Project 11711

Project 11711
Ship name	Project 11711
Ship caption	Conceptual design of Project 11711 landing ship

Project 11711 is a Russian large amphibious landing ship concept developed to replace and complement earlier Ropucha and Alligator designs and to modernize capabilities for expeditionary and littoral operations. The program was discussed within institutions such as the Admiralty Shipyards, Severnaya Verf, and the United Shipbuilding Corporation, and reviewed by staff from the Northern Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea Fleet, and Pacific Fleet. It interfaces with procurement bodies including the Ministry of Defence and strategic planners from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Design and development

Design and development drew on experiences from the Ivan Gren-class landing ship, Mistral-class amphibious assault ship, Yamal-class tanker modernization efforts, and prior studies at the Central Design Bureau "Almaz", Severnoye Design Bureau, and Zelenodolsk Design Bureau. Naval architects collaborated with engineers from Rubin Design Bureau, Krylov State Research Center, and the Admiralty Shipyards design office, while procurement strategies referenced work by the United Shipbuilding Corporation and policy reviews by the State Duma and Council of Ministers of the Russian Federation. Conceptual features were compared against foreign designs such as the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, Bay-class landing ship dock, and Juan Carlos I trials conducted by the Spanish Navy and French Navy. Political and budgetary oversight involved the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and consultations with the President of Russia's security advisers.

Specifications

Planned specifications referenced displacement, dimensions, propulsion, and sensor suites tested in comparison with vessels commissioned by the Indian Navy and People's Liberation Army Navy including INS Jalashwa and Type 071 amphibious transport dock. Engineering proposals included hybrid propulsion concepts evaluated by Siemens, GE Marine, and the MTU Friedrichshafen teams, and communications suites incorporating equipment from Rosoboronexport partners and procurement standards observed by the NATO navies of Germany, United Kingdom, and United States. Defensive and offensive fitments were benchmarked against systems integrated on ships from the French Navy, Italian Navy, Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Republic of Korea Navy.

Operational role and capabilities

Projected operational roles encompassed amphibious assault, humanitarian assistance, non-combatant evacuation, and logistical sustainment similar to missions executed by the Royal Navy, United States Navy, People's Liberation Army Navy, Indian Navy, and Turkish Naval Forces. Capabilities planned included well deck operations for LCAC or Zubr-class LCAC-type craft, vehicle and troop transport comparable to assets used by the United States Marine Corps and Russian Naval Infantry, aviation facilities for helicopters like those operated by the Naval Aviation of the Russian Navy and Spanish Navy', and command-and-control features akin to platforms fielded by the Italian Navy and Hellenic Navy.

Planned variants and upgrades

Planned variants considered command-and-control (flagship) versions paralleling conversions seen in the USS Blue Ridge program, hospital ship adaptations like the USNS Comfort, and airborne assault optimized variants reflecting doctrine from the Hellenic Navy and Royal Australian Navy. Upgrades under consideration involved missile and air-defence packages inspired by installations on ships of the Russian Navy and export patterns via Rosoboronexport, electronic warfare suites comparable to those on units from the United States Navy and Royal Navy, and modular mission bay concepts influenced by Littoral Combat Ship studies and the Dutch Navy's modularity experiments.

Production and procurement

Production planning involved yards such as Admiralty Shipyards, Severnaya Verf, Yantar Shipyard, Zaliv Shipyard, and Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex, with industrial coordination by the United Shipbuilding Corporation and oversight from the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. Procurement timelines referenced budgeting cycles in the State Armament Program 2018–2027 and integration with maintenance regimes used by Soviet Navy successors and the Russian Navy modernization plans. Export proposals were framed by negotiations using channels like Rosoboronexport and diplomatic consultations with partners such as India, Vietnam, Egypt, and Algeria.

Potential operators and deployment

Potential operators included the Russian Navy fleets—Northern Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea Fleet, and Pacific Fleet—and export customers in regions where the Indian Navy, People's Liberation Army Navy, Egyptian Navy, and Vietnam People's Navy operate comparable vessels. Deployment scenarios referenced strategic basing models used by the Mediterranean Fleet concept, expeditionary deployments by the United States Sixth Fleet, and regional presence missions seen with the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. Exercises and interoperability trials would likely mirror combined operations such as Joint Warrior, Exercise RIMPAC, Cobra Gold, and Vostok-style maneuvers.

Strategic and geopolitical implications

Strategically, the program influenced force projection similar to effects produced by Mistral-class amphibious assault ship sales and commissioning impacting balances involving the NATO alliance, European Union maritime policies, and regional actors like Turkey, Iran, and Israel. Geopolitical implications encompassed export diplomacy patterns seen in transactions involving the French Navy and Russian Federation, basing negotiations reminiscent of Syria and Egypt arrangements, and deterrence signaling comparable to deployments by the United States Navy and People's Liberation Army Navy. Budgetary, industrial, and diplomatic factors tied to decisions by the Government of the Russian Federation and strategic planning by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation would shape procurement outcomes and international responses.

Category:Amphibious warfare vessels