Unveiling the Enigmatic MD-160: The Soviet Lun-class Ekranoplan
Throughout history, the world has witnessed an array of unconventional military vehicles, each with its own unique charm. Among this diverse collection, the Lun-class MD-160 ekranoplan stands out as an extraordinary fusion of aircraft and ship, boasting the potential to rewrite the pages of Cold War history, had it not been for the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Is it an airplane or a ship?
The MD-160 ekranoplan belongs to a category known as Ground Effect Vehicles, or GEVs, designed to glide above the water’s surface without making direct contact. To the casual observer, it appears to straddle the line between an airplane and a sea vessel. Interestingly, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) officially classifies it as a ship, despite its ability to soar just one-to-five meters above the water’s surface.
GEVs are renowned for exploiting the aerodynamic phenomenon known as the “ground effect,” using it to achieve remarkable speeds while skimming over bodies of water. Their proximity to the water makes them notoriously challenging to detect via radar, a characteristic that greatly appealed to the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
The USSR’s Affair with Ekranoplans
The Soviet Union extensively experimented with various ekranoplan models throughout the Cold War era. Among them, the Lun-class ekranoplan earned the moniker “Caspian Sea Monster” within the Soviet Navy, as it frequently patrolled the waters between the USSR and Iran.
The Remarkable Lun-Class MD-160
The Lun-class ekranoplan, one of the final creations under the USSR’s Ground Effect Vehicle program, emerged as an engineering marvel. It dwarfed even the colossal Airbus A380 Superjumbo airliner in length and came close in height. With a top speed of 550 kilometers per hour, it owed its impressive performance to the eight Kuznetsov NK-87 turbofans mounted on forward canards, each generating a staggering 127.4 kN of thrust.
Designed to endure stormy conditions, the Lun-class could take off and land gracefully thanks to its flying boat hull. Its primary role was to execute lightning-fast seaborne attacks, armed with six P-270 Moskit guided missiles nestled in launchers along the dorsal surface of the fuselage. Advanced tracking systems adorned its nose and tail, enhancing its combat capabilities.
The lone Lun-class ekranoplan to reach completion was the MD-160, which entered service with the Soviet Navy Caspian Flotilla in 1987. A second craft, assigned to rescue and supply missions, was left abandoned in the early 1990s, following the program’s cancellation and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Around the same time, the MD-160 was also retired from active duty.
A Future as a Tourist Attraction
For more than three decades, the MD-160 languished at the Kaspiysk Naval Base. In July 2020, a monumental endeavor was undertaken to relocate it to the historic city of Derbent, situated approximately 100 kilometers away. The ambitious plan was to transform it into the centerpiece of “Patriot Park,” a military museum and theme park that was yet to be constructed.
The relocation operation, which required 14 hours and involved rubber pontoons, three tugs, and two escort vessels, successfully maneuvered the ekranoplan along the Caspian Sea shore to its current resting place. Here, it eagerly awaits the completion of the museum that will celebrate its storied past and offer visitors a glimpse into the intriguing world of this Soviet marvel.
