MHD/MRD-200 Multi-Role Helicopter Dock

Along with the likes of DCNS, TKMS developed a projection design intended for airborne and amphibious operations, but also to serve as operational transport and evacuation or rescue missions for example due to a natural disaster. In this context, the German group offers the Multi-Role Helicopter Dock. With a displacement of 20,000 tons, MHD 200, for example, has a broad platform with six heavy helicopter landing spots. It has 1000 linear meters of garages in its bridges for vehicles and can carry 750 troops. Developed civil standards to reduce costs, this boat presents a limited maintenance and would be reinforced by a crew of 160.

MHD 200 fulfils today's requirement for the rapid deployment of troops and materiel to regions close to the coast. The modular concept ensures that the ship can be used as a troop transporter or floating hospital. The communications systems on board enable participation in networked operations and the rew strength is 160. With the creation of the MHD 200, TKMS has in its portfolio a vessel that offers armies, navies, and air forces a flexible logistical support platform for a wide range of joint operations. Furthermore, the MHD 200 provides logistical platforms and evacuation facilities for civil missions.

At the 2009 Singapore defence exhibition in Asia (IMDEX 2009), TKMS launched a further development of the B&V factory MHD-200 multi-function dock landing ship, with a displacement of 20,000 tons, a length of 190 meters, a freeboard of 28m, speed of 22 knots, range of 8,000 nautical miles, sustainable operations for 42 days at sea. Compared with the MHD-150, the MHD-200 helicopter landing deck has been extended to the entire bow front end, omitting the bow gun, is the most significant differences in appearance.

Similar to the layout of the MHD-2000 and MHD-1500, the main deck is a general formula for the flight deck, on deck five helicopters, helicopter in the lower decks, Stern is also a low-order a helicopter deck, hangar deck containers that can be used to install the different modules to take on additional features (such as a hospital ship), and will also have to enter/exit function, vehicle doors with stern docking compartment on the side of gate in and out. The ship can accommodate a maximum of 11 helicopters, Stern docking points which can accommodate 2-LCU LCU LC or 1 or 2 LCM machinery air-cushion landing boat LCAC; end of the general formula for flight deck set a large cranes of lifting capacity of 30 tons, can be used to lift materials and containers can accommodate up to 2000 landing forces on a ship, as the hospital ship can accommodate up to 120 beds. Ship self-defence on arm including 16 vertical tubes filled with ESSM missile launchers, two near-force with four machine guns and other weapons systems.

TKMS claims the great virtue of the MHD-200 is modular construction and commericial standard technology, so that the cost of a single ship (not including combat equipment) can be controlled at 150 million euros ($190 million). The MHD-200 is in competition for Malaysia's naval transportation bid, and the main competitor is the Netherlands Enforcer series of 13,000 tons.

The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation pledged to announce before the end of November 2010 the winner of the closed tender for buying for Russian Navy universal landing ships. Requests all participants were collected prior to 15 November. And despite the fact that the tender closed and list of participants was not divulged, unofficially winner was already known. This French company DCNS (partner of the Russian United shipbuilding company) was the favorit with the Mistral.

Other participants of the tender: Spanish Navantia with UDC Juan Carlos I, South Korean STX with landing helicopter dock ship-Dokdo. Dutch shipyard Schelde with a landing helicopter dock ship-Johan de Wit has also announced its intention to participate in the tender. But eventually he refused, an informed source in Russian military Department.

But the most unusual participant was the German company TKMS draft ship MHD 200. This platform exists only on paper. However, according to authoritative French Edition TTU, the German proposal includes the construction of four ships in GERMANY and two in Russia. Total to six. While France and Russia agreed on construction of only four ships, and is not decided yet how much and where to build. Some have already claimed the characteristics of MHD 200 beat the Mistral. For example, it can carry up to 750 people landing, Mistral - only 450.

However, nobody doubted the win by Mistral, given the political friendship of Russia and France, as well as the fact that during the long negotiations the Russian side thoroughly studied the ship. The general opinion was that the parties have already been agreed, and the tender was organized for checkboxes. But having the German ship tender influenced the Russian-French talks about the Mistral.