Lebed-class_LCAC Knowpia

	Lebed class vessel on the deck of a transport ship, 1985
Class overview
Name	Lebed class LCAC
Builders	PmSW Almaz , More
Operators	Soviet Navy; Russian Navy;
Succeeded by	Tsaplya-class LCAC
Built	1972–1985
In commission	1972-present
Completed	20
General characteristics
Type	Air-cushioned landing craft
Displacement	108 long tons (110 t) standard; 114 long tons (116 t) full load;
Length	24.6 m (80 ft 9 in)
Beam	10.8 m (35 ft 5 in)
Draught	1.3 m (4 ft 3 in)
Propulsion	2 × 10,000 hp (7,457 kW) AL-20K , MT-70 gas turbines
Speed	55 knots (102 km/h; 63 mph)
Range	100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) at 50 kn (93 km/h; 58 mph)
Endurance	1 day
Capacity	1 × T-54 main battle tank or; 2 × PT-76 light tanks or; 2 × BTR-60/70 APCs or; 120 troops or; 37 tons of cargo;
Complement	6 (2 officers)
Sensors and ; processing systems	Kivach-2 navigation radar
Armament	1 × twin 12.7 mm "Utes-M" NSV machine gun

The Kalmar class (Project 1206, NATO reporting name Lebed) are a class of medium-sized assault hovercraft designed for the Soviet Navy. The few remaining craft are operated by the Russian Navy.

Designed by the design bureau wing of Almaz shipbuilding company early in the 1970s, production started in 1972 and continued until 1985 in plants at Leningrad and Theodosia.

Configuration edit

The Lebed class is the Russian Navy equivalent to the U.S. Navy LCAC, though the U.S. version entered service seven years later. The Lebed class entered service in 1975, and by the early 1990s 20 had been produced. The ship has a bow ramp with a gun on the starboard side and the bridge to port. The Lebed class can be carried by the Ivan Rogov-class landing ship. The type began to be withdrawn following the fall of the Soviet Union, and by 2004 only three remained. Number 533 is in the Northern Fleet, while 639 and 640 took part in the Caspian Sea exercises of 2002.^[2]

Capacity edit

Each hovercraft can carry up to 40 tons of cargo.

Registry edit

533
639
640

In popular culture edit

Lebed-class hovercraft were featured in the 1986 Tom Clancy novel Red Storm Rising. In the novel, four Lebeds were used to carry military personnel and equipment from the disguised barge carrier MV Yulius Fuchik to Iceland in a surprise invasion.

References edit

^ "Air-cushion landing craft - Project 1206". russian-ships.info. 2012. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
^ "Lebed Class Amphibious Assault Hovercraft Kaspiysk". wikimapia.org. 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.

Saunders, Stephen (RN) Jane's Fighting Ships 2003-2004, ISBN 0-7106-2546-4

[1] "Air-cushion landing craft - Project 1206". russian-ships.info. 2012. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.

[2] "Lebed Class Amphibious Assault Hovercraft Kaspiysk". wikimapia.org. 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.

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