Jason-class

Summary

Description

The Jason-class tank landing ship, developed by Greece, stems from a collaboration among Elefsis Shipyards, the National Technical University of Athens, and the Hellenic Navy, which placed an order in 1986. These landing ships serve as the core amphibious warfare vessels for the Hellenic Navy alongside the Zubr-class LCAC. Five ships were laid down between April 1987 and November 1989, with the final three experiencing delays due to the shipyard's financial troubles until its privatization in 1997. An attempt to begin a sixth vessel in 2000 was eventually abandoned.

Designed to transport military personnel and hardware, the Jason-class ships have the capacity for 350 infantrymen, though this can increase to 1,200 troops over short distances. They can also carry up to 22 main battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, howitzers, MLRS launchers, trucks, and other equipment. The ships are a domestic Greek effort to replace aging World War II-era American LSTs, as Greece sought to bolster its own shipbuilding expertise rather than purchasing from abroad. While they superseded older vessels, the Jason-class does not include modern marine fighting vehicles. Nevertheless, Greece procured 76 AAV-7A1 RAMS in 2022, with each ship able to carry 15 AAV-7s and 300 Marines, using both standard and fast variants of Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVPs).

Armament-wise, each ship carries an array of weapons that includes Oto Melara naval gun, Breda guns, and Rheinmetall guns. However, they lack a modern Close-In Weapon System (CIWS). The onboard radar system is a Thomson-CSF TRS-3030 Triton G, complemented by the Vega II command and control system, which utilizes a Pollux TRS3220 radar for fire control.

Technical specifications