SeaTransport's amphibious transport ship has commenced contractor sea trials ahead of delivery. It is also soon to enter service with the US military.
The 73m stern landing vessel (SLV) was launched in late January in Batam, Indonesia, and has since commenced contractor sea trials in the littoral and archipelagic waters surrounding the shipbuilding precinct.
The SLV will shortly enter a 3-year charter with the US military in support of operational objectives and to inform ongoing expeditionary requirements and concepts of operations.
Despite more than 20 SeaTransport SLVs in use with commercial operators, according to SeaTransport, the US military lease is the first adoption of a true SLV design by any defence force worldwide.
The 73m vessel – christened Matilda 1 – is the latest in the SLV family from SeaTransport, the baseline SLV hullform and subsequent improvements being successfully tank tested some years ago at the Australian Maritime College (AMC) in Launceston, Tasmania.
It features a quad-screw diesel-electric propulsion system and a shipshape bow for true blue water transits. The SLV will hopefully enable US forces to transport larger loads over much longer ranges than is possible with current and emerging Navy bow ramp landing craft, in this case up to 550 tonnes of cargo (actual beaching load) at a deadweight of 1,500 tonnes out to 4,000nm in Sea State 4.
Utilising its 670 square metre cargo deck, representative military vehicle loads for Matilda 1 include 20 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, 18 HIMARS launchers, 16 MTVR 6x6 trucks or a dozen 32-tonne Amphibious Combat Vehicles.
For containers, the cargo deck has 42 ground slots and the stability for double stacking of 84 20ft ISO containers.
The SLV will be operated by a largely civilian crew and is expected to commence early activities in and around northern Australian waters and those of the near region.