Greek Zubr

Yesterday the flag was raised on PTM Kerkyra (L-184, Corfu) in the Naval base at Salamis.

http://www.hellenicnavy.gr/images/picOfTheDay/pic5_hires.jpg

http://www.hellenicnavy.gr/newsphotos.asp?new_id=775

and the high resolution photos:
http://www.hellenicnavy.gr/upload/newsphotos/ptm_kerkira.zip

SO how are the greeks finding them? I imagine that they’d be pretty happy with them!

Here is the picture as promised.

Cheers,
Alepou 340MB

I have seen a picture of an MLRS disembarking from a Greek Zubr. I’ll try and find it and post it. They may carry two or three per Zubr.

Cheers,
Alepou 340MB

No. The Navy’s plans for up to year 2015 call for 4 Zubr and 5 LSTs (Jason class). So there won’t be any additional orders.

IIRC they are also considering ordering another 4… ?

Greek load for the Zubrs

Guys from what I have seen in recent exercises of the Hellenic Armed Forces, the usual load for the Zubrs is :
1 Leo 1A5
2 M113A1s and 2-4 HUMVEEs along with a company of Marines.

There are 3 Zubrs bought from Russia and 1 from Ukraine. The second Zubr from Ukraine was never accepted due to technical problems and thus there was the 3rd ship ordered from Russia. In fact, the ship from Russia was given the same name as the rejected ship from Ukraine (PTM Kerkyra).

The thing in MarocMirage’s picture is just the floating dry-dock…

Yes, you are right. After I reading your post I have checked both pictures. The picture of Maroc Mirage shows the same dry-dock that can bee seen on the picture mentioned by your post.

LPD, depends what you call a LPD…

What I call a LPD is a ship with an enclosed docking area where soldiers and militray hardware can be embarked/disembarked to and from smaller landing craft. Such as Rotterdam of Dutch Navy; Albion of RN or Galica of Spanish Navy.

Both Ukraine and Greece have a number of LST’s, LSM’s but no LPD’s. Yet.

The first picture, the tank clearly has a Russian Navy flag.

Yes, that is the Russian naval ensign.

http://flagspot.net/flags/ru~nav.html#and

:dev2: :dev2:

I got a quick question.
How many of these were new builds and how many were bought from surplus Ukraine and Russian stocks?

I think the answer is that two were bought from used from Ukraine and two were bought brand new from Russia but I could be mistaken.

:dev2: :dev2:

I can’t believe how big the Zubr is! Dwarfs the tank completely.

The first picture, the tank clearly has a Russian Navy flag.
Second picture, it looks like a Soviet sign on the side of that tank, although it’s of course only speculation since it’s so small.

Here are 2 pictures showing what the Ukrainians are carrying in their Zubr.

Pictures taken from http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/zubr/

There are more information on the website.

The thing in MarocMirage’s picture is just the floating dry-dock. Here it’s lowered:

It’s for safety, to make sure the thing doesn’t go to the bottom directly. And you can use them to transport a ship too, although heavy lift ships are better suited for that role.

LPD, depends what you call a LPD…

Maroc Mirage, what ship LPD? is that Zubr being loaded into in that picture that you posted?

The ship in that picture does not look like a LPD or similar military vessel. It is more likely a special transport ship (like the one that carried the limp USS Cole back to the States).

Besides, if I am not mistaken, neither Ukraine nor Greece have any LPD’s in active service.

Maroc Mirage, what ship LPD? is that Zubr being loaded into in that picture that you posted?

Yes, I was wondering about that too.

Greek Navy Receives Third Zubr Air Cushion Craft From Russia

Moscow, 26th November: The Almaz shipbuilding company in St Petersburg saw the transfer of the Project 12322 Zubr air cushion landing craft to the Greek navy, the press service of the Rosoboroneksport state company reported on Friday.

The ship was built under a contract between the Greek National Defence Ministry and Rosoboroneksport, the press service told Interfax – Military News Agency.

The ship was named Kerkira after one of Greece’s largest islands. It will be delivered to a Greek naval base aboard a transport ship. The parties signed the acceptance certificate on Tuesday.

It is the third Zubr craft handed over to the Greek navy by Rosoboroneksport under the contract. The Zubr is the world’s largest landing craft in its class. It can transport a landing party of up to 500 people or 10 APCs with 140 people, or three tanks.

Rosoboroneksport considers implementation of contracts on Zubr supplies as an example of bilateral military-technical cooperation. As a result, the Greek navy obtained unique ships that had distinguished themselves in the Aegean Sea, as well as Tor-M1 and S-300MUM air defence systems that have no analogues in the world and can ensure reliable protection of Greece’s continental part and islands.

Source: BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union via text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax-AVN web site (26th Nov 2004)

Sorry Google Alepou 340MB is right, that pic of yours is a Ukrainian ZUBR. U420 Donets’k.

No need to be sorry. I realized that after I posted the picture, but I was a bit too lazy to bother editing it. Thanks for the correction Alepou!

Here’s a pic of a highspeed Greek Zubr.

Sorry Google Alepou 340MB is right, that pic of yours is a Ukrainian ZUBR. U420 Donets’k.

Smart looking beasts.