The shape (and size) of things to come

The timetable for acquisition of the RAN's future amphibious ship fleet is more aggressive than many realise - things are about to start happening fast.
From an industry perspective it was most encouraging to finally see some meaningful details emerge from last November's Defence Capability Review on the RAN's future Amphibious Deployment and Sustainment (ADAS) fleet. We now know that final planning is underway to acquire two large amphibious ships (currently referred to within the RAN as LHDs) of more than 20,000 tonnes displacement, with a strategic sealift ship to round out the major ADAS assets.

It is also likely that the Chief of Navy's comments caught some industry participants unawares, with more than one Australian shipbuilder previously of the opinion that the three amphibious ships earmarked in the 2000 Defence White Paper and original Defence Capability Plan would each displace between 12,000 and 16,000 tonnes at the very most.

For local yards, the step up in ship size is significant, with no shipbuilder in this country currently able to build ships of that size, regardless of type. From what ADM could determine, no local naval shipbuilder has any existing amphibious assault or sealift ship designs on the drawing boards that even approach, let alone exceed the 20,000 tonne mark. It is, therefore, highly likely that local yards seeking to compete for the build phase of these big ships will need to team up with a foreign shipbuilder or designer with these size and type of ships on their product lists to provide the required expertise in this area.

Their design is driven by the base level capability requirement. Essentially, the Army has established that it needs to move by sea and lodge over the shore a force the size of a battalion group. Inherently flexible in its structure and unit mix, this force would range in size from 1000-2000 personnel. The two LHDs working in tandem will need to be capable of carrying, lodging and supporting this force in a single lift - therefore, each must be able to take on board for extended periods at least 1,000 troops, and probably more given that a battalion group can easily swell to 1,200 personnel.

The helicopters embarked on these six landing spot ships will be required to provide ship-to-objective transport for a company group in a single lift. In other words, when the rotary-wing lift capabilities embarked onboard both ships are combined, a ground force of 174-220 personnel will be transportable by helicopter.

Asked specifically what the displacement limit of the new LHDs is likely to be, an informed RAN source told ADM that 30,000 tonnes would be an indicative upper figure, with a nominal displacement range of 24,000-26,000 tonnes given as the likely end point.

The stated strategic sealift ship is intended to bring the follow-on forces and constitute the sustainment effort of the amphibious task group. But the precise capability requirements for this vessel are yet to be determined, and won't be for several years given that entry into service is not slated until 2015-2017. Indeed, the RAN is not even wedded to the concept of having a single large sealift ship. Should modelling and experimentation indicate otherwise, the strategic sealift role could be undertaken by two, three or even four smaller vessels.

Spain: In view of the lift requirements demanded of the two new LHDs, the Strategic Transport Ship under construction by Izar for the Spanish navy would seem to be representative of the size and, more importantly, the capacity of the vessels required. At 231m in length and with a full load displacement of 27,000 tonnes, the Strategic Transport Ship has been designed to accommodate as standard a battalion of 900 troops, in addition to a 100-strong headquarters element, 170 air group personnel and 20 or so naval landing group personnel. In addition to the ship's complement of 243, this gives a total lift capacity of just under 1200 personnel; which is the upper size limit of an Australian Army battalion group with all its attachments and combat support elements (including aviation, armour, artillery, engineers etc).

Essentially an LHD itself, the Strategic Transport Ship can carry this as a standard load at an economic cruise speed of 15 knots for 9,000nm. The ship is capable of taking on 2,150 tonnes of diesel fuel, 800 tonnes of JP-5 aviation fuel, 480 tonnes of fresh potable water and more than 500 tonnes of provisions, general stores, spares and supplies stowed in dedicated storerooms. Sufficient ship's own stores are provided for a ty
The 69x17m docking well can accommodate four landing craft mechanised (LCM) and four rigid hull inflatable boats. Larger conventional landing craft and landing craft air cushion (LCAC) can also be operated from this facility.

The 202m full-length flight deck has been designed to allow simultaneous take-off and landing of six NH-90 helicopters or four CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters. With a beam of 32m, the flight deck has been strengthened to enable operations of heavy helicopters and short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) versions of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. While two elevator lifts sized to accept the V-22 and JSF are standard features, a port side ski jump has only recently been added, and would appear to be an optional extra on the basic design. The dedicated 1,000m2 hangar can accommodate 12 NH-90 helicopters.

Scheduled to enter Spanish service in 2008, the ship is being constructed under a euro360 million (approximately $600 million) contract.

Italy: The Italian navy has an impressive record of commissioning innovative and capable amphibious transport ships, none of which, however, are large enough to meet the RAN's requirements. The closest the Italians come to possessing a ship of the size suggested for the RAN is the new multi-purpose aircraft carrier Andrea Doria, currently under construction by Fincantieri.

At 243m long and 26,500 tonnes full load, the Andrea Doria will replace the Vittorio Veneto in 2007 and operate predominantly fixed-wing combat aircraft (eight AV-8B Harrier II/JSF) and naval helicopters (12 EH-101). In addition to its 486-strong crew, a mixed force of 360 marines plus 210 air group and 145 headquarters personnel can also be carried. Total accommodation is provided for 1200 personnel, with hangar/garage space for up to 100 light general service vehicles, 60 light armoured vehicles or 24 main battle tanks (MBT) or a mix thereof. This capacity may be at the expense of hangar space for embarked helicopters, which make use of the six deck landing spots.

While the Andrea Doria has no docking well, the Italians have considerable experience in the design and construction of LPD/LHDs, and should not be discounted as being unable to bring to the table a ship design suitable for the RAN.

France: To add to its two Foudre-class LPDs, the French navy has two BPC 'force projection and command ships' being built by DCN under a euro530 million (approximately $883 million) contract. Due to enter service in 2005 and 2006 respectively, each of the two 199m vessels (described by the company as LHDs) will displace 21,500 tonnes at full load, with the capacity to carry a 'ty
The combined capabilities of the two BPCs will enable France to amphibiously deploy and provide limited sustainment for a lightly armoured joint force of 1,400 personnel. With a complement of 160, the BPC has a maximum unrefuelled range of 11,000nm (at 15 knots) and an endurance of 45 days.

DCN also markets its BIP multi-purpose ship concept, which is a family of vessels designed for amphibious assault missions. To date, four designs have been proposed ranging in size from 8000 to 19,000 tonnes. It is understood that deck areas, hangar areas and heights and deck strengths can be tailored to customer requirements. So it is assumed (but could not be confirmed) that the BIP concept can be modified upwards and into the 20,000 to 30,000 tonne displacement bracket. Currently though, the largest of the BIP designs can accommodate 550 troops and armoured vehicles up to MBT size/weight and features a full-size docking well. Ship's complement for this variant is 270. Range is 10,000nm and top speed 25 knots.

United States: While there is no doubting the capacity of U.S shipbuilders to produce the world's most capable amphibious assault ships, all those currently in service are significantly too large and manpower intensive to enter into consideration here.

The only known US ship design that appears to broadly meet the RAN's needs is that from shipwright Gibbs & Cox, which confirmed with ADM that its landing ship dock (LSD) design put forward to the RAN two years ago is unchanged. Still very much at the drawing board stage, this 20,000 tonne full load, six-spot ship features a full-length helicopter flight deck and accommodation for 1200 embarked troops (400 permanent and 800 temporary accommodations). Length of the LSD is 210m and range 8000nm at 15 knots.

Northrop Grumman Ship Systems is building no less than 12 San Antonio-class LPDs for the U.S Navy to replace four classes of amphibious ships. At 208m overall in length and 25,300 tonnes full load, these LPDs will each transport 700 troops and 14 of the U.S Marine Corps' new Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicles, as well as two 60 tonne payload capacity LCACs in the docking well. Flight deck hangar space is limited to one V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor or three AH-1W/Z Super Cobra attack helicopters. The flight deck can handle the simultaneous movements of two V-22 Osprey or four CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters. Despite significant efforts to introduce automated and integrated onboard systems, ship's complement is still around 360. The leadship is due to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2005.

Netherlands: The Dutch yard of Royal Schelde has achieved considerable sales success with its modular Enforcer LPD family, but current mature designs are too small for the RAN. The largest of the two LPDs for the Royal Netherlands Navy (Johan de Witt; to be commissioned in 2006) is not quite 17,000 tonnes full load. While the Johan de Witt will be able to accommodate six NH-90s in its above decks hangar, only two landing spots are available. Troop load is 550.

It would appear, however, that the baseline design is sufficiently scaleable to produce LPDs up to and above 20,000 tonnes, as evidenced by the 28,000 tonne design on offer to Belgium to meet a strategic sealift requirement.

United Kingdom: The four new Bay-class amphibious landing ships headed for service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (last ship delivered 2005) also draw heavily on the basic Enforcer design, but are too small for the RAN at 16,000 tonnes full load. Differing from the Dutch ships by way of a longer flight deck (due to not having a helicopter hangar), troop load is 350, with 1200 lane metres of below decks space for 36 Challenger 2 MBTs or 150 general service trucks and 200 tonnes of ammunition.

The Royal Navy's two new Albion-class LPDs are slightly larger at 19,500 tonnes full load, but only have a standard troop lift of 300 troops (700 overload) with around 70 support vehicles and just two helicopter deck spots. Built by BAE Systems, each ship carries four LCMs (or two LCACs) in the docking well and four landing craft vehicle personnel on davits.

BAE Systems is also prime contractor for the UK's 65,000 tonne Future Aircraft Carrier (which may be scaled down to 45,000-50,000 tonnes), and delivered in 1998 (as then Vickers Shipbuilding) the 22,000 tonne, 203m helicopter carrier HMS Ocean.

By Ian Bostock, Sydney