The Varan is distinguished by its multi-role structure (unified platform), which can produce many types of large-scale warships, such as aircraft carrier, landing craft, hospital ship, and even Arctic support vessel.
After the Cold War, universal amphibious assault ships were deployed to support large Navy formations, in independent units capable of combat and humanitarian missions. They display the flag, hand over troops, participate in patrols and support larger warships.
The Russian shipbuilding industry has been focusing on such marine material lately. One of the projects is Varan, designed by the Nevskoe Bureau. He is a great Russian general-purpose ship designer and the only designer of aircraft carriers and simulators.
The Varan project is distinguished by its multi-role structure (unified platform), which can produce many types of large surface warships, such as aircraft carrier, landing craft, hospital vessel, and even Arctic support vessel.
The project allows the assembly in a modular way, which will significantly accelerate the pace of construction in any large yard. And this is very interesting, as it would allow the Russian Navy to meet the needs for many categories of large surface ships in a sufficient time frame. Today, Russia can not yet build a heavy aircraft carrier as there is no experience, but there are significant problems with professional staff.
Thus, it is considered necessary to balance the desires with the possibilities and instead of a nuclear aircraft carrier with a displacement of 80,000 tons, to start the construction of a series of light non-nuclear aircraft carriers with half displacement, at the level of 40,000 – 45,000 tons.
The “Varan” project envisages an aircraft carrier that fully fits into this framework: length – 250 m, width – 65 m, draft – 9 m, displacement – 45,000 tons, full speed – 26 knots. The power plant is a gas turbine. The air force is represented by 50 aircraft: 24 MiG-29K light fighters, 6 helicopters and 20 UAVs.
Compared to the displacement, it corresponds to the best UDC of the “America” type in the world, but it is faster – 26 knots versus 22. On deck, the American can accommodate 27 helicopters or 22 F-35B short-haul and vertical fighters. landing.
Other combinations of the air wing are also possible, depending on the tasks assigned. The UDC’s landing capability is 2000 Marines, 40 amphibious AAV7 armored personnel carriers (in normal configuration) or 61 (maximum). Ships have their own anti-aircraft artillery and anti-aircraft weapons.
However, the Varan is interesting not only as a promising light aircraft carrier and UDC, but also as a transport and medical ship. And with that, the Russian navy has been in big trouble for a long time.
According to topcor.ru, Russia currently has only three special Project 320 hospital ships built during the Soviet era in Poland: the Yenisei on the Black Sea, the Svir on the Barents Sea and the Irtysh on the Pacific Ocean.
Hospital ships are needed in the Russian Navy both in time of war, during operations in the far sea, and in time of peace – for humanitarian missions, etc. For example, during the 2020 pandemic, the USS USS Mercy arrived at the port of Los Angeles, and the USNS Comfort arrived in New York, where they helped treat the sick.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has long been talking about the need for new hospital ships. Thus, on a modular platform, it is possible to build three categories of ships at the same time, which the Russian fleet is in dire need of.
