Canberra-class
Summary
| Origin country | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| Category | Amphibious vessel |
| Subtype | Landing helicopter dock |
| Manufacturer | Navantia, Ferrol, Spain and BAE Systems Australia, Victoria |
| Year commissioned | 2014 |
| Approx. unit cost | $1.55 billion |
| Units | Royal Australian Navy, two in commission. |
| Current operators | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Description
The Canberra-class is a class of two landing helicopter dock (LHD) ships built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Planning for these ships started in 2000, aiming to enhance Australia's amphibious fleet based on peacekeeping operations experiences such as those in East Timor. These ships represent a forward defense capability for landing and supporting troops in the Asian region, a concept never before realized in Australian history, surpassing the capacities of the former Majestic-class carriers, HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Sydney.
In 2004, the construction contract was opened for tenders, drawing proposals from French company DCN with the Mistral-class amphibious assault ship and Spanish company Navantia with their "Buque de Proyección Estratégica" design. The Spanish design was selected in 2007, with Navantia handling ship construction up to the flight deck and BAE Systems Australia in charge of the combat and communication systems. Siemens from Germany provided and fitted the azimuth thrusters.
Construction of the first vessel, HMAS Canberra, began in late 2008, launched in 2011 and commissioned in 2014. The second ship, HMAS Adelaide, started in 2010 and was commissioned in 2015. The Canberra-class are the largest vessels ever operated by the RAN, and they are home-ported at Fleet Base East in Sydney but operate regularly out of Townsville, close to the location of the specialist amphibious infantry battalion, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR).
The ships have a Saab 9LV Mark 4 combat management system and are fitted with various self-defense systems including Typhoon 25 mm remote weapons systems, Nixie towed torpedo decoy, and a missile decoy system, with plans to install Phalanx CIWS. They can house 1,046 soldiers, carry a large number of vehicles and tanks, and operate in littoral waters thanks to their well-deck which can accommodate four LHD Landing Craft and other landing craft.
The Canberra-class have extensive aviation facilities, with a large flight deck capable of operating six helicopters simultaneously and a hangar deck that can accommodate more helicopters. The vessels retain the ski-jump ramp from the Juan Carlos I but are not intended to launch fixed-wing aircraft, though there has been speculation about their ability to operate F-35B Lightning II STOVL aircraft.
Both ships of the class were constructed with blocks fabricated individually and then combined at Navantia's facilities in Spain. They were then shipped to Australia for final assembly and fitting out by BAE Systems. The decommissioning of Kanimbla-class vessels before the Canberra-class entered service prompted interim solutions, including the acquisition of HMAS Choules and ADV Ocean Shield.
The home-porting at Fleet Base East caused some public concern over environmental and aesthetic impacts, leading to investigations into alternative berthing arrangements. Nonetheless, the Canberra-class remains integral to Australia's naval presence and amphibious warfare capabilities, leveraging their design and construction for operational superiority in the region.
Technical specifications
| Canberra | |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 27500 tons |
| Range | 16000 km |
| Crew | 358 members |
| Width | 32.0 m (105.0 ft) |
| Length | 230.82 m (757.3 ft) |
| Air Park | standard, 6 helicopters. Maximum in hangar space, 18 helicopters. |
| Propulsion | integrated electric propulsion |
| Armament | Radars: Giraffe AMB radar and Saab 9LV combat system.; 4 Rafael Typhoon 25 mm remote weapons systems; 6 25mm Bushmaster chain gun; 1 x coaxially mounted M240 7.62mm machine gun.; Nulka decoy system; |
| Maximum speed | 20 knots |