Ships docks. Landing ships docks Rotterdam and Galicia (Netherlands and Spain)

The world's largest heavy cargo ship, the Dockwise Vanguard, set out on its maiden voyage on February 12, 2013, heading to the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, USA, where it will arrive in mid-April. This was reported by the press service of Dockwise Ltd.

On board the vessel is the hull “Jack/St. Malo" semi-submersible offshore oil platform weighing 56,000 tons for Kiewit yard in Ingleside, which was built by Samsung Heavy Industries, Geoje, South Korea. However, the Dockwise Vanguard can carry cargo weighing up to 110,000 tons.

We would like to remind you that the heavy lift vessel “Dockwise Vanguard” IMO: 9618783, Netherlands flag was put into service on February 1, 2013. Shipbuilder: Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan, South Korea (building number 2511). The vessel was laid down in December 2011. It was launched on October 7, 2012, and the christening ceremony took place on November 30, 2012. Owner and operator: Dockwise Shipping, Breda, Netherlands.

Main characteristics: Displacement 91238 tons, deadweight 117000 tons. Length 275 meters, width 79 meters, draft 9.5 meters. Maximum speed stroke 14.4 knots, average 12.9 knots.

But in 2012, the largest active dock ship was the Blue Marlin ship.

Blue Marlin is a ship with a huge deck area for transporting large cargo, including other ships. A special feature of this dock ship is the way it loads floating cargo.

If you need to load another ship onto a deck or a floating drilling platform, then the Blue Marlin is submerged so that the deck on which the cargo will be located is below the waterline, then this dock ship in a semi-submerged position is brought under the oversized floating cargo and begins to float. Ultimately, the floating cargo ends up on the deck of this floating dock and can be transported to any point across the water.

The docking ship is equipped with 60 cabins for the crew and persons who accompany the cargo, a gym, a sauna and a swimming pool.

It is not the only one of its kind; its predecessor, Black Marlin, was built according to a similar design.

Blue Marlin was built in 1999 and entered service on April 25, 2000, but in 2004 it underwent significant modernization, in particular new engines were added for maneuverability, the ability to dive to greater depths was increased and the usable deck area was significantly increased. The deck was expanded to accommodate large drilling platforms. The all-time record for moving the Thunder Horse PDQ platform with a total weight of 60,000 tons.

Technical characteristics of the Blue Marlin dock ship:
(the ship received these characteristics after reconstruction in 2004) Total payload capacity 76,000 tons
Deck area 11,227 m2 (63 m x 178.2 m)
Speed ​​on ballast 13.3 knots
Total length 224.8 meters
Deck immersion depth 13.3 meters
Crew 24 people
Diesel engine power: 17,000 hp

In November 2005, the Blue Marlin left Corpus Christi, Texas for Adak, Alaska, via the southern tip of South America and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The ship arrived at Pearl Harbor on January 9, 2006, having traveled 15,000 miles. In January 2007, the Blue Marlin was hired to transport two jack-up drilling rigs, Rowan Gorilla VI and GlobalSantaFe Galaxy II, from Halifax to the North Sea.

It is worth noting that the MV Blue Marlin has a sister ship, the MV Black Marlin, and both of these vessels are owned by Offshore Heavy Transport, a Norwegian company specializing in large-capacity maritime transport. Naturally, both heavy-duty vessels, 217 meters long, 42 meters wide and capable of transporting heavy and bulky cargo weighing up to 56 thousand tons, were built by the same manufacturer, the Chinese shipbuilding company China Shipbuilding Corporation.

Five-story "stack" of river boats and pontoons were loaded onto the ship in the Shanghai port of Nantong, after which the MV Blue Marlin set off and 58 days later, on March 22, it arrived in the Netherlands at its destination port.

Of course, the “stack” of river vessels is the most unusual cargo that the MV Blue Marlin was called upon to transport. But this cargo is not the heaviest cargo, here we show pictures showing how the MV Blue Marlin is carrying an entire offshore drilling platform, a huge maritime radar station and an American military missile ship USS Cole (DDG-67), which was damaged as a result of a terrorist attack in one of the ports of Yemen.

The US Navy used the Blue Marlin to transport the destroyer USS Cole back to the United States after the ship was damaged in an al-Qaeda suicide attack in Aden, one of the ports. In the second half of 2003, the Blue Marlin underwent a refurbishment that increased capacity and added two retractable thrusters to improve maneuverability.

In the summer of this year, to be precise, on July 25, the leader in the field of sea transportation and installation of heavy, oversized structures, Dockwise, announced its choice! Emerson Process Management will now provide unique control systems for the heavy-duty semi-submersible vessel Dockwise. These systems are designed to ensure complete stability and tightness of this “mega” vessel.

Why did Dockwise build this huge vessel? It is intended for transportation of large-sized cargo by sea. In addition, Dockwise Vanguard - this is the name this heavy cargo ship bears - will now be used as a dry dock for the design and construction of even larger and heavier structures for work at sea.

The unique design of the vessel without a bow and a cargo capacity of 110,000 tons made it possible to make the construction of giant structures, as well as their loading and maximum safe transportation to distant offshore wells, a reality. This aspect allows us to significantly reduce all types of costs in the field of oil production and oil refining. In addition, and importantly, the number of possible risks has decreased.

The ballast system that helps the Dockwise Vanguard sink and surface while maintaining full stability will now be controlled by a system from Emerson. This control is based on a level measurement system. Such measurements provide high measurement accuracy for load calculations. The system provides an alarm for high liquid levels and overflows.

Dockwise Vanguard uses Emerson's Smart Wireless technology to measure tank levels and transmit the data to the control room.

Eugene van Dodeverd, director of fleet management at Dockwise, noted that the unique carrying capacity and the ability to use the vessel as a dry dock for repairs and the introduction of new technologies for offshore facilities was achieved thanks to the most reliable, unique Emerson technologies. The company's cost-effective and accurate systems have proven their effectiveness in offshore environments on many of Dockwise's vessels.

In turn, Steve Sonnenberg, President of Emerson Process Management, noted that he is pleased with the result of the joint work, and is confident that ships such as the Dockwise Vanguard are the future of the industry.

Last year, in 2012, the Dockwise Vanguard received the Spotlighton New Technology Award for its innovations driving the rapid development of the industry. This award was presented at the international Offshore Technology Conference.

The cruise ship Costa Concordia will be cut into scrap metal. This decision was made by the shipowner, Costa Cruises.

However, first the liner, which was seriously damaged as a result of a crash in January 2012 off the coast of the island of Giglia (Tuscany) and raised from the reefs in September of this year, must be delivered to the dock. Costa Cruises launched a tender, which was won by Dutch firm Royal Boskalis on Thursday. The contract price is $30 million, Reuters reports.

The Dutch intend to use their unique vessel, Dockwise Vanguard. It is equipped with ballast tanks that allow the vessel to sink and surface like a submarine. Dockwise Vanguard is launched under a floating object intended for transportation, and then floats up under it. Dutch specialists have repeatedly carried out similar operations with oil platforms. They recently transported a floating hotel this way.

Armament

Built ships

11 ships LPD 4-10, LPD 12-15

Type Austin(Russian) "Austin") - American landing helicopter dock ships, which were in service in the US Navy from 1965 to 2015. A total of 11 ships of this type were produced, 1 was rebuilt into a command ship (USS Coronado 1966, AGF-11) and one order cancelled. For the long service life of ships of the type Austin participated in the Vietnam War, the Iran-Iraq conflict and later operations in the Persian Gulf.

General information

Landing ships of the US Navy are represented by several classes: LSD, LHA, LHD, And LPD. As a rule, all ships of this class have a spacious cargo compartment, the ability to load and transport land equipment and personnel, and are also equipped to provide air support to the landing force. The relative differences between the main classes of landing ships are presented below (see table).

“Landing helicopter dock ship” (synonym - helicopter carrier) is a type of aircraft carrier specifically designed to carry helicopters and aircraft and therefore does not have aircraft take-off and landing equipment (catapults, landing cables). As a rule, it is also an anti-submarine or landing ship. The air group may have several aircraft with vertical or ultra-short take-off.

The founders of the helicopter carrier class are the United States. American and British helicopter carrier cruisers (including those transferred to France, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands) were created on the basis of light aircraft carriers, while Japanese ones were created from destroyers. Specialized helicopter carrier cruisers were also built by the USSR, France, and Italy. In addition to the United States, universal landing ships (LHA) have recently also been built by France (including for Russia), Spain (including for Thailand), Japan, South Korea, and Australia (together with Spain).

History of creation

Landing helicopter carriers appeared in the mid-1950s, influenced by the successful use of helicopters for landing marines during the Korean War of 1950-1953. Based on the results of the landing operations, the concept of “vertical coverage” was developed, which provided for the landing of the first wave of troops using helicopters, followed by the capture of enemy strongholds, and then the unhindered landing of the remaining troops and equipment. USS became the first amphibious helicopter carrier Thetis Bay(1944)(rus. "Tethys Bay", a Casablanca-class escort aircraft carrier, rebuilt in 1955-1956 to house transport helicopters and accommodate marine units. These big ships are capable of delivering from 900 to 2000 personnel with weapons and equipment to the combat area, have a docking chamber for landing small landing craft and a flight deck with a hangar for operations of landing helicopters, fire support helicopters and attack aircraft with airborne aircraft, and are also the headquarters for the control of the landing force operation.

Predecessors

Preceding type Austin type Releigh had several critical differences. Firstly, Releigh was somewhat smaller and, accordingly, could carry less cargo; secondly, on Releigh there was no helicopter hangar equipped.

Design

The earliest class (LSD) is primarily a means of transporting equipment and drugs. A helicopter deck is possible, but the ships are not equipped with either a hangar or air group support facilities. The main advantage of these ships is the ability to quickly and conveniently load military equipment straight from land through the gate leading to the dock.

The largest representatives (LHA and LHD) resemble mini-aircraft carriers with a large flight deck, a powerful air group and its support facilities, and a transport dock. They are capable of transporting up to half a battalion of expeditionary forces with full equipment and military equipment. At the same time, up to 30 helicopters and 6 IVVs can be based on LHA and LHD Harrier with fixed wings. Group if necessary Harrier could be increased to 20 aircraft. This subclass can also serve aircraft based on other ships, such as LPDs.

An intermediate option is landing helicopter dock ships (LPD), which includes the types Austin And San Antonio. They have a spacious dock, a large cargo hold and are already equipped with a fixed helideck and hangar, unlike the LSD.

Construction and testing

A total of 13 ships of the type were ordered Austin. LPD-11 was later completed as the command ship USS Coronado(AGF-11). The order for the construction of LPD-16 was canceled and, therefore, a total of 11 ships were built. Among ships of the type, I sometimes distinguish two separate subtypes, which have some design differences: subtype Cleveland and subtype Trenton.

Description of design

Frame

The main advantage of ships of this class is their significant capacity, carrying capacity, and the presence of a helicopter deck and hangar. During the landing, the stern of the ship is “sinked” and the stern gate of the well deck opens. Landing barges and boats transport equipment and medicine. Then the water from the docking chamber is pumped out, and the ship returns to its original state. When loading, the actions occur in the reverse order.

The ramps allow transport vehicles to pass between the flight deck, the helicopter stand and the well deck. Landing Transport Docks (LPDs) have shorter well decks than Landing Ship Docks (LSDs) and provide more space to accommodate landing craft. (The length of the docking chamber of the amphibious transport dock is 51.2 m, the length of the landing ship dock is 120 m, and the length of both is 15.3 m). On ships like Austin Unlike its predecessors, there was already a hangar measuring 17.7-19.5 m in length and 5.6-7.3 m in width. The deck had 2 landing pads for helicopters.

Ships of the type with indexes LPD 7 - LPD 13 had a design difference in the form of an additional level on the bridge, since they were originally designed as flagships.

Booking

Transport ships are practically devoid of armor.

Power plant and driving performance

The ships of the type were equipped with 2 turbo-gear units De Laval and 2 steam boilers Babcock & Wicox driving 2 shafts with a total power of 24,000 hp. The maximum speed reached 20 knots.

Crew and habitability

The crew of ships of the type consisted of 410-447 people. The transports could carry 840-930 marines and 2,500 tons of cargo.

Armament

Ships of the type were equipped with automatic anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapons: 2×25-mm guns Mk 38, 2x Phalanx CIWS and 8 machine guns.50-cal.

Aviation weapons

The ships can accommodate up to six transport helicopters CH-46 Sea Knight. The helicopter platform is also used to receive attack aircraft vertical take-off and landings Sea Harrier.

Communications, detection, auxiliary equipment

View of the radar antenna SPS-40 installed on USS TRENTON(LPD-14)

The type ships were equipped with radar type SPS-40, surface detection system SPS-10F and air radar SPS-40C.

For direct landing of troops on the shore, one landing boat of the LCU or LCAC type, four boats of the LCM-8 type or nine of the LCM-6 type are intended, which are placed in a docking chamber during the sea crossing, 24 × AAV (see table).

Modernization and refurbishment

Twin 76 mm guns Mk 33 conduct training firing from the side Austin(LPD-4) in 1976.

Ships type Austin originally carried 8 x 75 mm guns in (4x2). In 1977-78 2 of them were dismantled, and in 1992-93 the remaining guns were also removed.

Alexey Zakvasin

The United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) intends to implement a number of promising projects. In the coming years, Russia will begin the construction of universal and landing ships, as well as civilian ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). According to experts, the creation of new offshore platforms will have a positive impact on the state of the merchant and military fleets of the Russian Federation. In particular, thanks to the emergence of universal and landing ships, the Navy will be able to more effectively carry out tasks in the World Ocean.

• Big landing ship"Ivan Gren"
• mil.ru

President of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) Alexey Rakhmanov told reporters about plans to strengthen the Russian naval and civil fleets. According to him, in the coming years the production of ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be launched.

“We will certainly increase the production of LNG-powered ships. We are also talking about “baby” ships that will operate within cities such as Moscow or St. Petersburg, and even about powerful icebreakers. Three to four years is, in our opinion, the period during which the first pilot project of an LNG vessel will be ready,” Rakhmanov said.

He explained that USC gained experience in building similar ships at the Finnish shipyard Arctech Helsinki Shipyard. This company belongs to the United Shipbuilding Corporation, but must be sold before February 2019 due to previously imposed sanctions.

“We have an understanding of which partners to work with who have experience in creating technologies for bunkering, transportation and storage of fuel, as well as an understanding of how to use LNG vessels for shipping purposes. In this matter, shipbuilders need state support,” Rakhmanov added.

The head of USC spoke about the transition to LNG in May 2018 on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2018). He recalled that an icebreaker powered by liquefied natural gas had already been built at Arctech Helsinki Shipyard. Rakhmanov emphasized that for Russia “this is a unique solution.” However, to use LNG it is necessary to build infrastructure facilities (primarily storage facilities for this fuel).

In a conversation with RT, columnist for Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine Dmitry Drozdenko called the use of LNG fuel “a very promising idea.” In his opinion, liquefied natural gas is one of the most efficient types of energy carriers. Its advantages include low cost, corrosion safety for power plants, and reduced emissions of pollutants into the environment.

“We are just beginning to realize the enormous potential that LNG brings. We are developing dynamically, confirming that liquefied gas can be used on tankers transporting this energy carrier. For Russia, this will be an inexpensive and effective solution,” Drozdenko explained.

Strengthening the Marine Corps

One of the most important areas USC's work may be the development of a project for universal ships with modular designs for the needs of the Navy. According to Alexei Rakhmanov, “it will be an identical steamship in its bow and below the waterline, but with specialized superstructures that are designed to perform various combat missions.”

“We are talking about ships that, depending on the installation of deck structures, can perform the functions of helicopter carriers and universal landing ships, and, possibly, aircraft-carrying ships. However, in my opinion, this is a controversial proposal, since modular designs are not widely used in the navies of other countries due to the difficulties in replacing them. In addition, the final decision on this project, as far as I understand, has not yet been made,” said 1st Rank Reserve Captain Vasily Dandykin in a conversation with RT.

According to the expert, Russia is in dire need of universal landing ships (UDC). At the international military-technical forum "Army-2018", the Krylov State Scientific Center (KGSC, St. Petersburg) presented a displacement of 23 thousand tons. According to officials, the construction of two such ships is included in the State Armament Program (SAP) for 2018-2027.

According to the KGNC materials, the length of the promising UDC is 200 m, width - 34 m, speed - 14-20 knots (26-37 km/h), cruising range - 6 thousand miles (9.6 thousand km), endurance - 30 days. “Priboi” can receive an air defense complex and a 76-mm artillery mount, but during the voyage the UDC must be covered by a group of attack ships.

“The tactical and technical characteristics of our ship are almost similar to the Mistral. At the same time, Priboy has much better combat stability indicators. The ship is even equipped with a ramp (a platform for landing troops on the shore), which can be used in case of emergency,” Alexey Litsis, head of the design department of the KGSC, told RT on the sidelines of the Army-2018 forum.

• Model of UDC "Priboi"

Vasily Dandykin emphasized that the appearance of “Priboev” will allow the Navy to solve a lot of problems related to the transportation of military equipment and ammunition. The UDC will also strengthen the anti-submarine capabilities of the navy and. On board the ship can accommodate up to 500 infantrymen, 50 armored vehicles, 10 tanks, up to 12 helicopters, six landing boats and six assault boats (on davits).

“The Navy’s need for ships of this class is extremely great. At a minimum, we need to build two Priboys: one for the Northern Fleet, the other for the Pacific. If funds allow, then it makes sense to build a third ship for the Black Sea Fleet in order to solve the problem of the “Syrian Express,” that is, delivering cargo to the SAR from the Black Sea ports to Tartus,” Dandykin explained.

On the way to a new generation

As part of the course to strengthen the presence of the Navy in the far sea zone, USC will build two or three large landing ships (LDC) according to the updated project 11711. According to Alexei Rakhmanov, the hull design of the new ships will be slightly different from the lead ship Ivan Gren.

In June 2018, the lead ship of Project 11711 took place at the Yantar shipyard (Kaliningrad). After that, it made the transition to the location of the Northern Fleet. In February - March 2019, tests of the Pyotr Morgunov, the second large landing craft of this series, will begin.

The Project 11711 ship is capable of accommodating a battalion of infantrymen (up to 400 people) or a reinforced company of marines with standard equipment (up to 100 people). In addition, the internal compartments of the large landing craft can accommodate up to 13 tanks or more than 30 armored vehicles. The decks "Gren" and "Morgunova" are designed for parking one transport helicopter and two multi-purpose Ka-27.

• BDK "Peter Morgunov"
• Yantar Shipyard

Vasily Dandykin noted that the construction of several ships of Project 11711 is a logical step to update the BDK fleet. The Navy, with the exception of Ivan Gren, includes ships built in the 1970s and 1980s at the Polish shipyard Stocznia Połnocna (Gdansk). The youngest large landing craft of the Russian fleet (Peresvet and Korolev) are over 25 years old.

“Ideally, Russia needs to build 6-8 ships of Project 11711 in the coming years. The Ivan Gren class ships are a deep modernization of the Soviet project, but it is equipped with new engines, on-board equipment, and has a larger capacity. The commissioning of these large landing ships will provide the necessary time reserve for the development of a new generation landing ship,” Dandykin concluded.

The lead BDK "Ivan Gren" was built at the Baltic shipyard "Yantar" in Kaliningrad and accepted into the Russian Navy on June 20, 2018. The Petr Morgunov landing ship under construction should begin testing no later than March 2019.

Background

Shipbuilding or shipbuilding is a branch of production engaged in the creation of various watercraft. Shipbuilding has existed since people first felt the need for transportation across bodies of water.
Modern ships are some of the most complex structures. The ship takes a long time to build and requires significant investment. Taking into account related industries, shipbuilding provides employment to a large number of people employed in the industry.
Currently, China, South Korea and Japan are leading in civil shipbuilding. In 2018, companies from these countries received 66% of all orders for ships (by value). In total, 1,467 ships were ordered in 2018 with a total tonnage of 51.4 thousand registered tons. But in general, the global shipbuilding market has experienced a decline since 2010.
There are 268 shipbuilding enterprises in Russia, of which 86 are state-owned. The largest centers of Russian shipbuilding are St. Petersburg, Severodvinsk, Nizhny Novgorod and Kaliningrad region. In total, more than a thousand enterprises are involved in Russian shipbuilding. Russia ranks second after the United States in the field of military shipbuilding; about 70% of all orders from Russian shipbuilders are military.

Spain and the Netherlands were leading maritime powers several centuries ago, but later lost their power. However, they did not lose the desire to develop their naval forces. In the late eighties, the two countries agreed to jointly develop new ships for the Navy. As part of the joint project, it was planned to create a promising landing dock ship that would meet the requirements of the navies of the two countries.

A joint project

When developing landing ships for the Dutch and Spanish navies, the requirements of both sides were taken into account. At the same time, the ships had to have some differences due to the characteristics of their future service and the wishes of the Navy command. As a result, despite their common roots, the landing ships of the Dutch and Spanish navies are noticeably different from each other. Based on the names of the lead ships, the Dutch project was designated Rotterdam-class, the Spanish project was designated Galicia-class.

HNLMS Rotterdam (L800)

SPS Galicia (L51)

Construction of the lead ships of two projects - HNLMS Rotterdam (L800) for the Netherlands and SPS Galicia (L51) for Spain - started at the shipyards of the two countries in 1996. Construction work proceeded at a fairly high pace and by mid-1997 the ships were launched. About a year after this, the tests were completed and the lead ships were accepted into the navies of the two countries.

The main task of ships of the Rotterdam and Galicia type is to transport troops and ensure the landing of amphibious assault forces, which is associated with the main features of their appearance. All ships built as part of the joint project have a similar layout. The middle and rear parts of the hull are given over to the placement of a large docking chamber intended for the transportation of amphibious armored vehicles and landing boats. A large box-shaped superstructure is moved towards the bow of the ship. The middle and aft parts of the deck are used as a platform for helicopter take-off and landing.

The dimensions of the dock chamber, cargo decks and cockpits make it possible to transport and ensure the over-the-horizon landing of a battalion of marines with combat and auxiliary equipment. When fully loaded, the HNLMS Rotterdam (L800) is capable of carrying up to 33 main tanks or 170 armored personnel carriers. When transporting a battalion of Marines, food supplies are enough for 10 days of travel.

HNLMS Rotterdam (L800)

The lead landing ship dock for the Royal Netherlands Navy, HNLMS Rotterdam (L800), was built according to the original design, which is why it has smaller dimensions and displacement compared to the next HNLMS Johan de Witt (L801). The ship "Rotterdam" has a length of 166 meters and a maximum width of 25 m. The draft is 5.8 meters. The normal displacement of the ship is 12,750 tons.

The HNLMS Rotterdam (L800) is equipped with a combined diesel-electric propulsion system. The power plant is based on four Stork Wärtsilä 12SW28 diesel generators with a total capacity of 14.6 MW. The generators supply electricity to four electric motors with a total capacity of 12 MW. Electric motors are connected to two propellers, two for each propeller. There is a thruster at the bow of the ship. Such a power plant allows the landing ship to reach speeds of up to 19 knots. Cruising range at economic speed of 12 knots is up to 6000 miles.

The ship's crew consists of 128 people. In addition, the landing quarters can accommodate more than 600 Marines.

The transportation of marines and their equipment determined the layout of the ship. The aft deck is used for helicopter take-off and landing. The landing area has dimensions of 56x25 meters. There is a hangar with an area of ​​510 sq. m, designed for the transportation of helicopters. The Rotterdam can carry and operate six NH90 or four EH-101 helicopters.

The dock chamber at the rear of the hull has a total area of ​​921 square meters. m. This allows you to transport up to six LCU Mk.II landing craft or up to four LCVP. To transport armored vehicles and other equipment, the HNLMS Rotterdam (L800) has a separate deck with an area of ​​903 square meters. m. If necessary, this landing ship can transport over 30 tanks or up to 170 armored personnel carriers.

The landing ship-dock "Rotterdam" carries only defensive duties. These are two Thales Netherland SGE-30 Goalkeeper 30 mm anti-aircraft artillery mounts and four 20 mm Oerlikon automatic cannons.

The laying of the ship HNLMS Rotterdam (L800) took place at the end of January 1996 at the KMS shipyard in the city of Vlissingen. The ship was launched at the end of February 1997, and in April 1998 it became part of the Royal Netherlands Navy. Since then, the ship has repeatedly participated in various exercises and operations. For example, in the spring of 2004, Dutch sailors participated in a humanitarian operation in Liberia.

HNLMS Johan de Witt (L801)

During the first few years of service, the lead ship of the Rotterdam project was used not only to perform combat training missions, but also to gain experience in operating new landing ships. Based on the results of the first years of operation, the fleet command made adjustments to the list of requirements for promising ships of this class. In June 2003, the laying ceremony of the second dock ship took place, which was proposed to be built according to an updated design.

The most noticeable change in the project was the increase in the size and displacement of the ship. HNLMS Johan de Witt (L801) has a length of 176 meters and a maximum beam of 29.2 meters. The draft decreased to 5.55 m. The total displacement increased to 16,680 tons. Due to the use of new equipment, the ship's crew was increased from 128 to 146 people.

The basis of the power plant in the updated project remained four diesel generators. Instead of electric motors turning two propellers, it was decided to use two azimuth thrusters with 5.5 MW electric motors. The thruster in the bow of the ship remains the same. The increase in size and displacement was compensated by the characteristics of the updated power plant. The ship "Johan de Witt" is capable of speeds of up to 19.5 knots. The cruising range remained at the level of the lead ship of the project.

The decks designed to carry payloads have undergone significant changes. Despite the increase in the dimensions of the ship, the crew quarters for the Marine Corps were reduced. HNLMS Johan de Witt (L801) is capable of transporting no more than 550 soldiers with weapons. The dimensions of the flight deck of the new ship have been increased to 58x25 meters. At the same time, the size of the hangar was increased, the area of ​​which reached 600 square meters. m. It should be noted, like the lead ship of the project, the Johan de Witt can only transport six medium helicopters or four heavy ones.

The area of ​​the dock chamber was reduced to 575 square meters. m. The vacated space was given over to two decks for the transportation of combat and auxiliary equipment with an area of ​​960 and 1140 square meters. m. In addition, the ship now has a large compartment for transporting ammunition with a total area of ​​770 square meters. m. A radical redesign of the internal layout of the landing ship led to a reduction in space for landing boats. HNLMS Johan de Witt (L801) can carry no more than 2-4 boats depending on their type. At the same time, the amount of transported equipment has increased significantly, since the area for its placement, in comparison with the Rotterdam ship, has more than doubled.

For self-defense, the Johan de Witt landing ship can use two Thales Netherland SGE-30 Goalkeeper 30 mm anti-aircraft guns and four M2HB heavy machine guns.

HNLMS Johan de Witt (L801) has a command center equipped to command a Royal Netherlands Navy or NATO joint ship group.

The ship "Johan de Witt" was laid down in June 2003 at the KMS shipyard and launched in March 2005. Completion and testing continued until 2007, after which the ship became part of the naval forces.

SPS Galicia (L51) and SPS Castilla (L52)

In 1996, construction of the first landing ship of the new project began at the Spanish shipyard Empresa Nacional Bazán (now Navantina). Ships of the Galicia class (by the name of the lead ship) are largely similar to the Dutch Rotterdam. The Spanish Navy immediately identified its needs and therefore both ships of the Galicia class (SPS Galicia (L51) and SPS Castilla (L52)) were built to the same design without any major changes.

Spanish Galicia-class landing ships have a displacement of 13,000 tons. The length of the ships is 160 meters, width - 25 m. The draft reaches 6.2 m. The design of the Galicia and Castile is similar to that of the Rotterdam. The ships have a large superstructure moved towards the bow and a flight deck for helicopters at the stern. At the rear of the hull there is a voluminous docking chamber for transporting several types of landing craft. There are cockpits for accommodating paratroopers and decks for transported equipment.

Ships of the Galicia type, at the request of the customer, did not receive a combined power plant using diesel and electric engines. For propulsion, the Spanish ships use four Caterpillar 3612 diesel engines with a total power of 16.2 MW. The torque of the engines is transmitted to two shafts with propellers. This power plant allows ships to reach speeds of up to 20 knots. At a speed of 12 knots, the cruising range reaches 6,000 miles.

The crew of the ships SPS Galicia (L51) and SPS Castilla (L52) consists of 115 and 178 people, respectively. This difference is due to the fact that the ship "Castile", unlike the "Galicia", is equipped with two command centers. One of them allows you to command an amphibious operation, and the second is intended to control a naval formation. The ships have a medical unit with two operating rooms, a dental office and 10 beds for patients.

For self-defense, Galicia-class ships carry one 12-barrel Meroka 2B anti-aircraft gun of 20 mm caliber. In addition, there are two 20 mm Oerlikon automatic cannons.

In addition to the crew, the cockpits of the landing ship "Galicia" can accommodate up to 540 paratroopers and 70 people from the aviation group. Due to the larger size of its own crew, the Castile can only carry 400 marines. Premises with a total area of ​​205 square meters are provided for storing weapons and ammunition. m. Under the flight deck there is a hangar with an area of ​​510 sq. m. m. The hangar is designed to transport 2-4 helicopters 5H-3D, NH-90 or AB-212.

In the aft part of the hull there is a dock chamber with an area of ​​885 square meters. m. With such dimensions, it can accommodate up to eight landing craft of various types. It is possible to simultaneously use different types of landing equipment. For the transportation of combat vehicles and auxiliary equipment there is a deck with a total area of ​​1010 square meters. m. The capabilities of the ships make it possible to transport up to 950 tons of equipment, i.e. about 30 tanks or 130 light armored vehicles.

Construction of the SPS Galicia (L51) began in May 1996. The ship was launched in July 1997, and at the end of April 1998 it was accepted into the Spanish Navy. The ship SPS Castilla (L52) was laid down in May 1997. The launch took place in June 1999, and a year later the ship began service in the naval forces.

Both Galicia-class ships serve at the Rota naval base in southern Spain. Over the years of service, they have repeatedly taken part in various exercises. In 2010, the SPS Castilla (L52), equipped with command centers, became the main participant in Operation Hispaniola. On January 12, an earthquake occurred on the island of Haiti. A few days after this, the command of the Spanish Armed Forces decided to help the victims. In the shortest possible time, 4 helicopters, several boats, a mobile field hospital, engineering equipment, water purification plants and other equipment necessary to provide assistance to the victims were loaded onto the Castile. In addition, over 450 soldiers and intelligence officers, as well as 80 doctors, went to Haiti. Over the next three months, the landing ship, its crew, boats and helicopters performed various tasks related to the evacuation of the population and the provision of medical assistance.

Based on materials from sites:
http://naval-technology.com/
http://military-today.com/
http://seaforces.org/
http://navantia.es/
http://amiinter.com/