BK-16 is a high-speed, multi-purpose amphibious landing craft developed by Russian firearms manufacturer Kalashnikov Concern for the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.
The landing craft is intended for a variety of missions such as coastal area patrol, personnel transportation, coastal landing operations, fire support, counter-piracy, counter-terrorism, medical evacuation, assistance to vessels in distress and other special operations.
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A model of the BK-16 was exhibited at the Army 2015 International Military-Technical Forum held in Russia in June 2015.
Furthermore, the landing craft’s ability to launch and retrieve an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was demonstrated during the International Maritime Defence Show (IMDS 2015) held in St Petersburg, Russia, in July 2015.
BK-16 multi-purpose landing craft design and features
The hull and superstructures of the landing craft are made from AMg alloys. The vessel has a length of 16.45m, width of 4m, draft of 0.87m and height of 4.33m from the waterline. It has a crew of two members and can accommodate up to 19 personnel.
The vessel is operated and controlled from a bridge located on the upper deck. The bridge features large windows with wipers to provide operators with 360° views. The crew enter/exit the bridge through the rear door while two hatches are provided for emergency exit.
The front section of the upper deck facilitates launch and recovery of light reconnaissance UAVs, such as the ZALA 421-16EM developed by Kalashnikov Concern’s subsidiary ZALA Aero Group. The UAV provides increased situational awareness and the ability to engage targets effectively over land and sea.
The passenger compartment in the lower deck seats up to 18 members and is equipped with two windows on both sides. The engine room located at the aft of the lower deck is accessed from the upper deck through two hatches.
Armament of BK-16 landing craft
The BK-16 boat can be equipped with Modul Boyevoy Distantsionno Upravlyaemiy (MBDU) remote weapon station (RWS), which is manufactured by Kalashnikov Concern.
Gun carriage options for the MBDU weapon station include a 7.62mm machine gun, a 12.7mm machine gun, AG-17 30mm automatic grenade launchers and 40mm grenade launchers.
The boat can also be armed with Kornet anti-tank guided missile system and mine countermeasures.
Fire control
The MBDU remote weapon station features a two-axis, gyro-stabilised sighting device equipped with surveillance cameras that have a wide and narrow field of view (FOV), automatic target tracking system and laser rangefinder.
The MBDU module is also fitted with filters for image enhancement and can acquire targets over a distance of 2.5km and memorise up to ten static targets. It has a horizontal travel angle of 360°, vertical travel angle between -20° and 70°, and angular velocity of rotation of 60° a second.
The weapon station offers armoured protection against 7.62x54mm armour-piercing bullets from the SVD sniper rifle/PKM machine gun up to Level III STANAG 4569 standard.
Sensors on board BK-16 landing craft
The landing craft is equipped with navigation and communications systems, a loudspeaker, searchlights, antenna mast and radars for improved surveillance and target acquisition.
Propulsion and performance
Powered by two 780hp engines, the landing craft has a maximum speed of 42k and an economical speed of 30k. It can cruise over a distance of 400 miles and endure for up to 24 hours.
