Landing Helicopter Dock News

Here’s some good news for America’s sea power. While the U.S. Navy has initiated another review of its 30-year shipbuilding plan in the face of widespread dissatisfaction, one element within that plan has been praised: the decision to provide funding for continued construction of amphibious warfare ships. These vessels offer unmatched flexibility and the capability of transporting, deploying, and supporting ground combat forces – typically U.S. Marine Corps – to conduct amphibious assaults, humanitarian operations, or disaster relief missions.

The U.S. Navy's Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30) arrived in Sydney, Australia, July 18, ahead of the ship’s ceremonial commissioning.USS Canberra entered Sydney Harbour in formation with Canberra-class landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra before mooring pierside at the Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Base East.“We are thrilled to be here in Sydney this week, and to show this city our fast, optimally-manned ship that sails across the seas as a symbol of our navies’ dedication to each other,” said Capt. Marc Crawford, Commodore of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron ONE.

The 2022 biennial, multi-national Rim of the Pacific's (RIMPAC) exercise has come to a close.This year’s exercise with the theme of “Capable Adaptive Partners,” featured 26 participating nations and 38 surface ships, three submarines, more than 30 uncrewed systems, approximately 170 aircraft, and more than 25,000 personnel.RIMPAC 2022 featured a wide range of capabilities--projecting the inherent flexibility of maritime forces and helping to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, and took place in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California, June 29 to Aug.

Fincantieri signed a contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) to support the Conceptual Design of the new class of aircraft carriers “CVX” for the Navy of the Republic of Korea (South Korea).The program relating to the first-in-class unit envisages the tender for the Basic Design starting from the second half of 2021, whereas the detail design and construction will begin in the following years.The signing took place between Jung Woo Sung, Vice President Naval & Special Ship Marketing Division of DSME…

The Italian Navy has taken delivery of the newly built logistics support ship LSS Vulcano from Fincantieri's Naval Integrated shipyard in Muggiano, Italy.The 193-meter LSS Vulcano is part of the FLOTLOG (Flotte Logistique) program, which includes the construction of four LSS destined to the French Navy, by the temporary consortium between Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group under the Italian-French LSS Program led by OCCAR (Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation). The construction of the forward sections of these ships has been commissioned to Fincantieri…

Driven by the need to organically protect maritime Task Groups from the threat of sea mines, the Royal Australian Navy is introducing a deployable Mine Counter-Measures (MCM) capability under the first phase of Project SEA 1778.The Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) SEA 1778 deployable Mine Counter-Measures (MCM) capability is both a small step forward in the spiral development process and a “technological leap” into autonomy.”The RAN is looking to replace its four legacy Huon-class minehunter coastal ships (MHCs) with a new deployable MCM capability.

Naval automation and navigation systems supplier Seastema said its SEAS-PILOT HCS autopilot system has been certified with the MED/4.16 Type Approval Certificate of Conformity by DNV GL.With this result, Seastema, a Fincantieri company, becomes the only Italian manufacturer, and one of the first worldwide, of a certified autopilot system in conformity with the new European regulation MED (Marine Equipment Directive) 2019/1397, the highest international standard in the marine sector.The…

Naval Ship Management (NSM) has partnered with L3Harris Technologies to provide engineering, maintenance and supply chain solutions to support Australia’s largest warship - the Canberra Class Amphibious Assault Ship, also known as the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD), and its associated assets.Under the 4.5-year subcontractor agreement, L3Harris will be responsible for the Integrated Communication Systems (ICS) maintenance and support, as well as the Through Life Support Facility (TLSF)…

French shipbuilder Naval Group officially opened Alexandria Naval for Maintenance and Industry, its Egyptian subsidiary which will be responsible for the maintenance of Egyptian Navy vessels built and delivered by Naval Group.Alexandria Naval strengthens Naval Group sustainable footprint in Egypt for current and future naval programs.Naval Group’s long term partnership with the Egyptian Navy and the Egyptian industry has reached a new milestone with the opening of a subsidiary dedicated to the in service support of Naval Group’s vessels and future naval programs. This success was enabled thanks to the conclusive contractual discussions…

Rolls-Royce reports it has been selected to supply its MT30 gas turbine to power a new class of frigates for the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF).The selection means Japan is the fifth nation to select the MT30 for a major naval shipbuilding program.Sam Cameron, Rolls-Royce, Senior Vice President – Defence, said, “Japan’s selection of the MT30 is very significant and means that the three largest users of marine gas turbines, have all endorsed the capabilities of the MT30…

A keel laying ceremony of the multipurpose amphibious unit (LHD or Landing Helicopter Dock) was held Tuesday at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Castellammare di Stabia, Italy, marking the beginning of the slipway works of the unit. The new unit will be delivered in 2022 and it falls within the naval program of the maritime capability of Defense, approved by the Italian Government and Parliament and started in May 2015. The LHD will be classified by RINA Services pursuant international conventions about prevention of pollution regarding the more traditional aspects…

The recent visit to the Philippines, by two Australian Navy ships of the Indo-Pacific Task Group has significantly reinforced the strong defence relationship between Australia and the archipelago. Led by HMAS Adelaide in company with HMAS Darwin, both ships were welcomed to the Port of Manila by the Philippines Navy for a full day of engagements including the visit by the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Australian Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin. The Task Group later sailed to Subic Bay for a four-day visit, where both ships received over several hundred visitors eager to view the new capabilities the Australian Defence Force had on offer.

Following an order won in October 2016, MAN Diesel & Turbo SE has delivered gensets for the first of new series of Italian Navy offshore patrol vessels (OPV) and has secured an order for second shipset. After the successful factory acceptance tests (FAT) in July 2017 witnessed by a delegation from the Italian Navy, MAN Diesel & Turbo SE has delivered four MAN 12V175D generating sets to Fincantieri Muggiano Shipyard, where the first of a class of seven Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Vessels (Pattugliatore Polivalente d'Altura - PPA) is currently under construction.

GE’s Marine Solutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with RJE Global, Morphettville, South Australia, whereby RJE will assemble GE LM2500 gas turbine modules and manufacture a number of components for this engine in support of the Royal Australian Navy’s new SEA 5000 frigate program. The MOU was signed by both companies recently at RJE’s facility in Adelaide. The nine-ship SEA 5000 Future Frigate Program will replace the aging Anzac class frigates. GE’s LM2500 gas turbines are operational on two of the short-listed qualified ship designs -- Fincantieri’s FREMM and Navantia’s F100.

Australia's largest military exercise, Talisman Saber, was officially opened on 29 June aboard the United States Landing Helicopter Dock Bonhomme Richard off the Sydney coast. Minister for Urban Development, the Honourable Paul Fletcher MP, representing the Minister for Defence, and the US Charge d'Affaires, Mr James Carouso, officially announced the start of the combined military exercise taking place thorought July. Field training will occur in Shoalwater Bay Training Area, near Rockhampton and Mount Bundy Training Area, south of Darwin. The Minister was joined by the US Pacific Forces Commander, Admiral Harry Harris, Jr and Officer Conducting the Exercise, Australia's Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral David Johnston along with other senior Australian Defence Force leaders.

Rolls-Royce said it has won a contract to supply MT30 marine gas turbines to power the next three ships in the Republic of Korea Navy’s Daegu-class frigate program. The frigates are intended for a variety of missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-air warfare, patrol, surveillance, search and rescue, protection of EEZ and transport. In all Eight Daegu-class frigates (also known as FFX Batch 2) are scheduled to be built, the first of which is being built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) and was launched at DSME's Okpo shipyard in June 2016.

The launching ceremony of the bow section of the LSS logistic support unit Vulcano, took place at the shipyard in Castellammare di Stabia (Naples) in the presence of the Italian Minister of Defense, Roberta Pinotti. The unit was ordered to Fincantieri within the renewal plan of the Italian Navy’s fleet. Godmother of the ceremony was Maria Teresa Piras, widow of the vessel tenant Emilio Attramini, young Italian Navy Officer, who died in 1977 in the air disaster of the Monte Serra.

Royal Australian Navy’s amphibious ship HMAS Adelaide lead from the front during the recent Exercise OCEAN EXPLORER. Exercising task group operations off the Western Australian coast, the landing helicopter dock was the centrepiece to war-fighting scenarios. En-route to the ‘war-zone’, the crews of Australian, New Zealand and Spanish Navies experienced realistic attacks by ‘enemy’ cruise missiles from aircraft and ground-based locations during the high-end warfare serials. During the first air-strike, HMA Ships Darwin and Melbourne joined the Spanish Armada’s ESPS Cristobal Colon, in protecting Adelaide by neutralising the incoming cruise missiles and an aircraft.

Steve Roth has been promoted to President of Seaspan Ferries Corporation (SFC). In this position, Steve will continue to have the primary accountability for the overall performance of the SFC business unit, including management of day-to-day operations of SFC, as well as the short and long-term strategic planning processes, including setting and fulfilling revenue and profitability targets and maintaining relationships with all stakeholders. He is also responsible for ensuring that customer service expectations are met or exceeded while ensuring the safe operation of SFC’s vessels…

A steel cutting ceremony was held for the Italian Navy’s lead Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ship (PPA) at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia), officially marking the beginning of construction works on the first unit. The first of seven new builds, the PPA will be delivered in 2021 and it is part of the renewal plan of the operational lines of the Italian Navy vessels, approved by the Government and Parliament and started in May 2015. The project as a whole involves the construction of nine units…

Rolls-Royce said it has achieved a milestone for the Italian Navy’s new Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) multi-purpose amphibious vessel, to be built by Fincantieri one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups, by successfully completing the factory acceptance test for the vessel’s first MT30 Gas Turbine. Rolls-Royce has been selected to provide two MT30 gas turbines to power the new 20,000 tonne displacement, multi-purpose amphibious vessel. The LHD, which will be built and launched…

MAN Diesel & Turbo has won a contract to supply the first shipset (plus an option for six more, to be confirmed) of GenSets for the multipurpose, offshore patrol vessel – Pattugliatore Polivalente d' Altura (PPA) – program. Each vessel will feature four 12V175D GenSets, each delivering 1,640 kW. The newbuildings have been ordered as part of the Italian Navy’s “Programma di Rinnovamento” fleet renewal program. “We already have several 175D test installations in operation but this is really the breakthrough for the engine,” said Lex Nijsen, Head of Four-Stroke Marine, MAN Diesel & Turbo.

French industrial group DCNS has delivered LHD (Landing Helicopter Dock) Anwar El Sadat, the second of two helicopter carriers acquired by the Arab Republic of Egypt. The flag transfer ceremony took place September 16, 2016 in the presence of the two Chiefs of Staff of the Egyptian and French navies, Admiral Rabie and Admiral Prazuck, the chairman and CEO of DCNS, Hervé Guillou, and the president of STX France, Laurent Castaing, together with senior French and Egyptian officials.