HMAS Choules
Bay Class Landing Ship
HMAS Choules
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.
The Bay-class features a diesel-electric propulsion system, which provides excellent maneuverability and fuel efficiency for a ship of its size (16,000 tonnes).
- Power Plant: Two Wärtsilä 8L26 diesel generators and two Wärtsilä 12V26 diesel generators.
- Total Power: Approximately 12,000 kW.
- Propulsion: Two azimuth thrusters (pods that can rotate 360 degrees). This allows the ship to "crab" sideways and maintain precise positioning during amphibious offloads without the need for tugs.
Performance:
- Max Speed: 18 knots.
- Range: 8,000 nautical miles at 15 knots.