Imagine stumbling across a massive, beached object on the shores of Derbent, a city in southern Russia. You might expect a whale or a dolphin, but instead, you find a gigantic 283-ton, 63ft aircraft, commonly referred to as the Caspian Sea Monster. Surprisingly, this colossal object dwarfs even the Boeing 747.
Initially designed in 1975 and later utilized towards the end of the Cold War around 1987 by Soviet and Russian navies, the Lun-class ekranoplan was not just any aircraft. Equipped with six fixed-elevation anti-ship missile launchers and two twin turrets, this behemoth was a formidable presence on the high seas, intimidating to any adversary.
Part of the Soviet’s ambitious wing-in-ground-effect program (WIG), the ekranoplan could easily be mistaken for a prop from a Star Wars movie, especially given its resting place along the coast of the Caspian Sea, which is often described as the largest lake in the world. However, this incredible craft was meticulously constructed over several years.
The marvel of engineering essentially looks like something straight out of a sci-fi film.
Located just 21 miles from the tiny village of Samurçay near the Russian border in Azerbaijan, this once heavily armed craft has now been transformed into a museum, offering a fascinating glimpse into Cold War military technology.
While often referred to as a plane, the ekranoplan actually falls into the category of ‘ground effect’ vehicles, which are more akin to ships—or in this fantastical case, not a spaceship, but a boat.
Despite its resemblance to traditional aircraft, ekranoplans like the Lun operate very differently. They are not aircraft or hovercraft. Instead, this awe-inspiring ship, which was retired in the late ’90s shortly after the Cold War concluded, glided just above the water’s surface, powered by its eight jet engines. It floated on a cushion of air created by the ground effect acting on its large wings when it was within about 13 feet of the water’s surface.
According to the International Maritime Organization, the MD-160 is officially classified as a maritime ship, a large vessel capable of traversing the world’s oceans. Its ability to glide just 13 feet above the water made it nearly undetectable on radars, posing a significant challenge for detection systems.
The Lun-class ekranoplan, now a museum, continues to captivate imaginations.
Discussing the ekranoplan, CIA officials referred to it as ‘Utka,’ which translates to ‘duck’ in Russian. They described it as a “tactical strike and coastal defense vehicle for the Soviet Navy,” capable of carrying six supersonic SS-N-22 anti-ship cruise missiles. The Utka could engage enemy ships within its radar range of about 35 kilometers (22 miles), but with over-the-horizon targeting data, it could launch missiles up to 100 kilometers (62 miles).
“The Utka is larger than a US Boeing 747 jet airplane and flies at about 250 knots [287 mph],” they added. “We believe that an Utka strike force or coastal defense force would give the Soviets a quick-reaction capability against surface combatants.”
The ekranoplan’s operational limitations included its reliance on external sources for targeting information, as it needed to rise out of ground effect to extend its radar horizon.
However, this majestic relic of Cold War engineering continues to awe and inspire, serving as a testament to human ingenuity and a reminder of the tense geopolitical atmosphere of its time..