Dyugon

Dyugon, Russian Project 21820, is a high-speed landing craft class in Russian Navy service. The class is built around an air-cavity hull concept rather than the slow displacement profile of older utility landing craft. Naval Technology describes Project 21820 as a high-speed landing craft, while RussianShips identifies the Dyugon project as a dedicated landing-craft type. Its mission is tactical sealift from ship or base to an unimproved shore, delivering armored vehicles and marines where port infrastructure is unavailable.

The design's value comes from combining payload and speed. Open sources list around 280 tonnes displacement, a crew of seven, about 35 knots speed, and cargo capacity around 140 tonnes. Typical loads can include main battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, or marines with vehicles. That payload profile makes Dyugon more capable than small assault boats while remaining much smaller and more numerous than large landing ships. The air-cavity hull reduces drag to support rapid littoral movement.

Operationally, Dyugon belongs in the lower tactical layer of amphibious operations. It cannot replace large landing ships for strategic transport, but it can shuttle tanks, APCs, and troops across littoral distances and land them directly on suitable beaches. That makes it relevant for Baltic, Pacific, Caspian, or Black Sea scenarios where short-range amphibious movement and coastal reinforcement are useful. Its limitations are also clear: small craft need local sea control, air cover, and secure staging to survive near a contested shore.