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Bay class landing ship dock (auxiliary)
Encyclopedia
The Bay class is a ship class
of four Dock landing ship
s built for the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary
(RFA) during the 2000s. Based on the Dutch-Spanish Royal Schelde Enforcer design and intended as a replacement for the Round Table class logistics ships, two ships each were ordered from Swan Hunter
and BAE Systems Naval Ships
. Construction work started in 2002, but saw major delays and cost overrun
s, particularly at Swan Hunter's shipyard. In mid 2006, Swan Hunter was stripped of work, and the incomplete second ship was towed to BAE's shipyard for completion. All four ships, , , , and had entered service by 2007.
Since entering service, the Bay class ships have been used for amphibious operations, training of the Iraqi Navy
in the Persian Gulf, counter-drug deployments in the Caribbean, and relief operations following the 2010 Haiti earthquake
. In 2010, was removed from service as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review
. Largs Bay was purchased by the Royal Australian Navy
(RAN) in early 2011, and is predicted to enter service as HMAS Choules by the end of the year.
for two ships under a budget of 150 million pounds, with the option to acquire three more. Three shipyards responded, but only Swan Hunter
's design met all the tender requirements. Their offer was based on the Royal Schelde Enforcer design; a joint project between the Dutch and Spanish resulting in the Rotterdam class and Galicia class
amphibious warfare ships. The main difference with the British ships is the lack of a helicopter hangar. A desire to help support British shipbuilding propted the order to increase from two to four vessels, with BAE Systems Naval Ships
, one of the other tenderers, brought in to build the other two ships. The ships were originally designated "Auxiliary Landing Ship Logistics" or ALSL, but this was changed in 2002 to "Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary)" or LSD(A), better reflecting their operational role and bringing them into line with the NATO designation for the Royal Schelde vessels.
The Bay class ships have a full load displacement of 16160 tonnes (15,904.7 LT). Each is 579.4 feet (176.6 m) long, with a beam of 86.6 feet (26.4 m), and a draught of 19 feet (5.8 m). Propulsion power is provided by two Wärtsilä
8L26 generators, providing 6000 hp, and two Wärtsilä 12V26 generators, providing 9000 hp. These are used to drive two steerable propulson pods, with a bow thruster supplementing. Maximum speed is 18 knots (9.8 m/s), and the Bay class ships can achieve a range of 8000 nautical miles (14,816 km) at 15 knots (8.2 m/s). The ships were designed with an armament of two Mark 44 miniguns
, six 7.62mm L7 GPMG
s, a Phalanx CIWS
, and a 30 mm DS30B cannon: the ships were designed to be fitted for but not with, and not all weapons are fitted to all ships. The standard ship's company consists of 60 to 67 officers and sailors, berthed in individual cabins. The design is certified as a Class 1 Passenger Ship, with design similarities to ro-pax ferries.
As a sealift
ship, each Bay class vessel is capable of carrying up to 24 Challenger 2 tanks or 150 light trucks in 1,150 linear metres of space, with stern- and side-ramp access to the vehicle deck. The cargo capacity is equivalent of 200 tons of ammunition, or 24 Twenty-foot equivalent unit
containers. During normal conditions, a Bay class ship can carry 356 soldiers, but this can be almost doubled to 700 in overload conditions. The twin-spot flight deck is capable of handling helicopters up to the size of Chinooks, as well as Merlin helicopters and Osprey tiltrotor
aircraft. There is no hangar for long-term embarkation of a helicopter, although a temporary shelter can be fitted to house a Merlin or smaller helicopter. The well dock can carry one LCU Mark 10 or two LCVPs, and two Mexeflote
s can be suspended from the ship's flanks. Two 30-ton cranes are fitted between the superstructure and the flight deck. Internal passages are wide enough to allow two fully kitted marines
to pass each other.
's shipyard at Wallsend
, Tyne and Wear
, on 18 December 2000, while and were ordered from BAE's Govan
, Scotland yard on 19 November 2001. Construction stated at Swan Hunter with Largs Bay on 28 January 2002, and at BAE with Mounts Bay on 25 August 2002. Mounts Bay was the first to enter service, on 13 July 2006.
The Bay class construction project saw major delays and cost overruns, particularly in the Swan Hunter half of the project: Largs Bay was handed over to the RFA in April 2006, and entered RFA service in November, a year behind schedule. Shortly after Largs Bay was handed over, Swan Hunter was stripped from the project, with BAE taking full responsibility for the class on 13 June 2006. The incomplete Lyme Bay was towed to BAE's shipyard in Govan. The ship was the last to be built on the River Tyne
, and the only warship built by Swan Hunter but not completed. BAE completed construction, and Lyme Bay was dedicated on 26 November 2007; the last ship of the class to enter RFA service.
In mid-April 2007, Cardigan Bay sailed for "Operation Orion 07", a four-month deployment to the Mediterranean.
In late November 2007, Largs Bay was deployed to the Caribbean for counter-drug operations. During the deployment, the ship made visited ports across the Caribbean islands and the United States mainland, and intercepted a 575 kilograms (1,267.7 lb) cocaine shipment.
From 2008 until the end of 2010, Cardigan Bay was used to accommodate and train personnel of the Iraqi Navy
under the tutelage of Royal Navy and United States Navy personnel. During this time, the ship operated almost exculsively in the Persian Gulf.
In late 2008, it was reported that Largs Bay was to replace for duties in the Falkland Islands
. Northumberland was to have left for the Islands in December 2008, but was instead sent for pirate patrol off Somalia
.
On 3 February 2010, Largs Bay headed off to Haiti
with a load of aid supplies, for 2010 Haiti earthquake
relief efforts. On 18 February 2010, she arrived at Port-au-Prince
and commenced unloading of the supplies. On 30 March 2010, she returned home.
In December 2010, it was announced that a Bay class vessel, later identified as Largs Bay, would be decommissioned in April 2011 as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review
. On 17 March 2011, the Australian Department of Defence
announced that the RAN would be bidding for Largs Bay; this was followed on 6 April by news that a £65 million (A$100 million) bid had been successful. The ship is predicted to enter RAN service at the end of 2011, after modifications to fit a helicopter hangar and make her capable of operating in tropical conditions. In Australian service, she will be commissioned as HMAS Choules.
In June 2011, Cardigan Bay headed to Yemen
to aid with the potential evacuation of British citizens affected by the ongoing unrest in Yemen
.
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
of four Dock landing ship
Dock landing ship
A Dock landing ship or Landing ship is a form of amphibious warship designed to support amphibious operations. These amphibious assault ships transport and launch amphibious craft and vehicles with their crews and embarked personnel...
s built for the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
(RFA) during the 2000s. Based on the Dutch-Spanish Royal Schelde Enforcer design and intended as a replacement for the Round Table class logistics ships, two ships each were ordered from Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter, formerly known as "Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson", was one of the best known shipbuilding companies in the world. Based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania which...
and BAE Systems Naval Ships
BAE Systems Naval Ships
BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions was a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems, based at two shipyards on the River Clyde in Glasgow and BAE Systems' Filton offices...
. Construction work started in 2002, but saw major delays and cost overrun
Cost overrun
A cost overrun, also known as a cost increase or budget overrun, is an unexpected cost incurred in excess of a budgeted amount due to an under-estimation of the actual cost during budgeting...
s, particularly at Swan Hunter's shipyard. In mid 2006, Swan Hunter was stripped of work, and the incomplete second ship was towed to BAE's shipyard for completion. All four ships, , , , and had entered service by 2007.
Since entering service, the Bay class ships have been used for amphibious operations, training of the Iraqi Navy
Iraqi Navy
The Iraqi Navy is one of the components of the military of Iraq currently being reconstructed by UK-US Coalition forces in Iraq. Its primary responsibilities are the protection of Iraq's coastline and offshore assets...
in the Persian Gulf, counter-drug deployments in the Caribbean, and relief operations following the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
. In 2010, was removed from service as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review
Strategic Defence and Security Review
The Strategic Defence and Security Review was announced by the newly formed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government of the United Kingdom in May 2010, and published on 19 October 2010...
. Largs Bay was purchased by the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
(RAN) in early 2011, and is predicted to enter service as HMAS Choules by the end of the year.
Design
The Bay class was designed as a replacement for the Round Table class logistics ships operated by the RFA. Planning for the class began in the 1990s, after the original intent to modernise and extend the service life of three Round Tables ran into problems with extensive corrosion and problems implementing new safety standards. After the first Round Table returned to service two years late and after excessive cost, the Ministry of Defence began to investigate the acquisition of new ships. In 2000, the MoD released a request for tenderRequest for tender
A request for tender, commonly abbreviated to RFT, is a formal, structured invitation to suppliers for the supply of products or services. In the public sector, such a process may be required and determined in detail by law to ensure that such competition for the use of public money is open, fair...
for two ships under a budget of 150 million pounds, with the option to acquire three more. Three shipyards responded, but only Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter, formerly known as "Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson", was one of the best known shipbuilding companies in the world. Based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania which...
's design met all the tender requirements. Their offer was based on the Royal Schelde Enforcer design; a joint project between the Dutch and Spanish resulting in the Rotterdam class and Galicia class
Galicia class landing platform dock
The Galicia class is a class of two 13,900 t landing platform dock ships, belonging to the Spanish Navy. Built in Ferrol, their mission is to carry amphibious warfare by transporting the bulk of the Infantería de Marina....
amphibious warfare ships. The main difference with the British ships is the lack of a helicopter hangar. A desire to help support British shipbuilding propted the order to increase from two to four vessels, with BAE Systems Naval Ships
BAE Systems Naval Ships
BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions was a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems, based at two shipyards on the River Clyde in Glasgow and BAE Systems' Filton offices...
, one of the other tenderers, brought in to build the other two ships. The ships were originally designated "Auxiliary Landing Ship Logistics" or ALSL, but this was changed in 2002 to "Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary)" or LSD(A), better reflecting their operational role and bringing them into line with the NATO designation for the Royal Schelde vessels.
The Bay class ships have a full load displacement of 16160 tonnes (15,904.7 LT). Each is 579.4 feet (176.6 m) long, with a beam of 86.6 feet (26.4 m), and a draught of 19 feet (5.8 m). Propulsion power is provided by two Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä is a Finnish corporation which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include large combustion engines...
8L26 generators, providing 6000 hp, and two Wärtsilä 12V26 generators, providing 9000 hp. These are used to drive two steerable propulson pods, with a bow thruster supplementing. Maximum speed is 18 knots (9.8 m/s), and the Bay class ships can achieve a range of 8000 nautical miles (14,816 km) at 15 knots (8.2 m/s). The ships were designed with an armament of two Mark 44 miniguns
M242 Bushmaster
The M242 Bushmaster is a 25 mm chain-fed autocannon. It is used extensively by the US armed forces, as well as by NATO's and some other nations' forces in ground combat vehicles and watercraft...
, six 7.62mm L7 GPMG
FN MAG
The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...
s, a Phalanx CIWS
Phalanx CIWS
The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
, and a 30 mm DS30B cannon: the ships were designed to be fitted for but not with, and not all weapons are fitted to all ships. The standard ship's company consists of 60 to 67 officers and sailors, berthed in individual cabins. The design is certified as a Class 1 Passenger Ship, with design similarities to ro-pax ferries.
As a sealift
Sealift
Sealift is a term used predominantly in military logistics and refers to the use of cargo ships for the deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, vehicles, military personnel, and supplies...
ship, each Bay class vessel is capable of carrying up to 24 Challenger 2 tanks or 150 light trucks in 1,150 linear metres of space, with stern- and side-ramp access to the vehicle deck. The cargo capacity is equivalent of 200 tons of ammunition, or 24 Twenty-foot equivalent unit
Twenty-foot equivalent unit
The twenty-foot equivalent unit is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals...
containers. During normal conditions, a Bay class ship can carry 356 soldiers, but this can be almost doubled to 700 in overload conditions. The twin-spot flight deck is capable of handling helicopters up to the size of Chinooks, as well as Merlin helicopters and Osprey tiltrotor
Tiltrotor
A tiltrotor is an aircraft which uses a pair or more of powered rotors mounted on rotating shafts or nacelles at the end of a fixed wing for lift and propulsion, and combines the vertical lift capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a conventional fixed-wing aircraft...
aircraft. There is no hangar for long-term embarkation of a helicopter, although a temporary shelter can be fitted to house a Merlin or smaller helicopter. The well dock can carry one LCU Mark 10 or two LCVPs, and two Mexeflote
Mexeflote
The Mexeflote is a landing raft used by the British Royal Logistic Corps to move goods and vehicles between ship and shore. It was first used by British military in the 1960s, and remains in use at present...
s can be suspended from the ship's flanks. Two 30-ton cranes are fitted between the superstructure and the flight deck. Internal passages are wide enough to allow two fully kitted marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
to pass each other.
Construction
and were ordered from Swan HunterSwan Hunter
Swan Hunter, formerly known as "Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson", was one of the best known shipbuilding companies in the world. Based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania which...
's shipyard at Wallsend
Wallsend
Wallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...
, Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
, on 18 December 2000, while and were ordered from BAE's Govan
Govan
Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
, Scotland yard on 19 November 2001. Construction stated at Swan Hunter with Largs Bay on 28 January 2002, and at BAE with Mounts Bay on 25 August 2002. Mounts Bay was the first to enter service, on 13 July 2006.
The Bay class construction project saw major delays and cost overruns, particularly in the Swan Hunter half of the project: Largs Bay was handed over to the RFA in April 2006, and entered RFA service in November, a year behind schedule. Shortly after Largs Bay was handed over, Swan Hunter was stripped from the project, with BAE taking full responsibility for the class on 13 June 2006. The incomplete Lyme Bay was towed to BAE's shipyard in Govan. The ship was the last to be built on the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
, and the only warship built by Swan Hunter but not completed. BAE completed construction, and Lyme Bay was dedicated on 26 November 2007; the last ship of the class to enter RFA service.
Operational history
Mounts Bay was involved in the Vela Deployment in 2006. This was the first involvement of a Bay-class vessel in a Royal Navy Amphibious Task Group operation.In mid-April 2007, Cardigan Bay sailed for "Operation Orion 07", a four-month deployment to the Mediterranean.
In late November 2007, Largs Bay was deployed to the Caribbean for counter-drug operations. During the deployment, the ship made visited ports across the Caribbean islands and the United States mainland, and intercepted a 575 kilograms (1,267.7 lb) cocaine shipment.
From 2008 until the end of 2010, Cardigan Bay was used to accommodate and train personnel of the Iraqi Navy
Iraqi Navy
The Iraqi Navy is one of the components of the military of Iraq currently being reconstructed by UK-US Coalition forces in Iraq. Its primary responsibilities are the protection of Iraq's coastline and offshore assets...
under the tutelage of Royal Navy and United States Navy personnel. During this time, the ship operated almost exculsively in the Persian Gulf.
In late 2008, it was reported that Largs Bay was to replace for duties in the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
. Northumberland was to have left for the Islands in December 2008, but was instead sent for pirate patrol off Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
On 3 February 2010, Largs Bay headed off to Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
with a load of aid supplies, for 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
relief efforts. On 18 February 2010, she arrived at Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
and commenced unloading of the supplies. On 30 March 2010, she returned home.
In December 2010, it was announced that a Bay class vessel, later identified as Largs Bay, would be decommissioned in April 2011 as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review
Strategic Defence and Security Review
The Strategic Defence and Security Review was announced by the newly formed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government of the United Kingdom in May 2010, and published on 19 October 2010...
. On 17 March 2011, the Australian Department of Defence
Department of Defence (Australia)
The Australian Department of Defence is a Federal Government Department. It forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation along with the Australian Defence Force . The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests...
announced that the RAN would be bidding for Largs Bay; this was followed on 6 April by news that a £65 million (A$100 million) bid had been successful. The ship is predicted to enter RAN service at the end of 2011, after modifications to fit a helicopter hangar and make her capable of operating in tropical conditions. In Australian service, she will be commissioned as HMAS Choules.
In June 2011, Cardigan Bay headed to Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
to aid with the potential evacuation of British citizens affected by the ongoing unrest in Yemen
2011 Yemeni uprising
The 2011 Yemen Uprising followed the initial stages of the Tunisian Revolution and occurred simultaneously with the Egyptian Revolution and other mass protests in the Middle East in early 2011. In its early phase, protests in Yemen were initially against unemployment, economic conditions and...
.
Ships
| Name | Laid down | Launched | In service | Out of service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMAS Choules |
28 January 2002 | 18 July 2003 | 28 November 2006 (RFA) December 2011 (RAN) |
April 2011 (RFA) | Sold to RAN in April 2011 |
| 22 November 2000 | 3 September 2005 | 26 November 2007 | - | Active as of 2011 | |
| 25 August 2002 | 9 April 2004 | 13 July 2006 | - | Active as of 2011 | |
| 13 October 2003 | 8-9 April 2005 | 18 December 2006 | - | Active as of 2011 |
See also
- List of amphibious assault ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
- Royal Navy in the 21st CenturyRoyal Navy in the 21st centuryAt the beginning of the 1990s, the Royal Navy was a force designed for the Cold War - with its three small aircraft carriers and a force of anti-submarine frigates and destroyers, its main purpose was to search for and destroy Soviet submarines in the North Atlantic...
External links
- Satellite images of coordinates 55.866729°N 4.323025°W show a Bay-class module being constructed at BAE Systems Naval Ships, Govan
- Satellite images of coordinates 55.88139°N 4.368217°W show a Bay-class ship being fitted out at BAE Systems Naval Ships, Scotstoun