Australia's Canberra class LHDs/assault carriers

[CougarKing]

Looks like the Royal Australian Navy's future assault carrier HMAS Canberra is ready for launch in Spain:

link

"Canberra" Australia's New LHD Ship to be Launched February 17 in Galicia       
Monday, 14 February 2011 

The first of the 2 Australian Navy's all purpose LHD ships, "Canberra" will be launched by next Thursday at Navantia's shipyards in El Ferrol, Galicia 2 months ahead of schedule. The keel for the second vessel " Adelaide" will be laid the following day.For details of this 27.000 ton all purpose vessel take a look at the RAN's web page " Future Vessels for the Australian Navy".
official RAN link

There you will see not only 3 dimensional views of this "state of the seas" multi- purpose vessel based on the Spanish design and vessel currently in operation " Juan Carlos 1" . The LHD not only serves as transport ship, but also provides landing facilities and air support,and has both military and disaster support and humanitarian support capabilities.

On the same page also you can catch a glimpse of the other new vessels such as the 5 AWD destroyers being built for the RAN based on the Spanish Navy's F100 design. Navantia is also playing a key role in this contract

Spain's Navantia has become the key supplier of RAN in both design and supply of the future fleet of the Australian Navy.

Re the launching event see the attached article in the Spanish Galician Press

La Voz de Galicia

Plus an artist's impression of the completed ships, side by side:

 

[RDBZ]

An update on the first of two LHD s for the RAN.

http://www.news.com.au/technology/exclusive-report-inside-hmas-canberra/story-e6frfro0-1226639639652

 

[CombatDoc]

Thanks for the link.  The two LHDs should provide the Aussies with excellent capabilities for a variety of operations spanning the spectrum of conflict, from humanitarian ops to warfighting.  I especially liked the medical facilities on board. 

Of note, the plankholder CO of this ship is a (?former) Canadian:  "The first Commanding Officer of HMAS Canberra is Captain Jonathan Sadleir. The former Canadian officer has 27 years experience including 12 in the Canadian Navy. His last command job was driving the 3600-tonne Anzac frigate HMAS Parramatta."

 

[Halifax Tar]

Just finished the video and wow that ship looks pretty comfy and has a tone of capability!  I only wish the GOC could get something like that for the RCN

 

[mad dog 2020]

Too bad Canada didn't have one of these for Haiti. Or any other disaster, Sandy, Katrina Japan. We could add to our already excellent humanitarian rep.  Even for the last big storm in Newfoundland.
One for each coast.
Sorry, I was dreaming!

 

[yoman]

Too bad Canada didn't have one of these for Haiti. Or any other disaster, Sandy, Katrina Japan. We could add to our already excellent humanitarian rep.  Even for the last big storm in Newfoundland.
One for each coast.
Sorry, I was dreaming!

Dreams are allowed. Hope is not... 

 

[dimsum]

Of note, the plankholder CO of this ship is a (?former) Canadian:  "The first Commanding Officer of HMAS Canberra is Captain Jonathan Sadleir. The former Canadian officer has 27 years experience including 12 in the Canadian Navy. His last command job was driving the 3600-tonne Anzac frigate HMAS Parramatta."

The ADF has all sorts of former Canadians in it.  As an example, on my last tour with the RAAF, the Air Component Commander (4-ringer) was a former Canadian Aurora pilot, the 3-ringer RAN Medical officer was a former Canadian MARS officer, and my detachment XO was a former Canadian Aurora TacNav.  The in-joke at my unit is that actual born-and-raised Aussies are the minority in the ADF.

 

[CougarKing]

An update on Adelaide, the 2nd of the Canberra class LHDs being built.

From DEFENSE INDUSTRY DAILY:

LHD02 Adelaide arrives in Australia, as LHD01 Canberra preps for sea trials

Feb 7/14: LHD02 arrives. The heavy-lift ship MV Blue Marlin is back in Australia with another LHD hull, after a 10,000 nmi journey that took 8 weeks.

LHD02 Adelaide arrives in Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne, and will be taken to the Patrick Webb Dock for removal of the sea fastenings and unloading. A tugboat with take her to the Williamstown dockyard in the suburbs for superstructure and fit-out work, and the hull is expected to be there within a week.

Things will be busy in Williamstown. LHD01 Canberra arrived back on Oct 17/12, and sea trials will begin within a few weeks. Sources: Australia DoD, “Landing Helicopter Dock Ship arrives in Melbourne” | Australia Defence, “Second LHD dock arrives in Australia”.

 

[Edward Campbell]

A photo posted, today, by VAdm Ray Griggs, Chief of Navy in Australia:

NUSHIP CANBERRA in Port Phillip Bay today on her initial sea trials. Great day for it!
Source: Twitter

 

[Colin Parkinson]

drool, drool.......Imagine what we could do with one of these, 2 Berlin class, plus our C-17 and C130J's. Now if we just had new helicopters to go on the ships....

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

drool, drool.......Imagine what we could do with one of these, 2 Berlin class, plus our C-17 and C130J's. Now if we just had new helicopters to go on the ships....

We do: They are called Chinooks. This is an assault ship after all.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

True I forgot about that....

 

[Edward Campbell]

drool, drool.......Imagine what we could do with one of these, 2 Berlin class, plus our C-17 and C130J's. Now if we just had new helicopters to go on the ships....

It would take the political equivalent of "the end of days" for any Canadian Government, Conservative or Liberal or < shudder > NDP to grow up and make sensible defence procurement policy decisions, which would involve either:

    1. Spending many, many, many of billions more than planned to develop and maintain a real, coherent, stable Canadian shipbuilding strategy; or

    2. Save money and grow capability and buy, mostly offshore, two LPHs/LPDs (whatever ships like Canberra are) and three AORs and 4-6 destroyers (6,000± tons) and 6-8 frigates (4,000± tons) and 8-10 corvettes (2,500± tons)
        and several minor war vessels (submaribes and mine hinters and training vessels, and, and, and ...), probably at the expense of one or two Canadian shipyards.

 

[PuckChaser]

    2. Save money and grow capability and buy, mostly offshore, two LPHs/LPDs (whatever ships like Canberra are) and three AORs and 4-6 destroyers (6,000± tons) and 6-8 frigates (4,000± tons) and 8-10 corvettes (2,500± tons)
        and several minor war vessels (submaribes and mine hinters and training vessels, and, and, and ...), probably at the expense of one or two Canadian shipyards.

Where in the world would we get the PYs to man all of those ships?

 

[Edward Campbell]

Where in the world would we get the PYs to man all of those ships?

WAG (wild assed guess): 4,000 to 5,500 depending on the number of ships and crew sizes.* Not, I think a big jump from recently when we had 3XAOR, 4XDDH, 12XFFH and 15+ minor war vessels ... or is it?

_____
* Discussions here in Army.ca suggests that new ships will have (much?) smaller crews.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

As mentioned in another thread, we could lease one of the USN supply ships to cover the gap until ours our ready and a proper lease means we return the ship to the USN and not stuck with dealing with her afterwards. This is no threat to the yards. We could contract the hull build to the Spanish yard and have the LPD fitted out over here and that would allow sub contracting to various yards as they aren't as restricted to what size hull they can build.
As I recall BAE is involved in some of our current contracts and they appear to be responsible for outfitting the Aussie vessels, so there are efficiencies there I think.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Where in the world would we get the PYs to man all of those ships?

Move NDHQ lock stock and barrel to the "well deck", then once at sea, open the gate

 

[Kirkhill]

I wouldn't worry about it.  We won't be needing something like that anytime soon.

 

[Cloud Cover]

HUGE radar cross sectional profile.

Not that there will ever be another useful combat vessel commissioned into the RCN, but for an LPD the San Antonio class ( not the light version) is a better option as it has somewhat better defensive armament, and is built to take a few missiles and not explode into a misty vapour consisting of metal and flesh.

 

[AirDet]

That's one BAB (Big Ass Boat).