Uncrewed boats "Dandelion" are preparing for testing
Experimental boat of the "Dandelion" type
In the interests of the Russian army, the Kingisepp Machine-Building Plant holding is developing a family of unmanned boats, the Vizir, designed to solve a wide range of tasks. In the near future, the first batch of such equipment will be transferred to the Ministry of Defense for military testing. It is assumed that these events will take place in the zone of the Special Operation to Protect Donbass, and the boats will be able to show their potential in real combat conditions.
On the eve of the test
Let us recall that the Kingisepp Machine-Building Plant (KMZ holding) and the St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University first presented the unmanned boat Vizir at last year’s Army-2022 forum. Subsequently, this product was shown at other events, and plans for the development of the project were announced. In particular, in September 2023, it was announced that the Ministry of Defense was interested in the new technology, and preliminary negotiations were underway.
At the end of November, KMZ management announced that it had received an order from the Ministry of Defense for the production of a pilot batch of 10 attack boats. The equipment needed to be manufactured and delivered by the end of the year. By the time of publication News The plant managed to make some of the units and was preparing the final assembly of the products. It was then announced that the boats would go to the disposal of special operations forces. The tests will take place as part of the Special Operation in Donbass, but the details of the plans were not specified.
The next news about the progress of the project came on December 14. RIA Novosti quotes KMZ Managing Director Mikhail Danilenko and reports that the assembly of the first boat ordered by the Ministry of Defense has been completed. Now he is sent to the Special Operation zone. By the end of the year, the company will have to assemble nine more such products and also transfer them to the customer.
The new version of the “Vizir”, which is to be tested, is designated as a high-speed unmanned carrier boat (BBKN) and has the working name “Dandelion”. Previously, it was called even more simply – “disposable boat”. KMZ noted that all such designations are temporary, and the customer will have to come up with the final names for the boats.
Boat "Vizir" in hydrographic design
The development organization does not say how long the tests will continue. What the results of the planned activities may be is, for obvious reasons, unknown. However, KMZ and the army have no serious reasons for pessimistic expectations. In addition, for the coming weeks their main task is not forecasts, but the assembly of the remaining experimental batch.
Promising family
As follows from the published data, the goal of the Vizir project was to create an unmanned platform boat with high tactical and technical characteristics. It was planned to be equipped with various devices and loads to solve specific problems with maximum realization of the potential of the basic design.
The existing boat RK-700M / 03080 / Sapphire, serially built at KMZ, was taken as the basis for the Vizir platform. The base boat retained key components and assemblies, but lost some parts. In addition, a new control complex with a number of necessary functions was developed for it.
The Sapphire boat is built on the basis of a composite hull with a length of 7,5 m and a width of 2,4 m. The total displacement of the boat, depending on the configuration, reaches 2 tons. The hull has traditional contours necessary to achieve high speed and maneuverability. The case is reported to have increased strength and is able to withstand various impacts.
Inside such a case all the necessary equipment is located, from control systems to weapons or instruments. Some modifications provide an A-shaped mast for mounting part of the devices. The total payload mass is 600 kg.
As part of the Vizir project, a new set of means for remote and autonomous boat control was developed. It includes the KMZ development information and control system, the Murena technical vision system, autopilot, navigation aids, etc. The complex can carry out operator commands or act independently according to a programmed program, reacting to various factors.
A boat with hydrographic equipment for research and a combat module for self-defense was demonstrated as a prototype. The possibility of installing various reconnaissance and surveillance equipment, weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles, etc. on the platform is declared. However, the integration of new devices and systems probably does not require major design changes.
The boat is equipped with a diesel engine and water jet propulsion, due to which high performance characteristics are achieved. Maximum speed – 80 km/h (43 knots). Cruising range: 200 km (108 nautical miles).
BBKN "Dandelion" has a closed top hull and does not have a mast. This design reduces the overall height of the boat and facilitates its covert movement. As previously reported, this boat is a disposable carrier of a heavy warhead. At the same time, KMZ does not exclude the possibility of its use as a UAV carrier or anti-aircraft system. drones.
Great future
To date, KMZ and Polytech have completed the development of the basic platform and are looking for different ways to realize its technical potential. Various payload options are proposed and developed to solve combat and non-military missions. In addition, experimental equipment is being built and tested in various configurations, and is also shown to the public at major domestic exhibitions.
In general, the progress of work on the Vizir family of boats gives reasons for optimism. The latest news about the construction of disposable BBKNs and their imminent dispatch to the Special Operations zone for testing in real combat conditions should also be considered positive. They show that the project does not stand still and is receiving the attention of potential customers.
Depending on the results of future military tests, the Vizir project and/or the Dandelion product may have a great future. Judging by the stated characteristics, KMZ has developed a very successful surface platform with a number of characteristic functions and capabilities. There are no serial samples of this class in our army yet, and Vizir will be able to fill this niche.
At the same time, an additional advantage of the new project is the presence of several specialized modifications, as well as the fundamental possibility of creating new ones. This means that the Ministry of Defense can already select the required model from those developed or order the creation of a new one.
However, for now the future fate of BBKN from KMZ and Polytechnic remains uncertain. The first conclusions about the real prospects of such equipment will be made only after future military tests. Under the terms of the ongoing contract, the manufacturer must transfer a batch of 10 boats to the customer by the end of the year. This means that “Dandelions” will fall into the Special Operation zone in the coming weeks, and then we should expect the first news about their use.
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