Since the end of the First Cold War, many countries have been shrinking their armies
but increasing their power projection capabilities. This has led to the growth of the amphibious
assault ship market in the last two decades. The Spanish Juan Carlos I-class landing helicopter
dock, shortly LHD, is one of the strongest players in this market with its multi-purpose
design. As the Weapon Detective, we are investigating the Juan Carlos I-class and its derivatives,
the Canberra-class and the Anadolu-class. Please don't forget to subscribe to our channel,
before we start and give us a thumbs up if you like our video. To be notified of our
new video, please click the bell button. To better understand the Juan Carlos I-class,
we should go back to the time of the 1982 Falklands War.
We can see easily that good fortune played an important role in the UK's victory in the
South Atlantic. If the Falkland Islands were closer to Argentina,
the Argentine aircraft would be able to stay in the air longer time and more effective.
Also, if Argentina procured more Exocet missiles, undoubtedly the Royal Navy's losses would
have been higher. The most important lesson learned from the
Falklands War was that the amphibious task groups' location must be as far from land
as possible. So, the landing ship tanks, shortly LST, have
lost their effectiveness. Having studied the experiences of the Falklands
War well, in 1998 and 2000, the Spanish Navy commissioned two Galicia-class landing platform
dock type ships. As the next step, by the early 2000s, Spain
decided to replace its Newport-class LSTs, SPS Hernán Cortés and SPS Pizarro with an
LHD. There were two obvious reasons for this choice.
First of all, an LHD can carry out an amphibious assault operation from a safe distance from
the shores. Besides, this type of ship can perform light
aircraft carrier duties. In those years the Spanish Navy had the aircraft
carrier SPS Príncipe de Asturias. The new LHD could have taken over her duty when she
was in refit. Thus the Spanish Navy would have uninterruptedly carrier-based air power.
Design work started in September 2003. The new ship was defined as the Buque de Proyección
Estratégica, meaning Strategic Projection Ship in Spanish, because of her multi-purpose
design. The vessel was laid down in 2005 and launched
in 2009. She was commissioned in 2010.
In fact, the SPS Juan Carlos I was not built to replace the SPS Príncipe de Asturias.
However, in 2013 this ship was decommissioned because of budget cuts.
Thus, SPS Juan Carlos I became the only aircraft carrier of the Spanish Navy.
She has a flight deck of 202 metres, with a ski-jump ramp with the angle of 12 degrees.
The flight deck is suitable for operating six medium-size helicopters or six STOVL combat
aircraft or four cargo helicopters simultaneously. The Spanish Navy will deploy the NH-90, CH-47,
and Tiger helicopter on the ship. The Spanish Navy currently operates the EAV-8B
Matador II aircraft and plans to use them until 2034.
After that, Spain may procure F-35B to replace its EAV-8B fleet.
There is also a large spot on the flight deck suitable for landing and taking-off a V-22
Osprey. According to 2018 editions of Jane's Fighting
Ships and Flottes de Combat, the hangar has an area of 1400 square meters.
There are two elevators, each with a capacity of 27 tons.
Flight operations can be conducted up to Sea State 5.
The first storage area of 975 square meters is under the hangar and suitable for transporting
heavy materials such as main battle tanks. There is a second storage area of 2046 square
meters for light vehicles. The ship, which has a 69.3-meter long and
16.8-meter wide stern well dock, can carry four LCM-1E-class landing craft.
This well dock is big enough for operating two LCAC-class air-cushion vehicles.
The Spanish Navy also uses the AAV7A1 amphibious assault vehicles with the ship.
SPS Juan Carlos I has operating rooms, medical care rooms, and intensive care units.
Thanks to its a pair of azimuthal thruster pods and its special hull design, the vessel
can sail easily on the shallow waters and narrow waterways.
Although it was planned to mount air defence missiles with 20mm guns on the ship at the
design stage, SPS Juan Carlos does not have these weapon systems.
The complement is 295-person. The ship also has 172-person air wing. SPS Juan Carlos I
can carry a marine brigade of over 900-troop with up to 46 main battle tanks or vehicles
of equivalent weight. She has a length of 231 meters, a beam of 32 metres, and a draught
of 6.9 metres. Fully loaded displacement of ship is 26,000 tons. One 26,860 horsepower
General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine and two 10,445 horsepower MAN 32/40 16 V diesel engines
provides the maximum speed of 21 knots. The ship can reach the range of 16,670 kilometres
with the economical speed of 15 knots. SPS Juan Carlos I can carry four LCMs on her stern
dock. Depend on mission definition, up to 30 medium and heavy helicopters, or between
10 to 12 EAV-8B Matador II aircraft and 12 medium helicopters, or 25 EAV-8B Matador II
aircraft are deployed on the ship. The vessel has four 12.7mm machine guns as the armament.
The combat data systems of the ship consist of the SCOT, Saturn 3S, INMARSAT, and Scomba.
SPS Juan Carlos is equipped with the Lanza-N air search, ARIES surface search, and PAR
aircraft landing radars. Australia decided to replace its LST fleet
with two new LHDs in the early 2000s. In those years, the Royal Australian Navy had three
LSTs which were the Newport-class HMAS Kanimbla and HMAS Manoora as well as HMAS Tobruk.
In 2007, Australia chose the Juan Carlos I-class of the Spanish Navantia.
This was a big and important tender because Navantia was also the winner of the air defence
destroyer tender of the Royal Australian Navy. Navantia built the hulls of the ships up to
the flight deck, in Spain. Then, these hulls were transported by heavy
cargo ship to Australia. BAE Systems Australia completed the installation
of the island's superstructure and internal hull systems there.
Construction of the first LHD, HMAS Canberra, started in 2008.
The ship was launched, in 2011 and was commissioned, three years later.
The second vessel, HMAS Adelaide, was commissioned in 2015.
These two LHDs, called Canberra-class, have the same physical dimensions as SPS Juan Carlos
I, but they have different island superstructure design and internal layout.
Unlike their Spanish sister, HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide have a Saab 9LV Mark 4 combat
management system, Sea Giraffe 3D surveillance radar, and a Vampir NG infrared search and
track system. Also, they are fitted with four 25mm Typhoon
remote-controlled weapon systems of Rafael and six 12.7mm machine guns.
It is planned that the Canberra-class will be equipped with three Phalanx close-in weapon
system. The Royal Australian Navy does not have any
STOVL aircraft. Yet Australian ships have also the ski-jump ramp. There are two reasons
for this. First, redesigning the ship to remove the ramp would have added unnecessary costs.
Second, the retention of the ski-jump gives the opportunity of operating STOVL aircraft
in future to Australia. However, the Royal Australian Navy has no
official plans to procure the F-35B for now. Nevertheless, thanks to its design, the Canberra-class
has the advantage of allowing the use of the F-35Bs belonging to allied countries in a
joint operation. The hangars of the Canberra-class LHDs are
500 square meters smaller than Juan SPS Carlos I. For this reason, the hangar can accommodate
18 helicopters. In normal use, these LHDs carry 1,046 soldiers
and their equipment. The standard air group of the Canberra-class
consists of a mix of the MRH-90 utility and the MH-60R anti-submarine helicopters.
However, depending on the mission definition, the Tiger attack and the CH-47 cargo helicopters
are also deployed on the ships. Australia, which does not have any armoured
amphibious assault vehicles, uses the LCM-1E-class landing craft and the LARC-V amphibious cargo
vehicles in landing missions. Unlike Spain and Australia, Turkey's has limited
maritime security interests with the more immediate area.
For this reason, a Juan Carlos I-class LHD ordered by the Turkish Naval Forces in 2015
will serve alongside with its LSTs. Even, while the construction of new ship was
contining, Turkey commissioned two Bayraktar-class LSTs.
Initially, the Turkish Navy was planning to use its new ship, defined as the Anadolu-class,
only for amphibious assault missions. Therefore different from SPS Juan Carlos I, it wanted
a single elevator and a slightly shorter flight deck without the ski-jump ramp. Later, Turkey
changed this plan and decided to use the ship as both the amphibious assault ship and light
aircraft carrier. Thus the final design of Anadolu-class has included ski-jump ramp and
a second elevator. In 2016, Sedef Shipyard of Turkey began the
construction work of TCG Anadolu. The ship was launched officially, in 2019.
However, there is a rumour that due to a problem in the dry dock, before the official launching
ceremony, TCG Anadolu was launched for a short time and was dry-docked again.
Also, the ship caught fire whilst in dry dock, just five days before the official launching.
Fortunately, this accident did not cause any loss of life or damage.
Originally, the Turkish Navy was planning to commission TCG Anadolu in 2021. Later,
this date was pulled to 2020. However, due to the problems caused by the global pandemic,
the date was updated again as 2021. Turkey has not yet found a budget for the second
ship of the class, TCG Trakya, because of current economic difficulties.
TCG Anadolu has the SMART-S Mk.2 air/surface search and the SPN-720 naval precision approach
radars. There are five 25mm STOP remote-controlled
weapon systems, two Phalanx close-in weapon systems, and a RAM air defence missile launcher
on the ship. The Turkish Navy is evaluating to use the
35mm Korkut-D close-in weapon system of ASELSAN instead of the Phalanx.
The combat management system of the LHD, the GENESIS-ADVENT is developed by local ASELSAN
and HAVELSAN companies. In the current situation, Turkey's plans to
use TCG Anadolu as a light aircraft carrier fall through.
Turkish Navy had planned to procure the F-35B. Yet, because of the S400 crisis, the USA removed
Turkey from the F-35 Programme in 2019. For now, Turkey plans to deploy an air group
consists of four T-129 ATAK attack, eight Cougar utility or CH-47F cargo, and two S-70B
Seahawk anti-submarine helicopters on the vessel.
Turkey plans to use the locally developed UAVs on TCG Anadolu. However, to use the UAVs,
major modifications have to be done on the flight deck which makes this plan extremely
expensive and technically hard. The local company FNSS is developing a new
armoured amphibious assault vehicle called MAV for use with TCG Anadolu. Turkey will
procure 27 units of this vehicle. Whether it is an amphibious assault or an
aircraft carrier task force, there have to be a surface combatant that provides area
air defence, as part of the task groups. For this mission, the Spanish Navy has the
Álvaro de Bazán-class frigates. The Royal Australian Navy uses the Hobart-class
destroyers. However, the Turkish Navy does not have a
surface combatant, capable of area air defence. So, Turkey will not operate TCG Anadolu efficiently,
until the ships of the TF-2000 Project are ready.
During the First Cold War, only the USA had the privilege of owning the LHDs. More than
ten countries use them today. Of course, the main reason for this transformation is the
changing modern combat requirements. But today, the navies can also build ships, like the
Juan Carlos I, highly capable but affordable. As you know, in recent years, the tensions
in the Pacific and the Eastern Mediterranean are increasing. So, in the future, it will
be not surprising that we hear more about SPS Juan Carlos I, HMAS Canberra, HMAS Adelaide,
and TCG Anadolu. Thanks for watching our video. And please
don't forget to subscribe to our channel and give us a thumbs up if you like our video.
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