Canberra-class landing helicopter dock

Canberra at Fleet Base East, June 2015
Class overview
Builders:	Navantia, Ferrol, Spain and BAE Systems Australia, Victoria
Operators:	Royal Australian Navy
Preceded by:	HMAS Tobruk, Kanimbla class
Built:	2009–2015
In commission:	2014–present
Planned:	2
Completed:	2
Active:	2
General characteristics
Type:	Landing Helicopter Dock
Displacement:	27,500 tonnes (30,300 short tons; 27,100 long tons) at full load
Length:	230.82 m (757.3 ft)
Beam:	32.0 m (105.0 ft)
Draft:	7.08 m (23.2 ft)
Propulsion:	Combined Diesel and Gas 1 × GE LM2500 gas turbine 2 × Navantia MAN 16V32/40 diesel generators 2 × Siemens Navantia azimuth thrusters
Speed:	Over 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) maximum 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) full-load sustained 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) economical
Range:	9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried:	4 × LLC
Capacity:	Up to 110 vehicles Heavy vehicle deck: 1,410 m2 (15,200 sq ft) Light vehicle deck: 1,880 m2 (20,200 sq ft)
Troops:	1,046 standard 1,600 overload
Complement:	358 personnel; 293 RAN, 62 Australian Army, 3 RAAF
Sensors and processing systems:	Giraffe AMB radar Saab 9LV combat system
Electronic warfare & decoys:	AN/SLQ-25 Nixie towed torpedo decoy Nulka missile decoy
Armament:	4 × Rafael Typhoon 25 mm remote weapons systems 6 × 12.7 mm machine guns
Aircraft carried:	8 helicopters (standard) 18 helicopters (maximum hangar space)
Aviation facilities:	Flight deck with 13 degree ski-jump, 6 in-line deck landing spots

The Canberra class is a ship class of two Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Planning to upgrade the navy's amphibious fleet began in 2000, based on Australian experiences leading the International Force for East Timor peacekeeping operation. With a new climate for growing Australian Navy spending, a desire existed for forward defense capability for landing and supporting troops on Asian territory, that had never existed in Australian history, even with the old Majestic-class light fleet carriers, HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Sydney in the 1970s. In 2004, French company Direction des Constructions Navales (DCN) and Spanish company Navantia were invited to tender proposals, with DCN offering the Mistral-class amphibious assault ship and Navantia proposing the "Buque de Proyección Estratégica" design (later commissioned as Juan Carlos I). The Spanish design was selected in 2007, with Navantia responsible for construction of the ships from the keel to the flight deck, and BAE Systems Australia handling the fabrication of the superstructure and fitting out.

Construction of the first ship, HMAS Canberra, commenced in late 2008, with the hull launched in early 2011, and sea trials in early 2014. Canberra was commissioned in November 2014. Work on the second vessel, HMAS Adelaide, started in early 2010. Adelaide was commissioned in December 2015. They are the largest vessels ever operated by the RAN, with a displacement of 27,500 tonnes (27,100 long tons; 30,300 short tons).