Royal Australian Navy to get 12 landing crafts from Navantia

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World Navy Force News - Australia
 
 
 
Royal Australian Navy to get 12 landing crafts from Navantia
 
The Australian government has approved the purchase of 12 landing crafts from Spanish shipbuilder Navantia for the navy's Canberra class landing helicopter dock ships. The LCM-1E landing crafts are the same type used by the Spanish Navy. With a length of 23.3 meters and a breadth of 6.4 meters they can reach 20 knots and have a range of 190 miles.

Navantia, which has headquarters in Spain, is building the hulls for the LHDs and the medium-sized, fast landing craft will be purpose-built for these ships.

     
The Australian government has approved the purchase of 12 landing crafts from Spanish shipbuilder Navantia for the navy's Canberra class landing helicopter dock ships. The LCM-1E landing crafts are the same type used by the Spanish Navy. With a length of 23.3 meters and a breadth of 6.4 meters they can reach 20 knots and have a range of 190 miles.
LCM-1E landing crafts
(picture: Navantia)

     
The watercraft will enable transport of troops and equipment from the LHDs to shore, including locations where there are no fixed port facilities.

The delivery of the first batch of four watercraft will be coordinated with the delivery of the first LHD, expected in 2014. Construction of the LHDs is under way in Spain and Australia.
     
The Australian government has approved the purchase of 12 landing crafts from Spanish shipbuilder Navantia for the navy's Canberra class landing helicopter dock ships. The LCM-1E landing crafts are the same type used by the Spanish Navy. With a length of 23.3 meters and a breadth of 6.4 meters they can reach 20 knots and have a range of 190 miles.
Camberra class LHD
(picture: Navantia)

     

The LHDs are 754.5 feet long and can carry a combined armed battlegroup of more than 1,000 personnel, 100 armored vehicles and 12 helicopters.

The government has also approved enhancements to information and communications technology infrastructure at Headquarters Joint Operations Command as well as software upgrades to better support military planning.

The enhanced command and control system will allow better communication between operations staff and troops, particularly commanders and Special Forces.

The ministers said the Department of Defense would purchase commercial off-the-shelf hardware and software products, which would be integrated to meet requirements.