Ukraine launched on 14 September the first local designed fast military assault craft on order for the Ukrainian Navy.

The first Centaur fast military assault craft was launched at the PJSC Kuznya on Rybalsky shipyard in Kyiv. The new Ukrainian-made vessel can function as a fast assault and coastal defense boat, a patrol boat or as special operations support vessel.

The new assault craft is developed by the State Research and Design Shipbuilding Center ( design bureau specializing in shipbuilding and located in Mykolaiv) and designed for fast and secret delivery of marines or special forces, fire-support of land flank under engagement in littoral and inland waters (estuaries, rivers and water-storage basins) at the range from safe port up to 100 miles.

According to the Defense Express, the Centaur can accommodate a full platoon-size unit, which is 32 Marines furnished with a full complement of small arms.

Centaur is armed with an integrated machine-gun and grenade launcher module. To suppress enemy resistance during Marine landing operations the boat would be additionally equipped with a Multiple Launch Rocket (MLR) weapon. This mobile MLR system could be assembled from COTS components chambered for the air-launched S-8 unguided rocket, which is also suitable for launch from helicopters like Mi-8, Mi-17, Mi-24 and Ka-29. There is also a system allowing fire to be conducted in single, two round or three round burst modes.