The world’s largest hovercraft, the Zubr-class “Evgeny Kocheshkov,” (Project 1232.2, NATO reporting name "Pomornik") will open the “Race of Heroes,” a large-scale military sports event, according to a statement on the Facebook page of Russia’s Defense Ministry.
The hovercraft, designed to sealift amphibious assault units (such as marines and tanks) from equipped/non-equipped vessels to non-equipped shores, as well as transport and plant naval mines, will discontinue the BTR-82A, an advanced 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carriers with an air assault unit of the Marine Corps of the Coastal Defense Troops of the Baltic Fleet.
“The black berets will demonstrate the breakthrough of the anti-airborne defense of an enemy maneuver from the sea. The latest landing craft “Michman Lermontov” will also take part in the demonstrations,” the statement says.
The marines will also take part in the program along with the military aircraft and helicopters of Russia’s naval aviation. The feet will also exhibit some of its ammunition and combat hardware.
The military sportive game “Hero race” has been held since 2013 and is essentially an an extreme cross-country race with numerous obstacles. The action is initiated by Russia’s Defense Ministry as part of a program to revive the All-Russian physical culture and sportive norms “Ready for Labor and Defense” (GTO).
This particular race will be seven kilometers long.
As of 2015, the “Race of Heroes” has already been held in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Vladivostok and Kaliningrad.
