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Ukraine Launches its First Locally-Made Assault Craft

Sep 24, 2018

Photo illus. US Navy — 120713-N-XB816-005: ODESSA, Ukraine (Jul 13, 2012) -- Sailors and Ukrainian service members work together to extract a submerged barge out of the water at the Ukrainian Western Naval Base during Exercise Sea Breeze 2012 (SB12) evaluation. SB12, an annual multinational exercise in the Black Sea, is a combined air, land and maritime exercise designed to improve maritime safety, security and stability in the Black Sea by enhancing the capabilities of Partnership for Peace and Black Sea regional maritime security forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason Howard/RELEASED)

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Ukraine has launched its first locally-designed fast military assault craft on order for the Ukrainian Navy. The first Centaur fast military assault craft was designed for fast and secret delivery of marines or special forces, fire-support of land flank under engagement in littoral and inland waters (estuaries, rivers and water-storage basins) at the range from safe port up to 100 miles.

The new Ukrainian-made vessel can function as a fast assault and coastal defense boat, a patrol boat or as special operations support vessel.

The craft is developed by the State Research and Design Shipbuilding Center (design bureau specializing in shipbuilding and located in Mykolaiv).

According to the Defense Express, the Centaur can accommodate a full platoon-size unit, which is 32 Marines furnished with a full complement of small arms.

Centaur is armed with an integrated machine-gun and grenade launcher module. To suppress enemy resistance during Marine landing operations the boat would be additionally equipped with a Multiple Launch Rocket (MLR) weapon, according to defence-blog.com.

The craft’s overall length reaches 24.3 m, its speed is not less than 35kts, and endurance is 5 days. It is equipped with a navigation radar, electro-optic monitoring system, and detection sensors.