Alexeev’s Design Bureau lays down lead passenger hydrofoil of Meteor 120R design

JSC Alexeev’s Hydrofoil Design Bureau has laid down the river-going passenger hydrofoil of Project 03580, Meteor 120R, today, on 23 December 2019, Sergey Italyantsev, General Director of the design bureau, told IAA PortNews.

“Today, we have commenced the construction of a serial high-speed passenger ship Meteor 120R intended for interregional shipping”, said Sergey Italyantsev.

The keel-laying certificate has been signed by Russian River Register. The launching is scheduled for summer 2021.

According to Sergey Italyantsev, such high-speed ships are in demand today. They are included in fleet upgrading programmes of the shipping companies operating in the Ob-Irtysh, Lena and Irtysh basins.

“Today, we have proactively laid down a ship at the expense of Alexeev’s Design Bureau with a hope for a possibility to build a series upon revival of the preferential leasing programme”, he added.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of Mashpromleasing (a captive company of USC) as honoured guests.

Hydrofoil of Project 03580, Meteor 120R, designed for high-speed transportation of 120 passengers, features advanced technologies, high security and comfort level, endurance of 8 hours and range of 600 km.

According to the design bureau, the hydrofoil design ensures higher speed and lets prevent bank cutting due to low wave generation. The ship can be operated on water-abundant rivers accross Russia, from its central part to the Far East.

Serial production of Meteors of previous design ceased in 2007. About 400 ships were launched between 1961 and 1991. The remaining Meteors of RRR’s Lake Class currently have no alternatives in ill-roaded areas of Siberia and the Far East. However, their service life has almost expired: all of them are 40 years old and more.

The hydrofoil of the modernized design, Meteor 120R, will continue the series that had proved itself to be reliable and economically viable in operation.

JSC Alekseev`s Design Bureau builds high-speed civil, dual-purpose and military vehicles based on various hydrodynamic principles. These are hovercraft and hydrofoils, air cavity craft and gliding boats with different bottom configuration, multipurpose platforms and ekranoplanes.