The Frontier Service of Russian Federal Security Service (FSS) intends to create a production center in Petrozavodsk for manufacturing the ground effect vehicles (GEV), Lenta.ru reports. The entire infrastructure will be created from the ground up. The production and personnel training will be performed at ex-Avangard shipyard. According to the FSS’ estimate, the climate in Petrozavodsk will allow testing the new ships all year round.

The construction of Orion-20 ground effect vehicle is currently underway in Petrozavodsk. Its construction has been started in 2009 in Nizhny Novgorod. This ship is a test one and it is intended for testing of engines, navigational equipment, safety and control systems and service technologies for the GEV.

After the testing of Orion-20, the production of such ships will be started in Petrozavodsk, Nizhny Novgorod and Zhukovsky. The enterprises will be manufacturing Ivolga ground effect vehicle; Russia has an export contract on delivery of six such ships. One Ivolga has been put into operation by Federal Security Service Directorate of Republic of Karelia in November 2011, but the future fate of the project is unclear.

It has been reported in mid-2010 that the production of ground effect vehicles with draught of 50-3000 tons will be revived in Russia. In particular, Russian Ministry of Defense has taken a stand in favor of this decision. It has become known later that the financing of manufacturing of GEVs has not been included in the State program in the area of arms for 2011-2020. At present Ministry of Defense does not take any interest in such vehicles.