Gizmodo
This admittedly isn't the newest military tech on the block, but The History Channel in us just couldn't help writing it up. Russia makes the world's largest military hovercraft dubbed the "Zubr." It displaces 621 tons and can haul twice the payload of similar boats from the US Navy (somewhere around 150 tons).
With production dating back to 1988, the last Zubr looks to have launched in 2004. Capable of carrying multiple tanks and a nice mix of 140mm rocket pods, 30mm cannons and air defense missiles, the Zubr can cruise for 300 miles before rapidly deploying troops and equipment close to shore. Scratch that. Directly on shore. In other words, it's just like that R/C vehicle you lusted after in the '90s, but it's way bigger and actually good for something. Or, in this case, potentially very, very bad. [English Russia, Naval Technology and Defense Industry Daily]
Comments
Holy shit! Someday when I get to be James Bond's arch-nemesis, I'm totally making this into my portable fortress.
Yea, but it takes like 1 RPG to take out its propulsion. Or at least force it into constant right-hand turns.
The Stealth US ship from yesterday would kick this in the balls and run away before anyone knew what happend.
POP!
Does it have reverse, or do you just fire the cannons and go flying backward?
@Darrone: @Lupison: Who cares? I'm talkin' 'bout an 11 on the Evil Arch Nemesis style-o-meter. Just look at it!
Of course, I always did like old-school Volvos. ;)
Besides, I doubt that taking out one or even two of the fans would cause it to steer poorly - probably just slow it down.
@FredicvsMaximvs: James Bond can blow up this hovercraft with his wrist watch...
150 tons it is, the Zubr is 150 tons easier to sink
I like the first picture.
"Oh mother of God it's self aware! Get the fuck outta here!!"
So, all you need to take it out is a speargun, then?
@Darrone: I agree, if you knock out those propellers, they'll be hovering in the Pacific on a big Douche Bag! Litterally!
Zubr?
I'd like to buy a vowel please, Pat...
I'm guessing that all the stoners hang out by the back of the hovercraft. Who needs a Glade tube when you have 3 monsterous fucking exhaust fans. That's also the place to be after a night of cheap beer and White Castle.
@LA_Longhorn: no need to buy a vowel, it's "bison" in English.
dude ... stealth ship from yesterday? ... A BUM WITH A LARGE KNIFE would take this bitch out...
who needs the stealth ship, all ya need is 1 dude with a sword or large knife
@WD40: Not when I've got him tied to one of those propellers, he can't! Then, plenty of time for a bit of monologue-ing, Kill Bond, then off to world domination!
This ALSO, will kill the hell out of you!
Amazing!
Faslane
The dalek-head inspired minigun wins me over.
It's not just über - it's Zubr!
I'm not for this as a military vehicle, but the skirt could probably take bullets without ripping, do you have any idea what kind of force it has to endure to support the weight of the craft itself and contain the air cushion.
Taking a knife to it would be like taking a toothpick to a 2'' thick solid piece of steel
Thinking about how a hovercraft works, I'm pretty sure they don't displace tonnage. Unless they've sunk.
@jsewell: They don't hover on a standstill.
@Petrogk: i dunno, the Russians have had a pretty bad time keeping their sea vessels afloat lately. besides, RPG's are a little sharper than knives.
The first picture brings to mind:
Thumbtack sweepers.
Soviet military kit is an interesting subject. They started out with the right idea: don't go for expensive, cutting edge, high performance stuff (like those Porsche tanks they beat in 41-45), because it's for war, not racing on a clean, dry track. Thus they came up with stuff like the AK-47: nothing fancy, just effective, reliable, and so cheap you could out-produce your opponent with them, which was the key to victory in WWII.
During the downward slide of the USSR though, their military-industrial complex (they call it the "steel eaters") caught the same bug as western militaries and went for all this crazy, exotic, hi-tech kit, like the above.
Nothing compared with the Soviet Ekranoplan [en.wikipedia.org]
With film at 11:00
+ Watch video
Russians seem to be obsessed with proving that they can make things BIGGER. The Typhoon Submarine, the Tsar Pushka, the Tsar Bomba.
Their collective penis must be very small.
Surprised no one said it yet so I'll give it a go.
In Russia, the ship blows wind.
Sorry, couldn't think of anything better.
@Darrone: So... where are you going to fire your RPG from? In a rowboat as the Zubr goes past you at 30 knots?
You know how hard it is to actually *hit* something with an RPG? The answer is "very".
@WD40: James Bond can blow anything up with his wrist watch, so that is no mean feat ;)
+ Watch video
Another vechicle the Russians has that scared the USA was the Ekranoplan:
+ Watch video
[en.wikipedia.org]
@russdanger:
it's not as if the US isn't trying. collectively small penis combined with being bested by russia. ouch.
Hmmm. That video didn't look like 30kts of headway to me, but I could be wrong. I did notice that it doesn't appear to be a true hovercraft. If you notice, it looks like the air cushion can't get it completely off the surface.
Thirdly and more importantly, did anyone notice that the tank that appears in the first few seconds of the video (the one that fires its main gun) looks a lot like a Panzer V? Take a look at how square the turret is.
In Russia, Hovercraft rides you!
Well, "with similar boats from the US Navy" (assuming they're talking about LCACs) the man-hours for maintainence must be outrageous. That probably means the Zubr will be down for a year for each day they fly.
@TheDeadPuppet: i know that on the LCACs there are 4 main engines, 2 for lift,2 for thrust. i only see two in these pics, maybe they can save man hours that way. and for all who say its easy to sink this craft, think about how hard it is to sink something that goes ON LAND
These things just sit around doing nothing these days. You can see them in google maps Here.
would mines work against these? or would the air cushion protect from any shrapnel getting into the rotor blades keep this beast aloft?
@Munch: Just put the fans in reverse!
@xpeak: Mines rely on pressure to set them off, if this is a true hovercraft it just would pass over the mines without setting them off
It's only useful if they have a ship it can launch out of. Several LCACs fit inside an LHD model naval ship and can all deploy fairly quickly. It's also a case of all your eggs in one basket.
As for all the silly knife or RPG taking it out, did you not see the mini-guns on the thing? Good luck getting close enough.
@Kaiser-Machead: ROFL
@four12: winner of the award for best usage of Red Alert 1 game music
Wonder what would happen if you stood to close to the fans in the back....
@pernicious: There are definitely other fans for lift.
Sure, you can't sink it while it's 'on land', but, throw a little FOD through the fans and it's as good as sunk.
@xpeak: Pressure mines, probably not. Acoustic mines, maybe. But, if a mine did happen to go off it would surely eff up the plenum skirts. Besides, when these are called in, they come in in set 'lanes' that have been cleared before any type of amphibious operation begins.
@jimbosmithy: "several" LCACs.. closer to 'only three'. And, "deploy fairly quickly" is subjective. They're quick compared to LCU/LCM launches, sure, but the prima-donna crews still take their time. As far as 'eggs in one basket', no. An LHD is only ONE ship in an ARG/ESG; other amphibious ships in the group would carry other LCACs/landing craft as needed.
I'm guessing the top deck is off-limits to personnel unless they want to see if they blend?
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