Spasatel (Russian:Спасатель "Rescuer", "Lifesaver", Project 9038) is aground-effect vehicle, originally planned by theSoviet Ministry of Defense. The vehicle was intended to serve as the missile carrier of the projectLun-class ekranoplan, but was then converted into an ambulance craft. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, construction was halted and the vehicle was never completed.
By 2018, Russia had revived the 600-metric-ton-maximum-takeoff-weight (1,300,000 lb; 600,000 kg) project, with plans to use it for search and rescue operations in the Arctic and Pacific, as well as cargo and troop delivery (up to 550 troops) to remote military bases.[1][2][3][4][5][needs update]
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A military advantage of ground-effect vehicles overships andsubmarines was that they did not havedraft during operation, and therefore could not be detected bysonar and could not be hit by torpedoes.[citation needed] Advantages overaircraft include operation at lowaltitude, which makesradar acquisition difficult, and a largerpayload. This was particularly interesting during theCold War as a way to inconspicuously and quickly transport many people or large cargo over long distances.[citation needed]
TheSpasatel was originally built as a secondLun-class anti-ship missile-carrying ekranoplan. After the Soviet nuclear submarineK-278 Komsomolets sank in 1989, killing 42 people, theSpasatel was repurposed to be deployed in themaritime search and rescue mission, and seating for up to 500 passengers was planned.[6]
After thedisintegration of the Soviet Union, the project was cancelled for financial reasons. Military operations at sea were also greatly reduced, so the intended use became less important. The unfinishedSpasatel is stored in an old industrial complex inNizhny Novgorod as of 2020.[7]
According to press reports in December 2017, the development of theSpasatel might be resumed, for use mainly in Arctic waters, with production beginning as early as 2025.[8] According to Russian media, as of November 2017[update], the project was included in the arms budget for the years 2018 to 2025.[9][needs update]