A 380-ton Soviet ekranoplan called the Lun MD-160 was designed to fly just three meters above the Caspian Sea using a special aerodynamic effect known as ground effect. This phenomenon occurs when a large wing flies very close to a flat surface, such as water, creating a cushion of compressed air that increases lift and reduces energy use. The Lun MD-160, which was neither a traditional airplane nor a ship, could reach speeds of up to 500 km/h, making it one of the fastest and most unusual aircraft ever built. It was developed during the Cold War as a military weapon, intended to carry anti-ship missiles capable of targeting NATO naval forces. However, it was never used in combat and was retired after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. The Lun MD-160 was an engineering marvel, measuring 73.8 meters in length and with a wingspan of 44 meters. Its massive size and speed were powered by eight Kuznetsov NK-87 turbojets, each producing 10 tons of thrust. Unlike conventional aircraft, it did not take off in the traditional sense, instead skimming the surface of the water at a low altitude. This made it difficult to detect by radar and gave it the potential to strike quickly and unexpectedly. The aircraft was armed with six P-270 Moskit anti-ship missiles, which were feared for their ability to penetrate the defenses of Western aircraft carriers. This combination of stealth and speed made the Lun a formidable threat on paper, even if it was never actually used in battle. The end of the Lun MD-160's story was not due to technical failure or combat, but rather the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. After the dissolution of the USSR, Russia faced severe economic and political challenges, and funding for large-scale military projects like the Lun disappeared. The strategic need for such a specialized weapon also faded with the end of the Cold War. As a result, the program was abandoned, and the only completed Lun MD-160 was retired in the late 1990s. It was later moved to a military park near Derbent, Russia, where it now stands as a rusted relic of a bygone era. Another ekranoplan project, called Spasatel, was started in 1989 with a different purpose: to serve as a flying hospital for rescuing submarine crews in distress. However, this project was never completed, and the unfinished hull remains in storage today. The Lun MD-160, the only completed example of its kind, now serves as a symbol of the technological ambitions of the Soviet era, which were often constrained by the political and economic realities of the time. Its story reminds us that even the most advanced machines can be at the mercy of larger forces, such as the collapse of empires or the shifting priorities of nations.