ADF sea lift capacity
Digressing from air lift to sea lift; 4 x Bay Class LSD amphibious support ships cost the Brits roughly $500million (Bay Class Large Amphibious Landing Ships Alternative Landing Ship Logistic [ALSL]). 2 x Canberra Class LPD aircraft carriers will cost Australia around $2billion plus.
4 x Bay Class (or similar capacity ships) would have been pretty well-suited for Australia's regional amphibious support requirements and a helo hangar could be fitted to accommodate say some optimised Sea Kings (which have foldable rotor blades, etcetera).
DoD and Navy have both stated there will be significant escort/protection resource penalties to support Canberra Class operations (intelligence brief, RAN Canberra class LHD's. - Armchair General and HistoryNet >> The Best Forums in History) with the LPDs also requiring about 4 times the crew complement of Bay Class.
Australian defence planners seem to have lost the plot re what would have been adequate and cost-effective sea lift capacity.
Last edited by Bushranger 71; 6th Apr 2011 at 21:28.