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Ekranoplan

Short answer: The Project 903 Lun was a Soviet wing-in-ground-effect craft from Rostislav Alexeyev's design bureau, built as a fast anti-ship missile carrier. Only one, MD-160, was completed.

It was about 73.8 m long with a 44 m wingspan, weighed about 380 tonnes at takeoff, and carried six P-270 Moskit (SS-N-22) anti-ship missiles in pairs on its back. Eight Kuznetsov NK-87 turbofans on forward pylons blew air under the wings for takeoff. Published maximum speeds are about 500 to 550 km/h (about 310 to 340 mph). A CIA assessment quoted by The Aviationist gave about 250 knots. It entered trial service in the late 1980s or 1990, sources vary, and sat unused at Kaspiysk from the late 1990s. On July 31, 2020, it was towed to Derbent, Dagestan, for a planned Patriot Park display.

VideoWrite-up4 sources

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What should you know about Ekranoplan?

Quick facts. Each one stands alone and has a stable ID you can cite.

  1. Only one Lun-class ekranoplan, MD-160, was completed.

    DD-704-F01 · Write-up · Exhibit D (One of a kind)

  2. It carried six P-270 Moskit anti-ship missiles.

    DD-704-F02 · Write-up · Exhibit C (Engines and weapons)

Video transcript: Ekranoplan: Too Low to Be a Plane

DID YOU KNOW? The Lun-class ekranoplan was a Soviet ground-effect vehicle developed during the Cold War, designed to fly just meters above the surface of the sea by exploiting the aerodynamic "ground effect" that boosts lift and reduces drag. Powered by eight turbofan engines mounted on its nose, the Lun could reach speeds of around 300 mph while skimming over water, making it faster than ships and harder to detect by radar.

Burned-in captions, read frame by frame (see transcript.md) · 23.2s Reel ·

Video coming soonEkranoplan · Instagram Reel
Ekranoplan: Too Low to Be a Plane Instagram Reel · · 23.2s

The write-up

Too low to be a plane. The Soviet Lun skimmed meters above the Caspian Sea.

  1. Exhibit A

    Ground effect

    Flying within a fraction of its wingspan of the surface traps a cushion of air under the wing, which raises lift and cuts induced drag. The Lun cruised a few meters above the water.

  2. Exhibit B

    The machine

    MD-160 was about 73.8 m long with a 44 m wingspan and a takeoff mass of about 380 tonnes, crewed by about 10 people (Russian sources).

  3. Exhibit C

    Engines and weapons

    Eight NK-87 turbofans on forward pylons, rated at about 127 kN each, blew air under the wings for takeoff. Six P-270 Moskit anti-ship missiles sat in pairs on top of the fuselage.

  4. Exhibit D

    One of a kind

    Eight were planned. Only MD-160 was completed, and work stopped after the Soviet collapse. It went into trial service and was laid up at Kaspiysk from the late 1990s.

  5. Exhibit E

    To the beach

    On July 31, 2020, tugs towed the non-operational craft 14 hours to Derbent, Dagestan, for display at a planned Patriot Park.

Questions people ask about Ekranoplan

What effect lets an ekranoplan fly so efficiently?

A cushion of air between the wing and the surface.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Ground effect) · The War Zone (2020): The only missile-toting ekranoplan Russia ever built just took its last trip on the Caspian; RIA Novosti (2021): How the fate of the 'Lun' ekranoplan turned out (Russian)

How many Lun-class craft were completed?

Only MD-160.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (One of a kind) · The War Zone (2020): The only missile-toting ekranoplan Russia ever built just took its last trip on the Caspian; RIA Novosti (2021): How the fate of the 'Lun' ekranoplan turned out (Russian); Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Aug 24, 2020): Ekranoplan 'Lun' delivered to Patriot park in Derbent (Russian)

What weapons did it carry?

Six P-270 Moskit missiles.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Engines and weapons) · The War Zone (2020): The only missile-toting ekranoplan Russia ever built just took its last trip on the Caspian; The Aviationist (2020): Incredible shots of Russia's sole completed Lun-class ekranoplan

How many engines did it have?

Eight NK-87 turbofans.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Engines and weapons) · The War Zone (2020): The only missile-toting ekranoplan Russia ever built just took its last trip on the Caspian; The Aviationist (2020): Incredible shots of Russia's sole completed Lun-class ekranoplan

Where was it towed in 2020?

To Derbent, for a planned park display.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (To the beach) · The War Zone (2020): The only missile-toting ekranoplan Russia ever built just took its last trip on the Caspian; Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Aug 24, 2020): Ekranoplan 'Lun' delivered to Patriot park in Derbent (Russian)

Test Your Knowledge

All quizzes →

5 questions, all from this case file. Answers are revealed instantly.

  1. What effect lets an ekranoplan fly so efficiently?

    1. Ground effect
    2. Coriolis effect
    3. Doppler effect
    4. Venturi effect
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Ground effect A cushion of air between the wing and the surface. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Ground effect) · The War Zone (2020): The only missile-toting ekranoplan Russia ever built just took its last trip on the Caspian; RIA Novosti (2021): How the fate of the 'Lun' ekranoplan turned out (Russian)

  2. How many Lun-class craft were completed?

    1. One
    2. Three
    3. Eight
    4. Twenty
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. One Only MD-160. Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (One of a kind) · The War Zone (2020): The only missile-toting ekranoplan Russia ever built just took its last trip on the Caspian; RIA Novosti (2021): How the fate of the 'Lun' ekranoplan turned out (Russian); Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Aug 24, 2020): Ekranoplan 'Lun' delivered to Patriot park in Derbent (Russian)

  3. What weapons did it carry?

    1. Six anti-ship missiles
    2. Torpedoes only
    3. A cannon only
    4. No weapons
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Six anti-ship missiles Six P-270 Moskit missiles. Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Engines and weapons) · The War Zone (2020): The only missile-toting ekranoplan Russia ever built just took its last trip on the Caspian; The Aviationist (2020): Incredible shots of Russia's sole completed Lun-class ekranoplan

  4. How many engines did it have?

    1. Four
    2. Six
    3. Eight
    4. Ten
    Show the answer

    Answer: C. Eight Eight NK-87 turbofans. Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Engines and weapons) · The War Zone (2020): The only missile-toting ekranoplan Russia ever built just took its last trip on the Caspian; The Aviationist (2020): Incredible shots of Russia's sole completed Lun-class ekranoplan

  5. Where was it towed in 2020?

    1. Derbent, Dagestan
    2. Moscow
    3. Sevastopol
    4. Vladivostok
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Derbent, Dagestan To Derbent, for a planned park display. Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (To the beach) · The War Zone (2020): The only missile-toting ekranoplan Russia ever built just took its last trip on the Caspian; Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Aug 24, 2020): Ekranoplan 'Lun' delivered to Patriot park in Derbent (Russian)

Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Ekranoplan." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-704, last updated Mar 4, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/ekranoplan/

Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/ekranoplan/ · Last updated

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