Canberra class large amphibious ship

The Canberra class is a ship class

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 two Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships being built for 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). Planning to upgrade the navy's amphibious fleet began in 2000, based on Australian experiences leading the International Force for East Timor peacekeeping operation. In 2004, French company Direction des Constructions Navales (DCN) and Spanish company Navantia

Navantia

Navantia, formerly Bazán or IZAR, is a Spanish shipbuilding firm, which offers its services to both military and civil sector. It is the fifth largest shipbuilder in Europe, and the ninth largest in the world with shipyards all over Spain....

were invited to tender proposals, with the companies offering the Mistral class amphibious assault ship and the "Buque de Proyección Estratégica" design (later commissioned as Juan Carlos I) respectively. The Spanish design was selected in 2007, with Navantia responsible for construction of the ships from the keel

Keel

In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...

to the flight deck

Flight deck

The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft is also referred to as the...

, after which the hulls will be transported to Australia for completion by BAE Systems Australia

BAE Systems Australia

BAE Systems Australia, a subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, is the largest defence contractor in Australia. It was formed by the merger of British Aerospace Australia and GEC-Marconi Systems and expanded by the acquisitions of Armor Holdings in 2007 and Tenix Defence in June 2008.-History:BAE Systems'...

.

Construction of the first ship, , commenced in late 2008, and the hull was launched in early 2011. Work on the second vessel, , started in early 2010. The ships are expected to enter service during 2014 and 2015, to replace one of the Kanimbla class

Kanimbla class landing platform amphibious

The Kanimbla class is a class of amphibious transport ships operated by the Royal Australian Navy . Two ships were purchased by Australia in 1994 and modified...

landing platform amphibious ships and the heavy landing ship . At over 27851 tonnes (27,411.1 LT) displacement

Displacement (ship)

A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...

, they will be the largest warships ever operated by the RAN.

Planning and selection

Planning to replace the Kanimbla class

Kanimbla class landing platform amphibious

The Kanimbla class is a class of amphibious transport ships operated by the Royal Australian Navy . Two ships were purchased by Australia in 1994 and modified...

landing platform amphibious ships and , and the heavy landing ship began as early as 2000, with the intention announced in the Defence 2000: Our Future Defence Force white paper

White paper

A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...

. The importance of amphibious warfare had been demonstrated during Australia's leadership of the International Force for East Timor peacekeeping operation, and the difficulty in supporting an expeditionary force to one of Australia's nearest neighbours demonstrated that an improved amphibious sealift capability was needed. In November 2003, the Minister for Defence

Minister for Defence (Australia)

The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...

, Robert Hill

Robert Hill (Australian politician)

Robert Murray Hill is Chancellor of the University of Adelaide and a former Australian politician. He also currently heads the Australian Carbon Trust.-Early life and family:...

, released a Defence Capability Review, which stated that two ships of at least 20000 tonnes (19,684.1 LT) displacement

Displacement (ship)

and capable of launching five to six helicopters simultaneously were being sought. The acquisition was included under the procurement designation Project JP2048: although Phase 1 of JP2048 looked at a new type of landing craft

Landing craft

Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...

for the Kanimbla class (the LCM2000

LCM2000

The LCM2000 was a class of Landing Craft Mechanised built for the Australian Army by Australian Defence Industries . The LCMs were ordered in 2001 and the first craft was originally scheduled to enter service with the Army in 2003...

), Phases 2 and 4 were to identify, then acquire the new amphibious warfare ships, and Phase 3 covered the design and construction of landing craft to operate with the new ships (12 LCM-1E

LCM-1E

The LCM-1E is a class of amphibious mechanized landing craft manufactured by Navantia at their factory in San Fernando. These craft are intended to deliver troops and equipment onshore from amphibious assault ships during amphibious assaults....

ordered 27 September 2011). The ships were to replace one of the Kanimbla class ships and Tobruk; the other Kanimbla class ship is to be replaced by a strategic sealift ship.

In January 2006, the Australian government announced the names for the planned ships: and . After the announcement, suggestions for alternate names were expressed in several venues. The Navy League of Australia proposed that Adelaide should instead be named Australia; using the name of the nation and its capital for the RAN's two most powerful ships, as had been the case with the navy's two World War II-era County class cruiser

County class cruiser

The County class was a class of heavy cruisers built for the British Royal Navy in the years between the First and Second World Wars. They were the first post-war cruiser construction for the Royal Navy and were designed within the limits of the Washington Naval Conference of 1922...

s, while freeing the name up for the League's proposed fourth Hobart class destroyer. Alternately, a member of the Australian Naval Institute opined that the ships should be named Gallipoli and Guadalcanal; the first reflecting the landings at Gallipoli, one of the first amphibious operations of the modern era, the second recognising the amphibious campaign to recapture Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal campaign

The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...

and the efforts of the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

and United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

in aiding Australia during World War II.

Comparative statistics
	DCN	Navantia	Kanimbla
Displacement (t Tonne The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI... )	24,000	27,000	8,500
Range (nmi Nautical mile The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator... )	11,000	9,000	14,000
Personnel	177	240	210
Troops	1,000	1,100	450
Vehicles (m2)	1,000	2,000	700
Helicopters	16	11	4
Landing spots	6	6	2/3
Landing craft	4 LCM Landing Craft Mechanized The Landing Craft Mechanized or Landing Craft Mechanical was a landing craft designed for carrying vehicles. They came to prominence during the Second World War when they were used to land troops or tanks during Allied amphibious assaults....	4 LCM	2 LCM-8 LCM-8 The LCM-8 is a river boat and mechanized landing craft used by the United States Navy and Army during the Vietnam War and subsequent operations. They are currently used by governments and private organizations throughout the world. The acronym stands for "Landing Craft Mechanized, Mark 8...

A Request For Information was sent to two European shipbuilders, French company Direction des Constructions Navales (DCN) and Spanish company Navantia

Navantia

, in February 2004, inviting tenders. American shipbuilders were not included, because amphibious warfare ships of the United States Navy

United States Navy

were too large for Australian requirements, and were either too personnel-intensive, or could not operate the number of helicopters required. DCN responded with an enlarged version of the Mistral class amphibious assault ship; 2000 tonnes (1,968.4 LT) greater displacement

Displacement (ship)

than the 22000 tonnes (21,652.5 LT) vessels active with the French Navy

French Navy

The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...

. A design being built by Navantia for the Spanish Navy

Spanish Navy

The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...

, the "Buque de Proyección Estratégica" (Strategic Projection Ship, later commissioned as Juan Carlos I) was offered by the Spanish, partnering with Australian company Tenix Defence

Tenix Defence

Tenix Defence was Australia's largest defence contractor with core capabilities in Aerospace, Land, Marine and Electronic Systems applications. BAE Systems announced its intention to acquire the company from Tenix in January 2008 and the acquisition was completed in June 2008 for A$775 million...

. Although 4000 tonnes (3,936.8 LT) larger and with an increased troop, vehicle, and helicopter carrying capability compared to the Mistrals, the Spanish ship was still under construction at the time of the offer, and was not due to enter service until the end of 2008. On 20 June 2007, Minister for Defence

Minister for Defence (Australia)

Brendan Nelson

Dr Brendan John Nelson is a former Australian politician and former federal Opposition leader. He served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from the 1996 federal election until 19 October 2009 as the Liberal member for Bradfield, a northern Sydney seat...

announced that A$3 billion contract to build the Canberra class was being awarded to Navantia and Tenix. Although an unproven design, the Spanish offer was closer to the RAN's requested requirements, and there were benefits from ordering the Canberras and the Hobart class air warfare destroyers, under consideration at the same time, from the same company.

Design and capabilities

The Canberra class vessels are 230.8 metres (757.2 ft) long overall, with a maximum beam of 32 metres (105 ft), and a maximum draught of 7.18 metres (23.6 ft). At full load, each ship will displace

Displacement (ship)

27851 tonnes (27,411.1 LT), making them the largest vessels to serve in the RAN. The Canberras have the same physical dimensions as Juan Carlos I, but differ in the design of the island superstructure and the internal layout, in order to meet Australian conditions and requirements. Unlike the Spanish vessel, the Australian ships are built to meet Lloyd's Naval Rules.

Propulsion is provided by two 11-megawatt azimuth thruster

Azimuth thruster

An azimuth thruster is a configuration of ship propellers placed in pods that can be rotated in any horizontal direction, making a rudder unnecessary...

s with onboard electric motors. The electricity is provided by a Combined diesel and gas

Combined diesel and gas

Combined diesel and gas ' is a type of propulsion system for ships which need a maximum speed that is considerably faster than their cruise speed, particularly warships like modern frigates or corvettes....

system, with a single General Electric LM 2500 turbine (producing 17.4 megawatts) supported by two 7.2-megawatt diesels. The vessels will have a maximum speed of 20.5 knots (11.2 m/s), with a range of 8000 nautical miles (14,816 km) at 15 knots (8.2 m/s), or 9250 nautical miles (17,131 km) at 12 knots (6.5 m/s).

Each ship is fitted with a Saab 9LV Mark 4 combat management system. The sensor suite includes a Sea Giraffe 3D surveillance radar

GIRAFFE Radar

The Saab GIRAFFE Radar is a family of land and naval two- or three-dimensional G/H-band radar-based surveillance and air defense command and control systems tailored for operations with medium- and Short Range Air Defense missile or gun systems or for use as gap-fillers in a larger air defense...

, and a Vampir NG infrared search and track system. For self-defence, the LHDs will be fitted with four RAFAEL Typhoon 25 mm remote weapons systems

Typhoon Weapon System

The Typhoon is a type of remote weapon station manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, and it shares similar design principles and common technologies with Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station , a land-based system manufactured by the same developer...

, one in each corner of the flight deck, for protection against asymmetric attacks

Asymmetric warfare

Asymmetric warfare is war between belligerents whose relative military power differs significantly, or whose strategy or tactics differ significantly....

. Defence against aircraft and larger targets is to be provided by escort vessels and air support from the Royal Australian Air Force

Royal Australian Air Force

The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...

. The ships' companies will consist of 243 core personnel, plus up to 36 additional personnel, from all three branches of the Australian Defence Force

Australian Defence Force

The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...

.

The LHDs will transport 978 soldiers and their equipment, with overflow capacity for another 146. They are to be capable deploying a reinforced company of up to 220 soldiers at a time by airlift. As of mid-2010, 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

The 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, was an Australian Army infantry battalion and part of the Royal Australian Regiment. The battalion was formed on 1 February 1964 and was renamed the 2nd Commando Regiment on 19 June 2009....

was being retrained for the commando and amphibious warfare roles. Canberra and Adelaide each have a vehicle capacity of 830 lane metres (equivalent to 3290 square metres (3,934.8 sq yd) of space). Two vehicle decks (one for light vehicles, the other for heavy vehicles and tanks) have areas of 1889 square metres (2,259.2 sq yd) and 1410 square metres (1,686.3 sq yd) respectively. The well deck

Well deck

A well deck or well dock is a hangar-like deck located at the waterline in the stern of some amphibious warfare ships. By taking on water the ship can lower its stern, flooding the well deck and allowing boats and amphibious landing craft to dock within the ship. This facilitates moving cargo...

is capable of launching and recovering landing craft in conditions up to Sea State

Sea state

In oceanography, a sea state is the general condition of the free surface on a large body of water—with respect to wind waves and swell—at a certain location and moment. A sea state is characterized by statistics, including the wave height, period, and power spectrum. The sea state varies with...

The hangar deck is 990 square metres (1,184 sq yd) in area. An air group of between 16 and 24 helicopters can be carried, a mix of MRH-90 transport helicopters and S-70B Seahawk

SH-60 Seahawk

The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant airframe modification is a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships.The...

anti-submarine helicopters. Although too large for the helicopter deck, helicopters as large as the Boeing CH-47 Chinook can be operated from the flight deck

Flight deck

. The ski-jump ramp of Juan Carlos I has been retained for the RAN ships, but despite multiple recommendations that the Canberras could be used for carrier

Aircraft carrier

An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...

-like flight operations (primarily with a flight group of F-35B Lightning II STOVL

STOVL

STOVL is an acronym for short take off and vertical landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...

aircraft), the RAN has indicated so far that the issue is not under consideration.Flight operations can be conducted up to Sea State

Sea state

Construction

Navantia is contracted to construct the hulls from 104 'blocks' or 'modules', which are fabricated individually at Navantia's facilities in Ferrol and Fene

Fene, Galicia

Fene is a municipality in the province of A Coruña, in the autonomous community of Galicia, north-western Spain.- Economy :The Navantia Shipyards and services in the parts which are nearer Ferrol, the rest of the borough devotes itself to farming, agriculture and fishing.In the late 1960s the...

, then combined on the slipway

Slipway

A slipway, boat slip or just a slip, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats. They are also used for launching and retrieving small boats on trailers and flying boats on their undercarriage. The...

at the Ferrol shipyard. The Canberras will be built up to the flight deck, launched, then transported by heavy lift ship

Heavy lift ship

A heavy lift ship is a vessel designed to move very large loads that cannot be handled by normally equipped ships. They are of two types: semi-submerging capable of lifting another ship out of the water and transporting it; and vessels that augment unloading facilities at inadequately equipped...

to Williamstown, Victoria

Williamstown, Victoria

Williamstown is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Williamstown had a population of 12,733....

, where the installation of the island superstructure and the internal fitout of the hull is to be completed by BAE Systems Australia

BAE Systems Australia

(which acquired Tenix in mid-2008).

Construction of Canberra began in September 2008, when the first steel was cut. The first three blocks were laid down on 23 September 2010. The hull was launched on 17 February 2011. Delivery to Williamstown is expected by mid-2012, with the ship predicted to commission into the RAN during 2014.

Work on Adelaide began during February 2010, when the first steel was cut. The first hull blocks were laid down on 18 February 2011. Launch is scheduled for the end of 2012, with delivery to BAE to occur during the first quarter of 2013. Entry into RAN service was originally planned for mid-2015, but as of July 2011, this had been pushed back to sometime in 2016.

External links

Defence Materiel Organisation Amphibious Deployment and Sustainment - JP 2048 Phase 4A/B

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