The Australian government has chosen local shipbuilder Austal to construct eight Damen landing craft heavy (LCH) vessels at Henderson shipyard in Western Australia.
The total value is yet to be determined as contract discussions are ongoing, but the company is expected to begin building the first LCH in 2026.
“Austal looks forward to constructing this important new capability for Australia, following the anticipated finalisation of the Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement and commencement of the Landing Craft Medium contract in 2025,” said Austal Limited Chief Executive Paddy Gregg.
Landing Craft Heavy
Dutch firm Damen is in charge of the Australian Defence Force’s LCH design based on its Landing Ship Transport 100 (LST100), while Austal has been contracted for their construction.
Each vessel has a 3,900-ton displacement with an overall length of 100 meters (328 feet) and a width of 16 meters (52 feet).
It is designed to carry over 500 tons of materiel, such as six Abrams Tanks,11 Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicles, or 26 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.
Aside from its cargo function, it can also operate with other vessels to assist in various missions such as troop insertion and extraction, logistics movements, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.
Additionally, the LCH vessel will be equipped with systems for weapons and military communications.
