APRIL - MAY 2013
FACT SHEET
All four blocks lifted onto the LHD01 hull at the BAE Systems Williamstown Dockyard.
CONSTRUCTION OF
LHD HULLS
The Capability: Acquisition and Construction
The largest ships ever built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Landing
Helicopter Dock (LHD) Amphibious Assault Ships are being built by contractors
BAE Systems and Navantia.
The LHDs will provide the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with one of the most
capable and sophisticated air–land-sea amphibious deployment systems in the
world.
Each ship is divided into 112 modules, which are built and fitted out as discrete
units and then consolidated together to form the completed ship. This allows
work on the ship to be completed at a number of different locations prior to
assembly. There are 105 modules that make up the hull and seven modules that
make up the superstructure.
The construction of the hull to the level of the flight deck and the majority of
fitting out is being undertaken at Navantia’s shipyard in Ferrol, Spain. The
work undertaken at the BAE Systems shipyard in Williamstown, Victoria,
includes consolidation of the superstructure and installation of the Combat and
Communication Systems.
Roles
Features
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Six helicopter operating spots
Aircraft hangar
Vehicle garaging
Well dock
Accommodation for 1403 personnel
Hospital with two operating rooms
Dental facility
Maximum speed in excess of 20kn with a range of 6000nm.
Sustained maximum speed 19kn under full-load conditions.
Economic cruising speed 15kn with a range of 9000nm.
Reversing speed up to 8kn with full directional control.
Dimensions
Length: 230m
Beam: 32m
Draft:
7m (transit) 10m (docked down)
These vessels will contribute directly to the defence of Australia and its
national interests, and also allow the ADF to provide large-scale humanitarian
assistance, at home or in our region.
Displacement:
27,800t (unloaded and not docked down)
The LHDs can embark, transport and deploy military forces along with their
equipment and supporting aviation assets.
Flight Deck height: 27.5m
DEFENCE MATERIEL ORGANISATION | www.defence.gov.au/dmo
Beam Waterline: 29.5m
Command and Control
Flight Deck
Light Vehicle Deck
Hangar
Hospital
Heavy Vehicle Deck
Specifications/Design
Watercraft
Welldock
Boats
The ships have a conventional steel mono hull
design with the superstructure located on the starboard
side of the flight deck. They are designed with the shallowest possible
draft to operate in secondary ports and harbours as well as manoeuvre in
the shallow waters common in the littoral regions.
Propulsion
Pods
There are four main decks; heavy vehicle, accommodation, hangar and light vehicles and flight decks:
Well dock and heavy vehicle deck
Hangar and light vehicle
• Well dock – 69.3m long and 16.8m
wide (1165m2).
• Located between flight deck and accommodation deck.
• Heavy vehicle deck – 1410m .
• Light vehicle deck – 1880m2.
• Access to well dock is provided via
a stern/ramp door for landing craft
and vehicles.
• Hangar can accommodate eight medium sized aircraft
and 18 if hangar and light vehicle deck are used.
2
• Two lateral ramp doors are located
on the starboard side and provide
wharf access to vehicles.
The hull of the RAN’s
second LHD, NUSHIP
Adelaide during its
official launch and
naming in July 2012
in Spain. The hull was
launched four and a
half months ahead
of schedule.
• Hangar – 990m2.
• Two aircraft elevators service the hangar and light
vehicle deck.
• Cargo lift provides transfers between heavy and light
vehicle decks.
• Vehicular access between heavy
and light vehicle decks is achieved
via a fixed ramp on port side.
• 110 vehicles (depending on size) can be loaded across
two vehicle decks.
Main accommodation deck,
including the Primary Casualty
Reception Facility
• 202.3m long and 32m wide (4750m2)
• Located above the well dock
includes crew accommodation,
mess decks, medical spaces,
galley facilities, office spaces and
recreation rooms.
• Accommodation for 1403 personnel
(approximately 400 ship’s company
and 1000 embarked personnel).
Flight deck
• Allows ship to operate ADF rotary wing aircraft
such as:
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
MRH-90 helicopter.
CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
Black Hawk helicopter.
S-70B-2 Seahawk.
ARH Tiger.
MH—60R Seahawk ‘Romeo’.
Configured to allow for simultaneous take off and
landing operations.
Purpose build water craft will enable transport of troops and equipment from the LHD’s to shore, including where there are no
fixed port facilities.
The ships will be equipped with modern Command and Control and combat systems including air and surface radar, advanced
communications capability and surveillance systems.
The ships will also be fitted with defensive systems and weaponry including an anti-torpedo towed system and gunnery.
Delivery Schedule
The first LHD was named Canberra in an official naval ceremony on 15 February 2013. NUSHIP Canberra is due to be delivered in
February 2014 with the second ship, NUSHIP Adelaide, due to be delivered in August 2015.
Further Information
Images and more information on the LHDs is available at www.defence.gov.au/dmo/adas/jp2048ph4/index.cfm