Mistral-class amphibious LHD
The Mistral-class is a class of five amphibious assault ships, also known as a helicopter carrier, of the French Navy. Referred to as "projection and command ships" (French: bâtiments de projection et de commandement or BPC), a Mistral-class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 NH90 or Tiger helicopters, four landing barges, up to 70 vehicles including 13 AMX Leclerc tanks, or a 40-strong Leclerc tank battalion, and 450 soldiers. The ships are equipped with a 69-bed hospital and are capable of serving as part of a NATO Response Force, or with United Nations or European Union peace-keeping forces.
| Type: | Amphibious assault ship - LHD |
|---|---|
| Displacement: | 16,500 tonnes (empty) 21,300 tonnes (full load) |
| Length: | 199 m (653 ft) |
| Beam: | 32 m (105 ft) |
| Draught: | 6.3 m (21 ft) |
| Installed power: | 3 Wärtsilä diesel-alternators 16 V32 (6.2 MW) + 1 Wärtsilä Vaasa auxiliary diesel-alternator 18V200 (3 MW) |
| Propulsion: | 2 Rolls-Royce Mermaid azimuth thrusters (2 × 7 MW), 2 five-bladed propellers |
| Speed: | 18.8 knots (35 km/h) |
| Range: | 10,800 km (5,800 nmi) at 18 knots (33 km/h) 19,800 kilometres (10,700 nmi) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Boats & landing craft carried: |
4 CTM (chaland de transport de matériel) alternatively, 2 LCAC (Landing Craft, Air Cushion) |
| Capacity: | 59 vehicles (including 13 AMX Leclerc tanks) or a 40-strong Leclerc tank battalion |
| Troops: | 900 (short duration) 450 (long durations) 150 (serving as operational headquarters) |
| Complement: | 20 officers, 80 petty officers, 60 quarter-masters |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
DRBN-38A Decca Bridgemaster E250 navigation radar MRR3D-NG air/surface sentry radar 2 optronic fire control systems |
| Armament: | 2 × Simbad systems 2 x NARWHAL 20mm RWS[3] 2 x 7,62 × 51 mm M134 miniguns 4 × 12.7 mm M2-HB Browning machine guns |
| Aircraft carried: | 16 heavy or 35 light helicopters |
| Aviation facilities: | 6 helicopter landing spots |
From memory, this is the vessel the Australian ADF/RAN originally wanted, slightly smaller to what they got, doesn't have the ski ramp.
In 2012 the Mistral-class amphibious assault ship cost €451.6 million. Add inflation to 2021 Euro's it would cost €490.2 million. This is $815.29 NZD. Now again add the inflation of 2% and in 2029 $955 million. But the deal would be made and signed in around 2025/26 and the inflated cost would be $900 million. But again getting it built in South Korea or Singapore would lower costs. Also it is 1 billion + and the + is another variable we don't know... how much of a plus will they be willing to go over.
The problem is that if the deal is signed in around 2025/26 then it is only 3 or 4 years before it enters service in 2029. That even for the South Korean's is pushing it to build and fit out a vessel of this scale in that time frame.
There is also the Mistral 140 which is not as large and only has 5 helo spots etc, which would make her cheaper to build. It would meet the requirements and I do like the design.
