Russia's largest landing ship to sail north through major NATO exercise

The brand new amphibious assault ship “Ivan Gren” has been readied and approved for transfer to her new homeport on the Kola Peninsula, the Ministry of Defense informs.

Sailing the vessel northbound will happen just as NATO kicks off its largest exercise in years. Trident Juncture will take place in central and eastern Norway and the surrounding areas of the North Atlantic, the Baltic Sea, including the waters and airspace off the coast of Norway.

Last week it became known the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier USS “Harry S. Truman” will join in for the NATO exercise. With 90 aircraft on board, the 100,000 tons carrier is the first to floating airport to sail off the coast of Norway since the 1980s.

Sailing from Kaliningrad to Severomorsk “Ivan Gren” will have a voyage through the same waters outside the coast of Norway where some 65 NATO warships will exercise.

“Ivan Green” can carry 300 marines and 13 tanks or 36 armored personnel carriers. There are one hangar and one helipad on board for two Ka-29 transport and attack helicopters. “Ivan Gren” is similar to “Petr Morgunov” an amphibious assault ship supposed to sail for the Black Sea fleet when ready from the shipyard in Kaliningrad.