Australia’s First Landing Craft Hits the Water at Navantia

Navantia has set afloat the first in the series of twelve fast landing crafts that is building for the Royal Australian Navy. The contract for the crafts was signed in December 2011.

The design of these ships is based on the ones that are already built by Navantia for the Spanish Navy and commissioned from 2006 to 2008. The landing crafts are destined to operate with the ALHD “Canberra” and ALHD “Adelaide”, strategic projection ships, similar to LHD ”Juan Carlos I”, also built by Navantia.

Commissioning of the four first units is scheduled for April 2014.

The main characteristics of the ships are:

– Length overall: 23.30 m.

– Floatation length: 21.27 m.

– Width: 6.40 m.

– Depth: 2.80 m.

– Propulsion: two 809 kW diesel engines, two waterjets propellers

– Speed: more than 20 knots

– Autonomy: 190 miles at full load

– Loading capacity flexibility: Abrams vehicle, several Army vehicles, fusiliers’ company or 20 feet container truck.

Australia is a strategic country for Navantia, regarding the number of naval programs. Recently, Navantia created Navantia Australia Pty, as a proof of its commitment in the country.

[mappress]

Press Release, September 17, 2013