Navantia has rolled out the first of 12 new LCM-1E high speed landing craft, being developed for the two new Canberra-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships, under construction for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
The medium-sized fast landing craft (LCM-1E), to be acquired under the joint project 2048 phase three from Navantia, will enable the RAN to transport troops and equipment over shore where there are no fixed port facilities.
Powered by two engines MAN of 806kW and two waterjet propellers, the LCM-1E craft feature radar navigation, global positioning system, gyro needle / magnetic and HF communications equipment, VHF and UHF.
Capable of cruising at a speed of 22k, the craft has a range of 190nm and length of 23.3m.
Navantia will deliver the first batch of four vessels to the RAN when the first of the new LHDs enters service in 2014.
Being built by Navantia in collaboration with BAE Systems, the 27,000t LHD ships will be used to embark, transport and deploy forces, along with their equipment and aviation units as well as to perform out / support humanitarian missions.
The LHDs are armed with 6mm x 12.7mm machine guns, Nulka active missile decoy system, anti-torpedo towed defence system (Nixie) and four 20mm automated guns.
Capable of carrying over 1,100 troops, 100 armoured vehicles and 12 rotary wing aircraft, the Canberra-class LHDs are powered by combined diesel and gas turbine (CODAG) propulsion system.
HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide, the first and second Canberra-class LHDs are scheduled to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2014 and in 2015 respectively.
Image: Navantia sets afloat LCM-1E high speed landing craft. Photo: copyright of Navantia.
