Dock ships. Amphibious dock ships Rotterdam and Galicia (Netherlands and Spain)

Alexey Zakvasin

The United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) intends to implement a number of promising projects. In the coming years, Russia will begin building 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 appearance of universal and landing ships, the Navy will be able to more effectively perform tasks in the oceans.

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

Alexei Rakhmanov, President of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), told reporters about plans to strengthen Russia's 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 vessels. We are talking about "baby" ships that will operate within cities such as Moscow or St. Petersburg, and even about powerful icebreakers. Three or four years is, in our opinion, the period during which the first pilot project of the LNG vessel will be ready,” Rakhmanov said.

He explained that USC has gained experience in building such vessels at the Finnish shipyard Arctech Helsinki Shipyard. This company is owned by the United Shipbuilding Corporation, but must be sold before February 2019 due to earlier sanctions.

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

The head of the 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 Arctech Helsinki Shipyard had already built an icebreaker powered by liquefied natural gas. Rakhmanov stressed that for Russia "this is a unique solution." However, in order to use LNG, it is necessary to build infrastructure facilities (primarily storage facilities for this fuel).

In an interview with RT, Dmitry Drozdenko, a columnist for Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, 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 are 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 carries. We are developing dynamically, confirming that liquefied gas can be used on tankers carrying this energy carrier. For Russia, this will be an inexpensive and effective solution,” Drozdenko explained.

Reinforcement of the marines

One of major areas work of USC can become the development of the project 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 add-ons that are designed to perform various combat missions."

“We are talking about ships that, depending on the installation of deck structures, can serve as helicopter carriers and universal landing ships, and, possibly, aircraft carriers. However, in my opinion, this is a controversial proposal, since modular designs are not widely used in the navies of other states due to the difficulty in replacing them. In addition, the final decision on this project, as far as I understand, has not yet been made, ”said Vasily Dandykin, captain of the 1st rank of the reserve, in an interview 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 Research Center (KGNTs, St. Petersburg) presented a displacement of 23 thousand tons. According to officials, the construction of two such ships is included in the State Armaments Program (SAP) for 2018-2027.

According to the materials of the KGNTs, the length of the promising UDC is 200 m, the width is 34 m, the speed is 14–20 knots (26–37 km/h), the cruising range is 6 thousand miles (9.6 thousand km), autonomy is 30 days. "Priboy" can receive an air defense system and a 76-mm artillery mount, however, during the campaign, the UDC should be covered by a group of attack ships.

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

• Layout UDC "Surf"

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

“The need of the Navy for ships of this class is extremely high. 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, the delivery of goods 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 (BDK) according to the updated project 11711. According to Alexei Rakhmanov, the design of the hull of the new vessels will be somewhat different from the lead ship "Ivan Gren".

In June 2018 on shipyard"Yantar" (Kaliningrad) took place - the lead ship of project 11711. After that, it made the transition to the place of deployment of the Northern Fleet. In February-March 2019, tests of Pyotr Morgunov, the second large landing ship of this series, will start.

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, up to 13 tanks or more than 30 armored vehicles can be placed in the internal compartments of the BDK. The decks of "Gren" and "Morgunov" are intended for the parking of one transport helicopter and two multi-purpose Ka-27s.

• BDK "Pyotr Morgunov"
• Shipyard "Yantar"

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

“Ideally, Russia needs to build 6-8 Project 11711 ships in the coming years. 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 BDKs will provide the necessary temporary groundwork for the development of a new generation landing ship, ”summed up Dandykin.

On the topic of questions in the topic about the Norwegian frigate https://colonelcassad.livejour... "What about the sunken floating dock?"
So far, everything is bad with the floating dock, yesterday in "Vzglyad" detailed material on the topic was published.

Admiral Kuznetsov. About the situation with sabotage on the floating dock PD-50

The VZGLYAD newspaper became aware of the new circumstances of the accident, which sent one of the most important and expensive offshore structures in Russia, the floating dock PD-50, to the bottom. It was in it that the most powerful ships of the Navy were serviced, including the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. Now we can assume who is responsible for the accident and whether it is possible to return the dock to service. The causes of the accident that occurred in the last days of October in the Murmansk region will be the subject of heated debate among specialists for a long time to come. Of course, the investigation will have the last word. But even today it can be assumed that the main reasons for the death of the largest dock in the Arctic were not “power outages”, but a symbiosis of incompetence and negligence of officials responsible for the operation of this engineering structure.

Fool protection

In principle, flooding the dock, excluding the apocalyptic scenarios of being blown up by saboteurs or rammed by a passing dry cargo ship, is not just a complicated matter, but extremely difficult. In simple terms, any floating dock (PD) is a complex of pontoons shackled by a single hull. Between themselves, the pontoons are connected by jumpers, which, in addition to various kinds of hydraulic devices, can be easily closed manually.

The safety guarantee of any PD is a reliable and easy-to-use inclinometer. The device, known to every schoolchild, is a banal plumb line located above the target. If the plumb line is strictly in the center, then the dock has no roll and trim. If there is a deviation, then undesirable trends are leveled by pumping or draining diagonally opposite ballast compartments.

Power outages (one of the versions of the accident), of course, can add confusion to these events. However, almost all dock cofferdams (if they are operational) can be opened and closed manually. The senior on board has more than enough time for such a correction of the situation. After all, the filling of ballast tanks occurs naturally sea ​​water into sealed compartments. The process of immersing the dock to the operational depth lasts more than 5 hours.

It is completely incomprehensible how, with a sudden disconnection from the power supply, the valves of individual PD-50 tanks were open, while others were not. And why was the docking operation carried out on the so-called shore power? The common rules state that the docking and exit of the ships from the dock, in order not to depend on any circumstances from the outside, must take place on board food. That is, electricity must be provided by its own diesel generators, and the cable from the nearest coastal substation is considered only as a backup source.

That is, in fact, the dockmaster or the person replacing him had plenty of time and money to level the dock. Even if for this it was necessary to leave the floating repair complex in a semi-submerged (but not flooded) state.
A reasonable question arises: why such a reliable security system and quite clear instructions did not become foolproof? Who and why in the end drowned the most important building at the cost of billions of rubles?

Without diluting responsibility

Dock operation is a complex set of activities. Try to put a ship a hundred or more meters long on docking cages with a margin of error of a few centimeters. Large deviations threaten a fatal outcome. If the unit being repaired does not land on specially built (and calculated) supports, unpleasant incidents are possible: from damage to the side skin, various outboard equipment - from fairings to the propeller-steering group and to breaking the hull.

Therefore, any docking operation is prepared in advance. A plan is developed, coordinated with the management of the plant, the commander of the docked ship and the captains of the tugs are instructed by the dockmaster. All the nuances are taken into account - from weather, ice conditions and visibility conditions to providing everything necessary for the dock before it starts. At the slightest deviation from the plan, the dockmaster is obliged to stop the ascent and dive and report everything to the coastal authorities.

Therefore, another assumption about the causes of the accident is that it was caused by some independent action dock crew - just an attempt to find the switchman on duty.

Those who complain about the “old age and wear and tear” of a floating structure are missing one important circumstance. Every year in May-June, any dock is tested for safe operation, during which almost all mechanisms are inspected, and all responsible persons are also examined. After such an audit, a repair estimate is drawn up, and the issue of confirming personnel for admission to management is also resolved.

Such an audit is the responsibility of the factory authorities.

Impromptu Operation

Hence the most important question - was there a planned dock operation that day? That is, was a plan drawn up, all the actions of the team prepared? If so, the actions of both the command of the dock and the leadership on the shore do not lend themselves to any sound logic. In any case, specialists had enough time to prevent a catastrophe and localize the degree of damage.

However, according to the VZGLYAD newspaper, no operation was planned that day. And the accident happened spontaneously. Just after the cruiser was docked (it happened quite a long time ago), a number of outboard valves could not be closed due to ice clogged in the necks. Water entered the compartments in small volumes. And a “wise decision” was made - to maintain a zero roll and trim of the dock with the help of ballast pumps that worked on shore power.

But shore food suddenly disappeared. Something happened - maybe an accident at the substation, maybe something else. This left the dock crew with the obvious: there was no fuel to run the onboard diesel generators (if they were operational at all). Instead of recalling the instructions when an emergency situation occurred, the team began to act on a hunch that contradicted the theory of stability.

How exactly the team acted - the investigation will show. But it is already an indisputable fact that the primary measures that would have prevented such consequences have not been implemented. In particular, the ballast of the dock is not organized by means of the natural flow of water through the lintels into the compartments diagonally opposite to those already filled, which would even out the list of the dock. It is also unclear why, during a critical roll, members of the upper (bosun's) team remained on the dock towers, which almost led to the death of personnel. With all their desire, they could not keep the cranes from falling, and the Kuznetsov was already wound up on the towing lines.

The fact that the Admiral Kuznetsov was not ready to leave speaks in favor of the version of the unplanned operation. If so, it remains only to thank fate that overnight the Northern Fleet did not lose its flagship. We must pay tribute to the crew of the ship, which not only ensured the viability of the cruiser, but also saved the lives of several members of the dock crew in these circumstances.

However, the dock could not be saved.

What to do?

To date, the dock is in a flooded state. According to some sources who consider themselves competent, from sliding into a hole about 100 meters deep, the floating complex holds back the air remaining in the compartments of the towers.

We venture to suggest that this statement is not true enough. In fact, the PD-50 is fixed in such a half-position not due to an air cushion, but due to dock anchors, of which this structure has more than a dozen. And also due to the natural relief holes of the bottom, obtained by contact of a massive complex with a rocky bottom.

If, as the divers claim, numerous cracks in the plating were discovered during the inspection, one should not have illusions that someday the PD-50 will again open its batoports for ships to enter. The very lifting of a cracked repair structure seems not only prohibitively expensive, but also pointless.

A ship-lifting operation of this magnitude will require many months of preparation, the manufacture of special equipment, and the cost, perhaps, will be comparable to the price of a new similar dock. But even after rising to the surface, the question arises: how to reliably replace a significant part of the underwater bottom plating? To seal holes below the waterline, the dock... will need another dock! But a repair facility of this size, in which it will be possible to put the PD-50, in the world this moment just doesn't exist.

Buying a similar dock in the short term also looks unrealistic. There are still no stores in the world where you can easily go in and buy yourself a dock of the required parameters. The same PD-50 was built in Sweden for four years on a special order from the USSR.

Therefore, the consequences of the incident in Roslyakovo directly jeopardized the combat capability of one of the most significant Russian fleets, and indeed the entire Navy as a whole. And it's not just the billions in losses.

The fact is that in the coming years, the two leading warships of the Russian Navy - "Admiral Kuznetsov" and "Peter the Great" - lost their repair base. Well, don’t drive powerful cruisers every time Far East, where there is a dock similar in terms of carrying capacity. And it is almost impossible to predict when unscheduled repairs will be needed.

Docking is needed for all ships and ships, not only during modernization and overhaul. The maintenance of any unit in working order depends on regular inter-voyage dock inspections. There are also emergency situations (the ship winds a fishing trawl on the propeller, etc.), when placing a PD on the slipway deck is the best option for solving the problem.

And without repair, the ship is not combat-ready. Thus, the conclusion suggests itself: the PD-50 accident, in fact, disabled the two most powerful ships of the Russian Navy, and those who were responsible for the maintenance of the dock and its technical readiness are to blame for this.

https://vz.ru/society/2018/11/... - zinc

There seem to be three options.

1. If the damage to the dock is subject to repair, then it is possible to raise and restore its operability. If it is not possible to buy abroad, build a new one or overtake ships to the Pacific Fleet, then despite the cost of the work, this will have to be done. The most worthless option, when the dock disappeared completely, and you won’t be able to buy it abroad.

Chinese shipyard COSCO in Dalian.

2. If the damage cannot be repaired, then you must either build a new one (which is extremely unlikely) or buy it abroad. In Europe, they probably won’t sell it (because sanctions, and the United States will not miss the opportunity to block such a deal if negotiations go seriously), so the real option is China (possibly Japan), but even in this case, during the construction of a new dock, the Northern Fleet will remain without the necessary repair facilities for several years. China has extensive experience in the construction of floating docks of various sizes, including the giant dock in Dalian (the Chinese actually have 2 docks there - one for 300,000 tons, the other for 180,000 http://www.bogdanos-marine.gr/...), which can receive aircraft carriers and supertankers. The question here is rather the price of such a project and the timing of its implementation, because the dock is needed now, but it is not there, and the planned terms for the modernization of Admiral Kuznetsov have already been obviously disrupted.

3. Send big ships at the Pacific Fleet, where there is a floating dock PD-41 http://russianships.info/vspom... (Japanese-built), which can receive ships with a displacement of 80,000 tons, which is enough to service both Admiral Kuznetsov and Peter the Great.
An alternative is the PD-190 floating dock in Novrossiysk, which can accommodate ships with a displacement of 60,000 tons. Distilling these docks to the Northern Fleet means leaving either the Pacific Fleet or the Black Sea Fleet without large docks. The Black Sea Fleet, of course, can be interrupted, all the same, from the ships of the first rank, only "Moscow" remained here.

PD-41.

PD-190.

In general, the problem, of course, does not look unsolvable, but at the same time we have serious damage to the country's defense capability, significant costs that the state will have to bear one way or another, and a weakening of the capabilities of the Northern Fleet in the next few years.
Guilty for good should be imprisoned for considerable periods, but this, of course, will not fix the damage caused.

PS. The title photo shows a photo from November 4, where a crane from the sunken floating dock PD-50 lies on the deck of the Admiral Kuznetsov.

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 Pyotr Morgunov large landing craft 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 been around since people first felt the need for water transportation.
Modern ships are one of the most complex structures. The ship is being built for a long time and requires significant capital investments. Taking into account related industries, shipbuilding gives work to a large number of people employed in industry.
At present, China is leading in civil shipbuilding, South Korea and Japan. In 2018, companies from these countries received 66% of all ship orders (by value). In total, 1,467 vessels were ordered in 2018 with a total tonnage of 51.4 thousand registered tons. But in general, the global shipbuilding market has been in decline since 2010.
There are 268 shipbuilding enterprises in Russia, of which 86 are state-owned. The largest centers Russian shipbuilding are St. Petersburg, Severodvinsk, Nizhny Novgorod and the Kaliningrad region. In total, more than a thousand enterprises are engaged 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.

Armament

Built ships

11 ships LPD 4-10, LPD 12-15

Type Austin(rus. "Austin") - American landing helicopter dock ships that were in the service of the US Navy from 1965 to 2015. A total of 11 ships of this type were produced, 1 was converted into a command ship (USS Coronado 1966, AGF-11) and one order cancelled. For a long service life ships type Austin participated in the Vietnam War, in 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 capacious cargo compartment, the ability to load and transport ground equipment and personnel, and are also equipped to provide air support to landing troops. Relative differences between the main classes of landing ships are presented below (see table).

"Landing helicopter dock ship" (synonym - helicopter carrier) - a type of aircraft carriers, specially designed to carry helicopters and aircraft of the GDP and therefore do not have aircraft take-off and landing equipment (catapults, landing cables). As a rule, it is also an anti-submarine or landing ship. May have several aircraft with vertical or ultra-short takeoff in the air group.

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

History of creation

Landing helicopter carriers appeared in the mid-1950s under the influence of the successful use of helicopters for the landing of marines during the Korean War of 1950-1953. As a result of the landing operations, the concept of "vertical coverage" was developed, which provided for the landing of the first wave of troops with the help of helicopters, followed by the capture of enemy strongholds, and then the unhindered landing of the rest of the troops and equipment. USS became the first landing helicopter carrier Thetis Bay(1944) (rus. "Tethys Bay", an escort aircraft carrier of the Casablanca type, rebuilt in 1955-1956 for basing amphibious assault helicopters and accommodating marine units. These large ships are capable of delivering from 900 to 2,000 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 landing helicopters, fire support helicopters and attack aircraft with airborne assault aircraft, and are also the headquarters for managing the landing operation.

predecessors

Preceding type Austin type relay had several critical differences. Firstly, relay was somewhat smaller and, accordingly, could carry less cargo; secondly, on relay the helicopter hangar was not equipped.

Design

The earliest class (LSD) is mainly 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 maintenance facilities. The main advantage of these ships is the ability to quickly and conveniently load military equipment directly from land through the gates leading to the dock.

The largest representatives (LHA and LHD) resemble mini-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 of an expeditionary force battalion with full equipment and military equipment. At the same time, up to 30 helicopters and 6 TRS can be based on LHA and LHD Harrier with fixed wings. If necessary, the group Harrier could be increased to 20 aircraft. Also, this subclass can serve aircraft based on other ships, such as LPD.

An intermediate option is landing helicopter dock ships (LPD), which just include types Austin And San Antonio. They have a capacious dock, a large cargo hold and are already equipped with a fixed helipad 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 a USS command ship. Coronado(AGF-11). The order for the construction of LPD-16 was canceled and, therefore, a total of 11 ships were built. Among the ships of the type, I sometimes distinguish two separate subtypes that have some design differences: subtype Cleveland and subtype Trenton.

Design description

Frame

The main advantage of ships of this class is a significant capacity, carrying capacity, the presence of a helipad and a hangar. During the landing, the stern of the ship is “flooded”, and the stern gates of the well deck open. Landing barges and boats transport equipment and drugs. Then the water from the docking chamber is pumped out, and the ship takes its original state. When loading, actions occur in reverse order.

The ramps allow amphibious transport vehicles to pass between the flight deck, the helicopter parking area and the well deck. Landing Craft Docks (LPDs) have shorter well decks than Landing Craft Docks (LSDs) and provide more space to accommodate landing craft. (Dockroom length landing transport dock- 51.2 m, landing ship-dock - 120 m, mirina of both 15.3 m each). On ships like Austin unlike its predecessors, there was already a hangar with dimensions of 17.7-19.5 m in length and 5.6-7.3 m in width. The deck had 2 landing sites for helicopters.

Type ships 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

Ships of the type were equipped with 2 turbo gear units DeLaval 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 the type ships consisted of 410-447 people. The transports could take on board 840-930 marines and 2500 tons of cargo.

Armament

Ships of the type were equipped with automatic anti-aircraft and anti-missile guns: 2 × 25-mm guns Mk 38.2x Phalanx CIWS and 8 machine guns.50-cal.

Aviation armament

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

Communications, detection, auxiliary equipment

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

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

One LCU or LCAC type landing craft, four LCM-8 type boats or nine LCM-6 type boats are intended for direct landing on the shore, which are placed in a docking chamber, 24 × AAV (see table).

Modernizations and conversions

Twin 76 mm guns Mk 33 carry out firing exercises from the board Austin(LPD-4) in 1976.

Type ships Austin initially 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.

Spain and the Netherlands were the leading maritime powers several centuries ago, but later lost their power. However, they did not lose their 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 supposed to create a promising landing ship-dock that meets the requirements of the navies of the two countries.

A joint project

When developing landing ships for the navies of the Netherlands and Spain, the requirements of both sides were taken into account. At the same time, the ships should have had some differences, due to the peculiarities of their future service and the wishes of the Navy command. As a result of this, despite the common "roots", the amphibious dock ships of the navies of the Netherlands and Spain differ markedly from each other. According to the names of the lead ships, the Dutch project was designated Rotterdam-class, Spanish - Galicia-class.

HNLMS Rotterdam (L800)

S.P.S. Galicia (L51)

The 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 the middle of 1997 the ships were launched. About a year later, 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 are the main features of their appearance. All ships built under the joint project have a similar layout. The middle and aft parts of the hull are given over to the placement of a large dock chamber designed to transport amphibious armored vehicles and landing craft. A large box-shaped superstructure is shifted to the bow of the ship. The middle and aft parts of the deck are given over to the platform for take-off and landing of helicopters.

The dimensions of the dock chamber, cargo decks and cabins make it possible to transport and provide over-the-horizon landing of a marine battalion with military 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 project, 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 meters. The draft is 5.8 meters. The normal displacement of the ship is 12750 tons.

The ship 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. The electric motors are connected to two propellers, two for each propeller. In the bow of the ship there is a thruster. Such a power plant allows the landing craft to reach speeds of up to 19 knots. Cruising range at an economic speed of 12 knots - up to 6000 miles.

The crew of the ship consists of 128 people. In addition, more than 600 marines can be accommodated in the landing quarters.

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

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

Landing ship-dock "Rotterdam" carries only defensive. These are two Thales Netherland SGE-30 Goalkeeper 30mm anti-aircraft guns and four 20mm Oerlikon automatic cannons.

The laying of the ship HNLMS Rotterdam (L800) took place at the end of January 1996 at the KMS shipyard in Vlissingen. The ship was launched at the end of February 1997, and in April 1998 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 tasks, 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 ship-dock took place, which was proposed to be built according to an updated project.

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

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

Decks designed to carry payloads have undergone significant changes. Despite the increase in the dimensions of the ship, the cabins for the marines were reduced. HNLMS Johan de Witt (L801) is capable of carrying no more than 550 fighters 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, Johan de Witt can only carry six medium helicopters or four heavy ones.

The area of ​​the dock chamber has decreased to 575 square meters. m. The vacated space was given over to two decks for the transportation of military and auxiliary equipment with an area of ​​960 and 1140 square meters. m. In addition, the ship has a large compartment for the transport of ammunition with a total area of ​​770 square meters. m. Cardinal processing of the internal layout of the landing craft has led to a reduction in space for landing craft. 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 significantly increased, since the area for its placement, in comparison with the Rotterdam ship, has more than doubled.

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

The ship HNLMS Johan de Witt (L801) has a command center with equipment that allows you to manage a ship formation of the Royal Netherlands Navy or a joint NATO 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, at the Spanish shipyard Empresa Nacional Bazán (now Navantina), construction began on the first landing dock ship of the new project. Ships of the Galicia class (by the name of the head ship) are largely similar to the Dutch Rotterdam. The Spanish Navy immediately decided on its needs and therefore both ships of the Galicia type (SPS Galicia (L51) and SPS Castilla (L52)) were built according to the same project without any major changes.

Spanish amphibious dock ships of the Galicia type have a displacement of 13,000 tons. The length of the ships is 160 meters, the width is 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, shifted to the bow, and a flight deck for helicopters at the stern. In the stern of the hull there is a volumetric dock chamber for the transportation of several types of landing craft. There are cockpits for placing 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. To move the Spanish ships use four Caterpillar 3612 diesel engines with a total capacity of 16.2 MW. The torque of the engines is transmitted to two shafts with propellers. Such a 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 Castile ship, unlike the Galicia, is equipped with two command centers. One of them allows you to command the landing operation, and the second is intended to control the ship connection. The ships have a medical block with two operating rooms, a dental office and 10 beds for patients.

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

In the cockpits of the landing ship "Galicia", in addition to the crew, up to 540 paratroopers and 70 people from the aviation group can be accommodated. Due to the greater number of its own crew, Castile can only take 400 marines on board. For the storage of weapons and ammunition, premises with a total area of ​​​​205 square meters are provided. m. Under the flight deck there is a hangar with an area of ​​510 square meters. The hangar is designed to carry 2-4 5H-3D, NH-90 or AB-212 helicopters.

In the aft part of the hull there is a dock chamber with an area of ​​885 sq. m. With such dimensions, it can accommodate up to eight landing craft of various types. Simultaneous use of different types of landing craft is possible. 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 allow you to transport up to 950 tons of equipment, i.e. about 30 tanks or 130 light armored vehicles.

Construction of the ship SPS Galicia (L51) began in May 1996. The ship was launched in July 1997, and at the end of April 1998 was accepted into the Spanish Navy. The SPS Castilla (L52) was laid down in May 1997. In June of the 99th, the launching took place, and a year later the ship began serving as part of the naval forces.

Both Galicia-class ships serve at the Rota naval base in southern Spain. Over the years of service, they repeatedly took part in various exercises. In 2010, the ship SPS Castilla (L52), equipped with command centers, became the main participant in the operation "Hispaniola". On January 12, an earthquake hit the island of Haiti. A few days later, the command of the armed forces of Spain decided to help the victims. IN as soon as possible 4 helicopters, several boats, a mobile field hospital, engineering equipment, water treatment plants and other equipment necessary to assist 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 care.

According to the websites:
http://naval-technology.com/
http://military-today.com/
http://seaforces.org/
http://navantia.es/
http://amiinter.com/

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