Bay-class landing ship

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The Bay class is a ship class of four dock landing ships built for the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) during the 2000s. They are based on the Dutch-Spanish Royal Schelde Enforcer design, and replaced the Template:Sclass2 logistics ships. Two ships each were ordered from Swan Hunter and BAE Systems Naval Ships. Construction work started in 2002, but saw major delays and cost overruns, particularly at Swan Hunter's shipyard. In mid-2006, Swan Hunter was stripped of work, and the incomplete second ship was towed to BAE's shipyard for completion. All four ships, Template:Ship, Template:Ship, Template:Ship, and Template:Ship had entered service by 2007.

Since entering service, the Bay-class ships have been used for amphibious operations, training of the Iraqi Navy in the Persian Gulf, counter-drug deployments in the Caribbean, and relief operations following the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In 2010, Largs Bay was removed from service as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. She was sold to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 2011, who operate her as Template:HMAS.

Since 2020, the RFA has used the ships for littoral warfare as part of Littoral Response Groups. The ships are expected to serve with the RFA into the 2030s, after which they are expected to be replaced by new Multi-Role Support Ships.

DevelopmentEdit

The Bay class was designed as a replacement for the five Template:Sclass2 logistics ships operated by the RFA.<ref name=Saunders876/> Planning for the class began in the 1990s, after the original intent to modernise and extend the service life of three Round Tables ran into problems with extensive corrosion and problems implementing new safety standards.<ref name=Scott030811>Scott, Sweating the asset: versatility is the key to LSD(A) multi-tasking</ref> After the first Round Table returned to service two years late and after excessive cost, the Ministry of Defence began to investigate the acquisition of new ships.<ref name=Scott030811/>

In April 2000, the MoD released an Invitation to Tender for two ships under a budget of £150 million, with the option to acquire three more.<ref name=Scott030811/> Appledore Shipbuilders, BAE Systems Naval Ships and Swan Hunter submitted tenders, but only Swan Hunter's design met all the tender requirements, at a price of £148 million.<ref name=NAO07>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A shortfall of work for BAE's Govan yard led to fears that it could not deliver the Type 45 destroyers and Template:Sclasss planned for later in the decade, so the Treasury agreed to fund an additional two LSDs to be built at Govan.<ref name=NAO07 />

ConstructionEdit

The contract for Template:Ship and Template:Ship was awarded to Swan Hunter on 18 December 2000 and the £122 million contract for Template:Ship and Template:Ship was awarded to BAE on 19 November 2001.<ref name=NAO07 /> Construction on Largs Bay started at Swan Hunter on 28 January 2002, and on Mounts Bay at BAE on 25 August 2002.<ref name=Saunders876>Saunders (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships 2008-2009, p. 876</ref>

Swan Hunter struggled to manage the project and contain costs; only 7% of the design drawings were provided on time and more than 52% were over a year late.<ref name=NAO07 /> Swan Hunter's owner, Jaap Kroese, has blamed the MoD for continually changing the specifications.<ref name=Kroese>Template:Cite news</ref> The extent of the problems only came to light in September 2003, when Swan Hunter said they could not fulfill the contract at the agreed price.<ref name=NAO07 /> In November 2004, progress on Largs Bay was delayed by water entering two engines during engine trials, putting the planned first of class behind work on BAE's first ship.<ref name=NAO07 /> The following month the government agreed to pay Swan Hunter an extra £84 million under new contract terms, but in June 2005 Swan Hunter said that they still could not finish the job within budget.<ref name=NAO07 /> This led to their contract being cancelled and BAE taking over the project in July 2006.<ref name=NAO07 /> In total Swan Hunter had been paid £342 million and BAE £254 million, making a total of £596 million for the four ships.<ref name=NAO07 />

File:Govan Shipbuilders - geograph.org.uk - 465129.jpg

Lyme Bay being fitted out at BAE's Govan shipyard in early 2007. The hull of this vessel was built by Swan Hunter on the river Tyne, but was transferred to BAE for completion in 2006.

Mounts Bay entered service in July 2006,<ref name=Saunders876/> followed by Largs Bay in November of that year, 28 months later than originally planned.<ref name=NAO07 /> The incomplete Lyme Bay was towed to Govan for completion by BAE.<ref name=Armstrong>Armstrong, Last Ship Leaves the Tyne</ref><ref>BBC News, Unfinished ship arrives on Clyde</ref> Lyme Bay was dedicated on 26 November 2007; the last ship of the class to enter RFA service.<ref name=Saunders876/> The ship was the only warship built by Swan Hunter but not completed; she marked the end of shipbuilding on the Tyne, as soon afterwards Swan Hunter sold its equipment to India and reinvented itself as an engineering consultancy.<ref name=Armstrong/><ref name=Kroese />

CharacteristicsEdit

The Bay class is certified as a class 1 passenger ship, with design similarities to ro-pax ferries.<ref name=Scott030811/> The design is based on the Royal Schelde Enforcer, a joint project between the Dutch and Spanish resulting in the Template:Sclass and Template:Sclass amphibious warfare ships.<ref name=Saunders876/> The main difference is that the British ships have no helicopter hangar.<ref>Kemp, New UK landing ship takes to the water</ref> The ships were originally designated Auxiliary Landing Ship Logistics (ALSL), but this was changed in 2002 to Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary) (LSD(A)), better reflecting their operational role and bringing them into line with the NATO designation for the Royal Schelde vessels.<ref name=Scott030811/><ref name=Scott>Scott, The Royal Navy's Future Fleet</ref>

The Bay-class ships have a full load displacement of Template:Convert.<ref name=Saunders876/> They are Template:Convert long, with a beam of Template:Convert, and a draught of Template:Convert.<ref name=Saunders876/> Propulsion power is provided by two Wärtsilä 8L26 generators, providing Template:Convert, and two Wärtsilä 12V26 generators, providing Template:Convert.<ref name=Saunders876/> These are used to drive two steerable azimuthing thrusters, with a bow thruster supplementing.<ref name=Saunders876/> Maximum speed is Template:Convert, and the Bay-class ships can achieve a range of Template:Convert at Template:Convert.<ref name=Saunders876/> The ships were designed to receive an armament of two Phalanx CIWS, two manual 30 mm DS30B cannon and various small arms, but the exact weapons fit varies within the class.

In British service, the everyday ship's company consisted of 60 to 70 RFA personnel, with this number supplemented by members of the British Armed Forces when the ships are deployed operationally.<ref name=Saunders876/><ref name=KerrAA>Kerr, Amphibious Ambitions</ref><ref name=LargsHaiti>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> For example, Largs BayTemplate:'s deployment in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake saw her sail with a core crew of 70, plus 40 Royal Logistic Corps personnel for boat- and cargo-handling duties, and 17 from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines for security and related tasks.<ref name=LargsHaiti/> Australia operates Choules with a permanent crew of 158 including a Ship's Army Department of 22.<ref name=Choules20120319>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

As a sealift ship, each Bay-class vessel is capable of carrying up to 24 Challenger 2 tanks or 150 light trucks in 1,150 linear metres of space, with stern- and side-ramp access to the vehicle deck.<ref name=Saunders876/><ref name=Scott030811/> The cargo capacity is equivalent of 200 tons of ammunition, or 24 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers.<ref name=Saunders876/> During normal conditions, a Bay-class ship can carry 356 soldiers, but this can be almost doubled to 700 in overload conditions.<ref name=Saunders876/> The flight deck is capable of handling helicopters up to the size of Chinooks, as well as Merlin helicopters and Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.<ref name=Saunders876/><ref name=Scott/> There is no hangar for long-term embarkation of a helicopter, although a temporary shelter can be fitted to house a Merlin or smaller helicopter.<ref name=Scott030811/> The well dock can carry one LCU Mark 10 or two LCVPs, and two Mexeflotes can be suspended from the ship's flanks.<ref name=Saunders876/><ref name=Scott/> Two 30-ton cranes are fitted between the superstructure and the flight deck.<ref name=Saunders876/> Internal passages are wide enough to allow two fully kitted marines to pass each other.<ref name=Scott030811/>

Operational historyEdit

File:"Largs Bay L3006" in Portland harbour - geograph.org.uk - 1458486.jpg

RFA Largs Bay in Portland Harbour, August 2009

In 2006 Mounts Bay took part in Operation Vela, a major amphibious exercise off West Africa.<ref name=NAO07 />

In mid-April 2007, Cardigan Bay sailed for "Operation Orion 07", a four-month deployment to the Mediterranean.Template:Citation needed From 2008 until the end of 2010, Cardigan Bay was used to accommodate and train personnel of the Iraqi Navy under the tutelage of Royal Navy and United States Navy personnel.<ref name=Scott030811/> During this time, the ship operated almost exclusively in the Persian Gulf.<ref name=Scott030811/>

In late November 2007, Largs Bay was deployed to the Caribbean for counter-drug operations.<ref name="RN">Royal Navy, 815 Naval Air Squadron in RFA Largs Bay</ref> During the deployment, the ship visited ports across the Caribbean islands and the United States mainland, and intercepted a Template:Convert cocaine shipment.<ref name="RN"/> In late 2008, it was reported that Largs Bay was to replace the frigate Template:HMS for duties in the Falkland Islands. Northumberland was to have left for the Islands in December 2008, but was instead sent for an anti-pirate patrol off Somalia.<ref>UPI, Britain withdraws warship from Falklands</ref>

On 3 February 2010, Largs Bay headed to Haiti with aid supplies for relief efforts after the earthquake.<ref>BBC News, RFA Largs Bay leaves Southampton bound for Haiti</ref> On 18 February 2010, she arrived at Port-au-Prince and commenced unloading of the supplies.<ref>Daily Express, Royal Navy aid ship reaches Haiti</ref> On 30 March 2010, she returned home.<ref>Scammel, RFA Largs Bay returns home after earthquake aid mission</ref>

In December 2010, it was announced that a Bay-class vessel, later identified as Largs Bay, would be decommissioned in April 2011 as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review.<ref name=DN>Defence News, Changes to Royal Navy's surface fleet announced</ref><ref name=NavyLeagueOz>'Themistocles', The UK SDSR and JP 2048 Phase 4C – A Golden Opportunity</ref> On 17 March 2011, the Australian Department of Defence announced that the RAN would be bidding for Largs Bay; this was followed on 6 April by news that a £65 million (A$100 million) bid had been successful.<ref>Taylor, Australia to buy amphibious military transport ship, aircraft</ref><ref name=AAP060411>Australian Associated Press, Australia to buy used UK landing ship</ref> She was commissioned into the RAN on 13 December 2011 as Template:HMAS, after receiving modifications for service in tropical conditions.<ref name=ABCcommission>Australian Broadcasting Corporation, HMAS Choules commissioned in honour of veteran</ref><ref name=nlaLargs>Flash Traffic: Purchase of Largs Bay, in The Navy</ref> A transformer in the propulsion system failed when she was en route to a training area on 14 June 2012, after earlier reports that the ship could not maintain top speed without transformers overheating.<ref name=Kerr120706>Template:Cite news</ref> An insulation failure had short-circuited the failed transformer, while others aboard were showing signs of premature wear.<ref name=AAP17oct12>Template:Cite news</ref> With no spares available, the need to order from the manufacturer combined with the decision to replace all of the transformers aboard meant that Choules was kept out of service until April 2013.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="NN-06-12-12">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In June 2011, Cardigan Bay headed to Yemen to aid with the potential evacuation of British citizens affected by the ongoing unrest there.<ref>Press Association, Marines on standby to evacuate Britons in Yemen</ref>

Ships in the classEdit

File:HMAS Choules starboard bow.jpg

HMAS Choules at Fleet Base East in January 2012

Template:Flagicon image Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Name<ref name=Saunders876/>	Laid down<ref name=Saunders876/>	Launched<ref name=Saunders876/>	In service<ref name=Saunders876/>	Out of service<ref name=Saunders876/>	Notes
Template:Ship	28 January 2002	18 July 2003	28 November 2006	April 2011<ref name=DN/>	Sold to RAN in April 2011<ref name=AAP060411/>
Template:Ship	22 November 2002	3 September 2005	26 November 2007	-	Active
Template:Ship	25 August 2002	9 April 2004	13 July 2006	-	Active, entering refit January 2025
Template:Ship	13 October 2003	8–9 April 2005	18 December 2006	-	In refit as of early 2025<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref>
Template:Navy
Name	Acquired		In service	Out of service	Notes
Template:HMAS (ex-Largs Bay)	6 April 2011		13 December 2011<ref name=ABCcommission/>		Active as of Apr 2023

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