Spasatel

Spasatel (Russian: Спасатель "Rescuer", "Lifesaver", Project 9038) is a ground-effect vehicle, originally planned by the Soviet Ministry of Defense.

The vehicle was intended to serve as the missile carrier of the project Lun-class ekranoplan, but was then converted into an ambulance craft.

[1][2][3][4][5][needs update] A military advantage of ground-effect vehicles over ships and submarines was that they did not have draft during operation, and therefore could not be detected by sonar and could not be hit by torpedoes.

[citation needed] Advantages over aircraft include operation at low altitude, which makes radar acquisition difficult, and a larger payload.

After the Soviet nuclear submarine K-278 Komsomolets sank in 1989, killing 42 people, the Spasatel was repurposed to be deployed in the maritime search and rescue mission, and seating for up to 500 passengers was planned.