Australia commissions first two CH-47Fs Chinook

The first two of seven CH-47F heavy-lift helicopters for the 5th Aviation Regiment of the Australian Army were commissioned in a ceremony at RAAF Townsville on 5 May.
The remaining Chinooks will be delivered by the end of July. Initial operating capability (IOC) would be achieved by December 2015 and full operating capability (FOC) by January 2017.Although the new aircraft are being received in a common configuration with the US Army's baseline CH-47Fs, they also incorporate optional Boeing-designed rotor brakes and ship tie-down adaptors to enhance operations from the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) two Canberra class landing helicopter docks (LHDs).
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RAN commissions first-of-class Canberra

The sealift capability of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has been dramatically increased by the commissioning of the 27,800-tonne landing helicopter dock (LHD) HMAS Canberra in Sydney on 28 November.
Based on the design of the Spanish Navy's aircraft carrier Juan Carlos , the 231 m Canberra can embark, transport, and deploy more than 1,000 troops and their equipment from alongside or by helicopter and landing craft.
Canberra , the RAN's largest-ever ship, will be joined in 2016 by sister ship Adelaide . The hulls of both ships were constructed by Navantia at its Ferrol facility in northwest Spain and subsequently transported by heavy-lift ship to BAE Systems in Melbourne for addition of the superstructure, fitting out, and systems integration.
Design changes for the RAN included upgrades to air conditioning, Australian explosives standards in the magazines, enhanced firefighting and medical facilities, and four Typhoon remote-controlled 25 mm weapons systems at each corner of the hull for close-in defence. The Australian-developed Nulka hovering anti-missile decoy will be fitted at a later date.
The flight deck is configured for simultaneous operation of four medium-sized helicopters, such as the NHIndustries NH90 (MRH90 in Australian service) or the Sikorsky S70A-9 Black Hawk, or four Boeing CH-47D/F Chinooks. Up to eight medium helicopters can be accommodated in the hangar, and up to 18 can be carried if the light vehicle deck is also utilised.
The four Navantia-built LCM-1E watercraft carried by each LHD can transport a maximum load of 54 tonnes via the ship's well deck.
The ship will then spend four weeks in the Coral Sea on hot weather trials, followed by four weeks off Tasmania for the cold weather equivalent. Amphibious development trials will subsequently take place off Townsville, Queensland.
These are expected to involve the so-called Amphibious Ready Element, a 350-strong infantry company with supporting elements and enablers that will be on 48 hours' notice to deploy.
An Amphibious Ready Group - a battalion-based combat team with enablers that will involve about 2,000 troops and require both LHDs to transport - is scheduled to be operational by 2017.
Initial operational capability (IOC) for Canberra is expected to be reached in 2016, enabling the ship to participate in that year's Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise.
RAN Canberra retain the ski-jump ramp of the Juan Carlos design, and earlier this year Prime Minister ordered an assessment of the benefits of the F-35B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter and modifying the LHDs to operate them.
Although the assessment is intended to help inform the Defence White Paper and Force Structure Review expected in mid-2015, the general reaction from senior defence sources has been that additional capability would not be justified by the time, cost, and risk involved.
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Think Thank says Australian F-35B purchase wouldn't make sense

Acquiring F-35B (STOVL) fighters to operate from the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) two 27,800-tonne Canberra class landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious ships would not be justified, a leading think-tank has concluded.
This issue could be addressed in a Defence White Paper expected around mid-2015. However, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) said the benefits of such a capability would be marginal at best and would not be justified by the costs.
The study pointed out that the LHDs - the first of which will be commissioned early in 2015 and the second in 2016 - could not carry a full complement of helicopters and amphibious troops with their vehicles and equipment and simultaneously deploy a useful number of STOVL aircraft and additional support aircraft.
Even in a STOVL-only configuration an LHD would face challenges in generating enough F-35B sorties continuously to protect itself and ships in company against a capable adversary, the study said.
janes

Australia has Formally Accepted HMAS Canberra ALHD

Australia has signed on October 3 acceptance of ALHD Canberra, first of two LHD ships Navantia has built for Australia based on the LHD Juan Carlos I designed for the Spanish Navy.
The contract, signed in 2007, includes the construction of 85% of the two ships in the shipyards of Navantia in Ferrol and completion in Australia by BAE Systems.
The ship was transferred to Australia in August 2012 and will be definitely delivered to the Australian Navy on 28 November.
defense-studies

Australia could buy F-35B

Australia will consider buying the F-35B in addition to the conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant to which it has already committed.
The F-35B would be considered within the construct of the Defence White Paper, which is due in the second quarter of 2015.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has instructed planners working on the White Paper to examine the possibility of buying F-35Bs to operate from the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) two Canberra-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious ships.
The first of the two 27,800-tonne LHDs is currently undergoing delivery trials. The second will be commissioned in 2016.
The government announced on 23 April its decision to acquire a further 58 F-35As to take Australia's total commitment to 72. The first two will be delivered later this year, although they and subsequent deliveries will not arrive in Australia until late in 2018.
It is unclear whether any F-35B acquisition would be in addition to the 72 CTOL variants or be subtracted from that number.
Informed sources confirmed the prime minister's interest in the STOVL aircraft but pointed out that significant upgrades would be necessary to the LHDs to operate F-35Bs on anything more than a cross-decking basis with the US Marine Corps and other partner nations.
These upgrades would need to include heat-resistant deck coating for extended operations, additional fuel and weapons bunkerage, and enhancements to the command and control facilities, which are now focused on amphibious operations involving helicopters and water craft.
janes

NUSHIP Canberra arrives in Sydney

NUSHIP Canberra, the first of two LHDs being built for the Australian Defence Force entered Sydney after her first contractor trials and testing at sea.
The ship is scheduled to undertake a commercial docking in the Dry Dock in Sydney, to receive a hull clean and final paint before proceeding to sea and returning to Williamstown to commence the final phase of Contractor sea trials involving communications and combat systems.
The first set of Contractor sea trials have been focussed on tuning the propulsion system and testing and trialling the hull, mechanical and electrical systems of the vessel.
navy.gov.au

Navantia delivers first four landing crafts to Australia

The first four fast landing crafts (LLC) for the Royal Australian Navy departed on 8th. March on board a cargo from Navantia facilities in Puerto Real. It is scheduled that the cargo arrives destination around mid April.
The rest eight units are being built by Navantia in different steps of construction, and will be delivered in groups of four during the next months.
The main characteristics of the ships are:
Lenght overall: 23.30 m.
Floatation lenght: 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.
The contract for the construction of the series of 12 LLC was signed in September 2011. 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 in cooperation with BAE Systems.
defense-studies

HMAS CANBERRA TAKING SHAPE

This year is shaping up as a big one for the future HMAS Canberra, Australia's first helicopter landing dock and the third Royal Australian Navy vessel to bear the name of the national capital.
BAE Systems maritime director Bill Saltzer said the vessel now looked like the ship her designers had expected her to become following the recent installation of the Australian-made superstructure blocks on the massive hull.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/ship-starts-to-take-shape-20130101-2c4ie.html#ixzz2GrLcXaWU
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canberratimes

Navantia starts the cut of steel for the first LCM-1E high speed landing craft for Australia

Navantia has celebrated last October the cut of steel of the first LCM-1E high speed landing craft, of a series of 12 that Navantia will build for the Royal Australian Navy, to be operating on board the ALHD Canberra and ALHD Adelaide

These units are identical to the LCM-1E high speed landing crafts built by Navantia and in service with the Spanish Navy since 2007 and 2008.

Each LCM-1E weights 110 tonnes. The first four will arrive in 2014, when the first of the new ALHDs becomes operational.

The main characteristics are:

- Lenght overall: 23.30 m
- Floatation length: 21.27 m
- Width: 6.40 m
- Depth: 2.80 m
- Propulsion: two 809 kW diesel engines, two waterjerts propellers.
- Speed: > 20 knots
- Autonomy: 190 miles at full load
navantia

Australia’s Canberra Class LHDs

The hull for the future HMAS Canberra amphibious aviation and assault ship has arrived in Australia, aboard the FLO/FLO ship MV Blue Marlin.

defenseindustrydaily

LHD hull in Australian waters

The hull of the first of the navy's two new large amphibious landing ships is in Australian waters and will reach Melbourne in a week.

The LHD01 hull has been transported from Spain to Australia by a Heavy Lift Ship, Blue Marlin.

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