Spain’s Juan Carlos I amphibious assault ship/light aircraft carrier (LHD/CVL) has proven among the most successful big-deck designs operating today. The warship has achieved notable success not only in the Spanish fleet, but also on the export market, where it has led to the two-ship Canberra class for the Royal Australian Navy, and another ship, the Anadolu, being built in Turkey.
Originally known as the Strategic Projection Ship, the Juan Carlos I was ordered in 2004, and built by Navantia Ferrol shipyard. She measures 758 feet long and has a beam of 105 feet. The LHD is the largest warship ever built for Spain and significantly enhances the nation’s amphibious capability while also replacing the retired short-takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) aircraft carrier Príncipe de Asturias. The 26,000-ton Juan Carlos I was laid down in 2005, launched in March 2008, and delivered on 30 September 2010.
The ship has a crew of 295 sailors, and it can transport a 1,200-troop amphibious force that includes equipment and vehicles, command staff, and aviation personnel. The floodable stern well deck can accommodate four LCM-1E landing craft. The flight deck is some 664 feet long, with a 12-degree ski-jump ramp to facilitate rolling takeoffs of STOVL aircraft. Up to 30 medium- and heavy-lift helicopters can operate from the ship for amphibious operations. Ten F-35B Lightning II or AV-8B+ Harrier II STOVL aircraft—Spain operates 12 of the latter—can be operated in the CVL role, along with mix of helicopters.
The ships are powered by a single gas turbine and two diesels, with two podded azimuthal propellers that provide a top speed of 21 knots and a 9,000 nautical-mile range at 15 knots.
Australia’s units, HMAS Canberra and Adelaide, were largely constructed in Spain, although their island modules were built at a number of facilities around Australia and then installed at BAE’s Williamstown Shipyard in Victoria. The ships entered service in 2014 and 2015 respectively, providing a much-needed boost to Australian power projection capabilities. As with the Juan Carlos I, the Canberra class boasts extensive medical facilities and is widely respected worldwide for its humanitarian assistance capabilities. In early 2021, the Adelaide assisted with disaster relief off Fiji following cyclone Yasa, while this past June the Canberra participated in exercises involving more than 1,000 amphibious personnel, helicopters, landing craft, M1A1 main battle tanks, and other vehicles.
Turkey is the third nation to invest its maritime future in the Juan Carlos I design. The Anadolu is nearing completion at Sedef Shipyard in Istanbul, Turkey, and expected in service by 2022. A second Turkish ship of the class reportedly is planned. Although sensors and self-defense armament differ among the Spanish, Australian, and Turkish variants, their design has remained remarkably similar and adaptable for a wide array of operations worldwide.
