Aug 17, 2020
Ekranoplan, Derbent, Daghestan,
Illicit Photos From Inside The Soviet Ekranoplan by Lana Sator
This is the Lun-class ekranoplan, a formerly top-secret Soviet naval vessel that could skim just above the waves at jet-plane speeds, evading radar and anti-ship mines.
The vehicle was equipped with six launchers along its spine that could fire nuclear missiles powerful enough to destroy an aircraft carrier.
The vehicle made use of the so-called “ground-effect”-- a cushion of high pressure that forms under the wings of extremely low-flying aircraft, boosting speed and lift. Wave-skimming seabirds can often be seen utilizing the same phenomenon.