "Nikolay Vilkov" was built in Kaliningrad shipyard Yantar. 08.2006: took part in naval parade on PAC. 04.2010 marines exercises PAC.

The first Landing ship of the new generation in the NAVY of the USSR became a large landing craft (BDK) project 1171 in Nevsky DESIGN BUREAU in the mid-1960s, the cipher "Tapir". Chief Designer of this ship was I.i. Kuzmin, Chief supervising from NAVY Captain 2nd rank – Alexander Belinsky. Landing craft was created on the basis of the roll-on roll-off the vessel, but in its final form has only external contours. The ship was designed to accommodate 20 medium tanks or other equipment. Bow ramp provided an opportunity not only to unload equipment on unequipped shore, but also landing on the water and the reception with floating water technology and aft loading unit is used for loading and unloading technology equipped beach (wall, dock).

1171 ships could be used to transport munitions, including missiles for carriage in containers. For the Marine Corps each was equipped with sleeping accommodation (313 in the first 6 ships and 440 in all subsequent ships). Defensive armament consisted of one 57 mm ZIF artustanovku-30 e and Strela», and since the 8th ship was also installed rocket system "Grad-m" (originally under her left special playground, and the Launcher directly from the cellar was later during modernization of ships).

Loading military vehicles or trucks could be achieved through the bow or stern ramp and cargo cranes through special big hatches on the top deck. At the bow of the ship was a huge swing "door", which was a special ramp leading to the tank deck, and allows you to board any vehicle landing on unequipped shore with a slope not greater than 30 degrees. Of course, such conditions were not always able to be present on the coast of the enemy, but because the ship to land and water – but only slightly. To unload the same tanks (average) still had to approach the shore.

russian-ships.info/eng/warships/project_1171.htm