The Bay-class landing ship dock (LSD)—represented in Australian service by HMAS Choules—is a heavy-lift amphibious vessel originally designed for the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Based on the Dutch Enforcer design, the ship was purchased by Australia in 2011 to provide an immediate boost to amphibious sealift after the early retirement of the Kanimbla-class. The ship’s defining feature is its massive "well dock," which can be flooded to launch and recover landing craft, alongside a flight deck capable of supporting heavy-lift helicopters like the CH-47 Chinook. HMAS Choules acts as a strategic "moving base," capable of delivering hundreds of troops and dozens of armored vehicles to unimproved coastlines, making it invaluable for both combat and humanitarian missions.
