Navantia launches Australia's last LHD landing craft
The 12th and final LCM-1E amphibious fast landing craft ordered by the Royal Australian Navy Spanish state-owned shipbuilder Navantia has launched the final LCM-1E amphibious fast landing craft ordered by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to equip its two new Canberra-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) vessels * The landing craft is the last of 12 units ordered under a €99 million contract signed in September 2011.
Four units will operate with each of the LHDs, HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide. Two vessels will be used for training while the other two will be used for trials. The initial batch of four landing crafts was delivered in May 2014, while the second batch of four units was dispatched in February 2015.
According to specifications published by Navantia, the 23.3 m landing craft are powered by two 809 kw diesel engines and water jets propellers, giving a top speed of more than 20 knots and a range of 190 nautical miles at full load.
* The basic structure of both LHD vessels was constructed at the Navantia Ferrol shipyard.