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LCM-1E Landing Craft, Mechanised

The LCM-1E is a class of amphibious Landing Craft, Mechanized (LCM) manufactured by Navantia who also build the LHD hulls. In Royal Australian Navy service these craft are purpose built for the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) and are referred to as LHD Landing Craft (LLC).

These landing craft are intended to deliver troops and equipment onshore where there are no fixed port facilities. They have the ability to be used Over The Horizon, which means that the LCM-1E can transport between the ship and the coast starting at a distance greater than that marks the horizon, i.e. greater than 20 nautical miles (37 km). To perform this type of landing, the LCM-1E are equipped with a radar navigation, GPS, gyro needle/magnetic and HF communications equipment, VHF and UHF.

Another important point is the speed and autonomy. The propulsion is by two engines MAN of 806 kW and two water jet propellers (waterjets), offering a speed of 22 knots without load and 13.5 knots laden, with a range of 190 nautical miles (352 km).

The LCM-1E incorporates a stern gate, facilitating the loading/unloading of rolling stock within the flood levee, not necessary the output of the front two boats to load/unload the rear, with a limit of 12 tonnes maximum for the transfer of vehicles one barge to another. The watercraft enable the transport of troops and equipment from the LHDs to the shore including where there are no fixed port facilities.

The LHD would normally carry four LCM 1E. The LCM-1E is 110-ton class fast landing craft designed and built by Navantia shipyards. These vessels are intended to deliver troops and equipment onshore during amphibious assaults. The craft is powered by two MAN D-2842 LE 402X engines each developing 809 Kw with two waterjets. The LCM-1E vessel can achieve a top speed of 22 knots and has maximum range of 190 nm at economic speed.

The LCM-1E is only 23.3m long, thus allowing for four vessels to be carried in the well dock, with plenty of space left to satisfy the Spanish Navy's requirement for the SPS to also carry four RHIBs within the dock. So by shortening the well dock to around 50-55m in length, four Tenix/Navantia-sourced LCM-1Es could still be carried, although certain competitor LCMs would be ruled out. For example, Thales Australia's prospective offering of a growth version of the LCM2000 is likely to measure up to at least 26m, while French-based CNIM's L-Cat is specified at 30m.

The Minister for Defence, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, announced 08 May 2009 the first pass approval for a number of landing craft to complement the two new CANBERRA class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships currently under construction for the Royal Australian Navy. These landing craft - to be acquired under Phase 3 Joint Project 2048 - would enable the CANBERRA class LHD ships to conduct operations 'over the shore', where there are no fixed port facilities. Fitzgibbon said the landing craft would be able to lift heavy equipment which may be embarked on the ships, including the new M1A1 Abrams tank in service with the Australian Army and transport it to shore.

During the next stage of the project, Defence would seek offers from Navantia for the construction and delivery of the LCM-1E landing craft. This landing craft is designed for inter-operability with the CANBERRA class LHD and is in service with the Spanish Navy. A final decision on the LCM-1E would be made by Government in 2010, once Defence has developed more accurate cost information and can consider offers to be sought from Navantia. Options to build the LCM-1E in Australia would also be considered.

The Government does intend to explore building more than 6 LCM1-E Watercraft by Australian industry via the designer and shipbuilder Navantia. Navantia are currently responding to a Request for Tender for the craft, which includes a requirement to identify companies in both Australia and Spain to build 10 or 12 LCM1-E watercraft. Subsequent to the Request for Tender evaluation and subject to cost, schedule and risk factors, the 10 or 12 «LCM»-«1E watercraft may be built in Australia or Spain or a combination of both.

JP 2048 Phase 3 Amphibious Watercraft Replacement

Joint Project JP 2048 Phase 3 Amphibious Watercraft Replacement project aims to provide the ADF with the platforms necessary to create an amphibious manoeuvre capability in support of the ADF's future operating concept "Joint Operations for the 21st Century". The CANBERRA Class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD), and the remaining phases of the project would combine to provide a multi-dimensional manoeuvre capability through its aviation, landing craft and command and control facilities.

Phase 3 would provide landing craft to land vehicles and equipment from the CANBERRA Class LHDs. The landing craft would be integral to the ships' equipment and would operate from the LHD's internal docks. These landing crafts would be able to operate in a much wider range of weather conditions, at higher speed and with heavier loads than the existing system.

This project arose from recognition of the need for a greater amphibious capability than was provided by the two KANIMBLA Class Landing Platform Amphibious Ships (LPA), the Heavy Landing Ship HMAS Tobruk, the six BALIKPAPAN Class Heavy Landing Craft and associated Army landing craft.

Phase 3 was intended to provide the CANBERRA Class LHDs with landing craft to enable personnel, equipment and supplies to be loaded and offloaded over the beach. In addition it was anticipated that a small number of craft would be acquired to enable shore based training and maintenance. For Phase 3 the craft may either be constructed entirely overseas, entirely in Australia or as a mixed build. Identified industry opportunities that may relate to this phase include the production of landing craft and in-service support.

As was highlighted in the 2009 White Paper, a future phase of this project was expected to acquire a large strategic sealift ship.