Sea Power: LHDs: A sense of scale | ADM April 2012

Julian Kerr | Sydney

Many words have been written about the size of the RAN’s forthcoming Canberra-class LHDs, but Marco Alfonso, BAE Systems’ General Manager for the LHD program, came up with some new statistics:

• Four Anzac-class frigates or 24 tennis courts would fit on each 4,750 square metre flight deck
• The 35.4 megawatts of power produced by each ship would be sufficient to power Darwin for domestic purposes
• Up to 5,000 people could be carried by each LHD “for a short duration” ie as a safe haven, or after rescue
• Each ship features 18 recreation rooms, two gymnasiums, two reading rooms, video, tv, music, telephones and internet facilities
• Each LHD can carry 46 Abrams main battle tanks on the same deck as its four LCM1E Landing Craft Medium, with either 77 light patrol vehicles or 16 MHR multi-role helicopters accommodated on the light vehicle deck in addition to the normal complement of eight MHR90 or four Chinooks.
• Future growth of 672 tonnes above the fully loaded weight of 27,831 tonnes is built in to the design to allow for upgrades to combat and communications systems. 

Marcos confirmed that the first LHD hull will arrive in Williamstown from Navantia in Spain for fitting out and consolidation of the superstructure in the last quarter of this year, with the second scheduled for the final quarter of 2014. Delivery of the LHDs to the RAN will take place in the first half of 2014 and the second half of 2015.

Marcos acknowledged some early design issues had arisen with Navantia but any problems were now cleared up “overnight” and relations between the two companies were excellent.

While the only armament officially acknowledged for the LHDs to date is four Typhoon 25mm remote weapons stations at each corner of their flight decks, Peter Osborne, Business Development Manager Weapons Systems in the maritime business unit of BAE Systems Australia, said that government approval was awaited to equip each LHD with six Nulka systems.

He also disclosed that Commonwealth approval was expected shortly for doubling to 20 the number of countries for which export approval in principal would be given by Canberra and the US for the ship-launched active missile decoy.

Osbourne said the countries on the list had already been approved by the US State Department and had been passed to Australia for approval in the third quarter of 2011. Any Australian objection would result in the removal of a specific country or countries but would not negate the entire list, he said.

In-principle approval to extend the marketing of Nulka from Australia, the US and Canada to the UK and NZ was granted in the late 1990s.

A further easing of export restrictions to include Japan and several of the longer-established members of NATO was granted in 2007; a time at which defence budgets were starting to come under pressure.

As pointed out by Osbourne: “The technology involved in the Nulka flight vehicle and electronic payload is equivalent to that found in an advanced guided missile. The decision to adopt Nulka, therefore, is not one which can be taken lightly by capability planners.”

The system now equips more than 150 US, Australian and Canadian surface combat ships and installation on US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carriers is expected to begin this year as an integral element of their ship self-defence systems.

Upgrades jointly funded by the US and Australia were underway to enhance the Nulka fire control system and overall reliability, Osbourne said.

Coincidentally, on the first day of Pacific 2012 BAE Systems announced it had been awarded a $19 million six-year Nulka through life support contract by the DMO, with options for a further 18 years. Late last year the government also awarded the company a 13th successive contract, worth $40 million, to produce additional Nulka rounds for both the RAN and USN.