Australia is accelerating its effort to build new littoral medium landing ships for its armed forces. The first of 18 vessels is expected to be delivered in 2026.
The $2 billion project is part of Canberra’s effort to build a national naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry.
The construction of the Australian Defence Force’s new littoral fleet is expected to create over 3,000 direct and indirect jobs. Austal is building the first of the medium landing craft at its Henderson shipyard in Western Australia. The defense contractor will also build up to eight heavy landing craft.
“Building Australia’s new fleet of landing craft is also part of the government’s commitment to continuous naval shipbuilding in Western Australia and a future made in Australia,” said Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy. “This pipeline of work will result in opportunities for the Australian defense industry and support a highly skilled shipbuilding workforce for years to come.”
The upcoming medium landing ships can transport up to 90 metric tons of cargo and travel up to 2,000 nautical miles when paired with the heavy landing craft.
According to Conroy, the ships will enable the ADF to deploy troops to beaches, rivers and ports in Australia and the Indo-Pacific to support regional military partners and carry out humanitarian and disaster relief operations.