Naval Systems

Zubr-class air-cushion landing craft (Project 12322 Pomornik)

Also known as
  • Zubr-class LCAC
  • Project 12322
  • Project 1232.2
  • Pomornik
  • Pomornik-class
  • Project 958
  • Type 958
  • Bizon
  • Kefalonia class
  • PTM Kefalonia type

The Zubr class is a Soviet-designed Project 12322 Pomornik air-cushion landing craft developed by Almaz for high-speed amphibious lift. It can carry tanks, armored vehicles, troops, cargo, or naval mines directly onto prepared or unprepared shores, using bow and stern ramps and integral close-in armament. Greece operates the type as the Kefalonia/PTM class, while China acquired and locally expanded the related Project 958/Type 958 line.

Zubr-class air-cushion landing craft (Project 12322 Pomornik), Air-cushioned landing craft, Naval Systems
Image source: Zubr-class LCAC.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Specifications

Length
57.3 m
Beam
25.6 m
Height
21.9 m
Draught
1.6 m
Displacement
555 tons full load
Crew
27-33, depending on source/operator
Maximum speed
60 knots
Cruising speed
55 knots
Range
300 nautical miles
Cargo area
400 sq m
Fuel capacity
56 tons
Payload options
Three main battle tanks; or eight infantry fighting vehicles; or ten armored personnel carriers; or up to 360-500 troops, depending on load/source
Propulsion
Five gas turbines, with three for propulsion and two for lift
Armament
Two AK-630 30 mm gun mounts and two MS-227 140 mm rocket launchers; portable air-defense missiles reported by reference sources
Beach access
Can land on unequipped shores and move across beaches, small obstacles, minefields, and swamp areas
Design And Lift Features
Mission

High-speed delivery of amphibious troops, vehicles, tanks, and cargo directly onto prepared or unprepared shorelines.

Lift Layout

A central vehicle and cargo compartment with bow and stern ramps is flanked by machinery, troop, living, and support spaces.

Operator Caveat

Greek official pages list three ZUBR hovercraft in Amphibious Forces Command; open-source counts for China vary because later local production is reported from imagery rather than full official disclosure.

Variants

Project 12322 is the Soviet/Russian Pomornik/Zubr baseline. Project 958 or Type 958 is the Chinese/Ukrainian export derivative, and later Chinese-built craft are reported with local modifications.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Project 12322 PomornikBaseline Soviet/Russian Zubr air-cushion landing craft

Almaz-linked sources identify Project 12322 Pomornik/Zubr as the large landing air-cushion vessel serially built from 1988.

Sources: Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau - GlobalSecurity

Kefalonia typeHellenic Navy service designation

The Hellenic Navy describes HS Ithaki as an air-cushion landing craft of the Kefalonia type, Russian name Zubr and NATO name Pomornik.

Sources: HS ITHAKI L-181 - Hellenic Navy

Project 958 / Type 958Chinese/Ukrainian export derivative

National Maritime Foundation describes the Chinese Type 958 line as tied to a 2009 Ukrainian contract for two Ukraine-built craft and two China-built craft.

Sources: China's Zubr Class Hovercrafts - National Maritime Foundation

Locally built Chinese versionLater PLAN production variant

Naval News and Defense Express report additional Chinese-built craft after the initial four; exact official designation remains caveated in open sources.

Sources: China building more giant Zubr-class hovercraft

Timeline

Zubr-class air-cushion landing craft (Project 12322 Pomornik) Key Events

  1. Project 12322 serial construction noted

    Almaz-linked history identifies Project 12322 Pomornik as serially built from 1988 and as the largest landing air-cushion vessel.

    Sources: Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau - GlobalSecurity

  2. Greek-Ukrainian contract for HS Ithaki

    The Hellenic Navy says Greece and Ukraine signed the contract for HS Ithaki in 2000.

    Sources: HS ITHAKI L-181 - Hellenic Navy

  3. HS Ithaki joins Hellenic Navy

    The Hellenic Navy says HS Ithaki was officially received and raised the Greek flag at Salamina on March 2, 2001.

    Sources: HS ITHAKI L-181 - Hellenic Navy

  4. China signs Ukrainian hovercraft contract

    National Maritime Foundation reports a Chinese Ministry of Defense contract with Ukraine for four Type 958/Zubr-related hovercraft.

    Sources: China's Zubr Class Hovercrafts - National Maritime Foundation

  5. First Chinese Type 958 delivered

    National Maritime Foundation reports hull 3325 was handed over at Guangzhou in May 2013.

    Sources: China's Zubr Class Hovercrafts - National Maritime Foundation

  6. Chinese local series production reported

    Naval News reported that China had moved into series production of giant Zubr-class hovercraft, with at least five local Type 728-style craft reported.

    Sources: China building more giant Zubr-class hovercraft

Media

Zubr-class air-cushion landing craft (Project 12322 Pomornik) Videos

Zubr-class air-cushion landing craft (Project 12322 Pomornik) Images

Zubr-class air-cushion landing craft (Project 12322 Pomornik), Air-cushioned landing craft, Naval Systems - view 1
Source: HS Ithaca (L 181) Zubr class LCAC of Greece.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Zubr-class air-cushion landing craft (Project 12322 Pomornik), Air-cushioned landing craft, Naval Systems - view 2
Source: Soviet Pomornik class LCAC.JPEG - Wikimedia Commons
Related Weapon Systems
Serna-class landing craft (Project 11770), Air-cavity fast landing craft, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsSerna-class landing craft (Project 11770)Air-cavity fast landing craftProject 11770 Serna is a Russian air-cavity fast landing craft built for over-the-beach movement of vehicles, cargo, and assault troops to unimproved shores. KCHF and RussianShips list a 25.65 m, five-person craft capable of 35 knots and carrying one main battle tank, two BTRs, 92 troops, or 50 tons of cargo. During the Russia-Ukraine War, Russian Serna craft appeared as Black Sea logistics and air-defense transport targets around Snake Island and occupied Crimea.
Project 1171 Tapir / Alligator-class large landing ship, Large landing ship / landing ship tank, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsProject 1171 Tapir / Alligator-class large landing shipLarge landing ship / landing ship tankThe Project 1171 Tapir / Alligator-class large landing ship is a Soviet-designed beachable landing ship tank built by Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad. The class was created to move troops, tanks, vehicles, ammunition, and cargo directly onto shore or through captured ports, and Russian use of the type as a Sea of Azov resupply ship was documented during the 2022 phase of the Russia-Ukraine War.
Dyugon-class landing craft (Project 21820), Air-cavity landing craft, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsDyugon-class landing craft (Project 21820)Air-cavity landing craftThe Dyugon-class landing craft, Project 21820, is a Russian air-cavity fast landing craft developed by the Nizhny Novgorod Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoils as a larger successor to the Serna family. Built across Volga, Vostochnaya Verf, and Yaroslavl shipyards, the class moves tanks, armored vehicles, cargo, or marines to unimproved shores, and Russia used Dyugon craft around Snake Island in 2022 as part of Black Sea logistics and air-defense reinforcement activity.
Project 1400M Grif / Zhuk-class patrol boat, Coastal patrol boat / border guard patrol craft, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsProject 1400M Grif / Zhuk-class patrol boatCoastal patrol boat / border guard patrol craftProject 1400M Grif is the updated Soviet Grif coastal patrol-boat design known in NATO reporting as the Zhuk class. Built for border-guard and coast-guard work, the small aluminium-hulled craft carries heavy machine-gun armament, simple navigation or surface-search radar, and enough speed for short-range littoral security rather than open-ocean combat. Ukrainian Sea Guard and Navy examples remained visible after independence, and several Project 1400M boats entered the Russia-Ukraine War record as captured or destroyed Ukrainian maritime-security craft in 2022.

Sources

NPS Russia Threat ThesisPublisher: Naval Postgraduate School | Note: Supports direct conflict use in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War: Russian forces conducted an amphibious landing in Feodosiya via Zubr air-cushioned landing craft during the Crimea operation. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau - GlobalSecurityPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the Almaz design-bureau attribution, Project 12322 Pomornik/Zubr identity, serial construction from 1988, and largest landing air-cushion vessel context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04HS ITHAKI L-181 - Hellenic NavyPublisher: Hellenic Navy | Note: Supports official Hellenic Navy dimensions, displacement, crew, speed, armament, Ukrainian/Morye build history, Kefalonia type designation, and March 2, 2001 receipt date for HS Ithaki. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Zubr LCAC (Pomornik) (Project 1232.2) Air-Cushioned Landing CraftPublisher: MilitaryFactory | Note: Supports the class's service history, operators, dimensions, displacement, crew, speed, range, propulsion, payload, and armament. | Accessed: 2026-07-04China's Zubr Class Hovercrafts - National Maritime FoundationPublisher: National Maritime Foundation | Note: Supports the Zubr class's design by Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, construction by Almaz Shipyard and Feodosiya Shipbuilding Company, Chinese Type 958 contract and delivery context, propulsion layout, and reported PLAN basing/variant details. | Accessed: 2026-07-04China Builds New Zubr-Class Landing Craft - Defense ExpressPublisher: Defense Express | Note: Supports recent reporting that China expanded domestic production after the original Ukraine-linked Project 958/Zubr contract and reports local modifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-04China building more giant Zubr-class hovercraftPublisher: Naval News | Note: Supports the class's continued modern relevance, China's local series production, reported Type 728-style local fleet growth, payload context, and caveats around open-source Chinese production counts. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Russia's Zubr-class LCAC Practice Amphibious Assault in Baltic SeaPublisher: Naval News | Note: Supports a Baltic Fleet planned training exercise in Kaliningrad and general design notes; it is not used as conflict-use evidence. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Zubr-class LCAC.jpg - Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the primary image provenance; the file page credits the Russian Ministry of Defence source, identifies the subject as a Zubr-class LCAC, and lists CC BY 4.0 licensing. | Accessed: 2026-07-04HS Ithaca (L 181) Zubr class LCAC of Greece.jpg - Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the gallery image provenance for a U.S. Navy public-domain photo of a Hellenic Zubr-class craft during a 2022 joint training raid. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Soviet Pomornik class LCAC.JPEG - Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the gallery image provenance and public-domain status for the 1987 Soviet Pomornik-class image. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Rosoboronexport at IMDS 2015Publisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Supports Russian export delivery context for Project 12322 Zubr air-cushion landing ships to Greece. | Accessed: 2026-07-04