At the end of May this year, representatives of the Ukrainian shipbuilding enterprise Kuznya na Rybalskoye, as part of the next stage of factory tests, checked the technical and seaworthy characteristics of the Centaur landing assault boat in the Black Sea.
Thus, the shipyard of the Ukrainian Navy may soon be replenished with several Centaur-class boats at once. The first, DShK-01, was solemnly launched on September 14, 2018, the second, DShK-02, four days later.
Recall that the construction of boats has been carried out since 2016. The terms of the contracts were repeatedly extended. So, initially, there was a delay in the transfer of foreign-made water jets. Then it became necessary to make some changes in the design of the hull and the power plant, which required repeated tests.
As a result of the modernization, the vessel's noise level has become much lower. In addition, the maneuvering characteristics of the Centaur have been significantly improved. So, in particular, we are talking about maneuverability when turning and on the move. For example, when shifting the rudder, the ship turns almost on the spot. In addition, the boat roll of 4 degrees is positive. However, according to experts, at present the customer is not fully satisfied with the maximum speed of the boat, which is still being worked on at the plant.
The creation of new assault boats was necessary from the point of view of the qualitative renewal of the ship composition of the Ukrainian Navy. A variant of the boat was needed, which would be distinguished by maneuverability, speed and stealth, could transport troops with uniforms and could be used for operations in coastal waters, on lakes and rivers.
From the Swedes and the Russian Raptor
The Ukrainian boat was based on the technology developed and tested by the Swedes, as well as successfully used in Russian boats of the Raptor project.
If we talk about the technical parameters of the boat, it should be noted that its displacement is 47 tons. The vessel reaches 24.3 m in length and 4.8 m in width. At the same time, it has a draft of 1 meter. With such dimensions, the boat is capable of speeds up to 40 knots and has a cruising range of 500 miles. "Centaur" can be in a state of autonomous navigation for up to 5 days. The number of the crew is 5 people.
The boat has a welded steel hull, which is divided into several compartments. In the bow compartment there is an armored wheelhouse, which contains all the power plant controls, observation, navigation and communication equipment. In addition, there is also a combat module control complex. Due to the high level of automation, crew members have the ability to control all onboard systems, including weapons, from the wheelhouse, remotely.
A light mast with communication posts (satellite terminal Iridium Pilot) and DRS4D-NXT radar antennas is installed behind the wheelhouse. The living compartment is located directly under the wheelhouse. Thanks to this arrangement, the crew members can get to the post as quickly as possible without leaving the upper deck.
The central part of the hull is given over to the troop compartment. It provides everything that is necessary to accommodate and transport 32 troops in full uniform. From this compartment you can go to the bow compartment, where, if necessary, it is possible to safely disembark the troops and crew through a retractable ramp.
The aft compartment also houses the engine room with the main power plant (two diesel engines driven by two water-jet propellers of the Hamilton Jet brand.
The advantage of this boat is the presence of an armored anti-fragmentation hull, which protects the engine room, troop compartment and wheelhouse, which allows the crew and the landing force to remain safe. In addition, the wheelhouse and hull are structurally made using low-signature technology (known as stealth).
Active modules and other weapons
The Ukrainian boat, in comparison with foreign counterparts, is better armed. So, its armament consists of two combat modules located above the troop compartment and above the wheelhouse) with 40-mm grenade launchers and 12, 7-mm machine guns. In addition, the boat is armed with an 80-mm rotary multiple launch rocket system located above the engine room, in the aft compartment. The system was developed by the Ukrainian state holding company "Artem" (the enterprise is part of the state concern "Ukroboronprom"). It consists of two 20-barrel units, which are mounted on one base.
The roof of the wheelhouse is equipped with blocks for shooting smoke grenades. This suggests that the boat has a curtain-setting system, the main task of which is to disorient the attacking missiles and laser irradiation.
If we talk about the means of air defense, then they are represented mainly by MANPADS. And finally, the boat is capable of transporting and installing sea barrage mines.
Let's dwell a little on the 80 mm MLRS installed on the boat. Thus, at the end of last summer, information appeared that Ukraine had completed the next stage of state tests of 80-mm RS-80 (Oskol) missiles from air platforms. This may indicate that in the near future these NURSs will be put into service. Two years earlier, in 2017, state tests of the same missiles were carried out from a ground platform, including the mobile Polish-Ukrainian missile system "Margaritka" (its analogue is currently installed on the DShK "Centaur").
Due to the modern fire control system, this system can launch missiles with various warheads in several modes, not only against ground targets (armored vehicles, manpower, shelters), but also against air targets (helicopters and drones). So, for example, after detecting and fixing an air target, the OMS calculates the trajectory of the target and directs the NURS to the "meeting" point. Due to the supersonic speed of the RS-80 rocket, the flight time to an air target is minimal. Undermining the warhead, carried out by a special electronic program fuse at a given point of coordinates, creates a dense fragmentation cloud, which guarantees the destruction of an air target.
For ground targets, the range reached 7 km, for air targets - about 4 km. In addition, in order to increase the effectiveness of firing, missiles can be equipped with various types of fuses.
As a result of state tests, it was found that the Margaritka missile system has more advantages over existing air defense systems when firing at air targets, primarily because of its low cost. According to experts, it is quite possible to assume that when firing from the sea deck, the results will be, if not similar, then very close.
Let's sum up
Thus, due to the armored hull and the greater number of weapons, the Ukrainian-made boat is about twice as large and heavier than its foreign counterparts, in particular, Russian and Swedish, which have aluminum hulls. At the same time, the "Centaur" is better armed and capable of transporting more troops (32-36 people against 20). Despite this, the Ukrainian amphibious assault ship has approximately the same minimum draft (1 meter versus 0.9 m), but at the same time develops a lower speed: 40 knots versus 48. The Centaur has a cruising range of 500 miles at an economical speed against 300 miles of its counterparts.
If all these characteristics correspond to reality, and only if the "Centaurs" are adopted, it will be possible to talk about strengthening the Ukrainian naval forces.
