News Review: Navantia cuts first steel for second LHD | ADM Mar 2010

"This is a great achievement, with the steel being cut by Navantia seven weeks ahead of schedule," Minister for Defence Materiel Greg Combet said.

BAE Systems Australia is prime contractor for the program to deliver two 27,000 tonne LHDs, that will form part of the ADF's broader amphibious deployment and sustainment system.

The LHD is based on Navantia's BPE design for the Spanish Navy.

"Under the project ... Navantia is the design authority and is subcontracted to BAE Systems Australia to construct and fit out the hulls," Combet said.

"I am pleased to report that the LHD project is on schedule, with whole of ship design reviews completed and the keel laying of LHD 01 taking place exactly one year to the day from first steel being cut.

"After completion of LHD 01 and 02, both hulls will be transported to Australia."

The superstructures will then be constructed, fitted out and integrated with the hulls at BAE Systems Australia's Williamstown dockyard.

The superstructure modules weigh approximately 500 tonnes and are roughly two-thirds the size of an Anzac frigate; much of the company's work will focus on fitting out the ships and integrating their complex combat and communications systems, which will be supplied by Saab Systems and L-3 Communications, respectively.

The next major project milestone will be the launch of LHD 01, the future HMAS Canberra, in Spain in March 2011.

LHD 01 will arrive at Williamstown dockyard in 2012, with LHD 02, the future HMAS Adelaide, arriving in 2014.