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At a glance
French ship Foudre (L9011)larger figure on 1 of 4
HMAS Chouleslarger figure on 3 of 4
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Measured figures
Length
Single source168 m (551 ft)[source]
Length
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | French ship Foudre (L9011) | HMAS Choules |
|---|---|---|
| Complement | — | RFA: 60-70 core, increased for operational deployments RAN - 158 fully crewed[source] |
| Name | Foudre[source] | Largs Bay[source] |
| Namesake | Lightning[source] | Largs Bay[source] |
| Builder | DCN, Brest[source] | Swan Hunter , Wallsend , Tyne and Wear , England[source] |
579.4 ft (176.6 m)[source]
full load
Single sourcestandard
Single source11,300 tonnes (standard) 12,000 tonnes (full load)[source]
full load (RFA)
Single sourceRAN
Single sourceofficers 80 petty officers 60 Quarter-masters
Single source20 officers 80 petty officers 60 Quarter-masters[source]
Installed power
Single source20,800 hp (15,500 kW)[source]
Engines: 2 SEMT Pielstick 16 PC 2.5 V400 diesels Propellers: 2 adjustable-blade propellers and one beam propeller Auxiliaries: 1 beam propeller (1,000 hp) Electrical plant:5 SACM-Unidiesel diesels alternators Electrical power: 4,250 kW (5 × 850 kW)[source]
2 × Wärtsilä 8L26 generators, 6,000 hp (4.5 MW) 2 × Wärtsilä 12V26 generators, 9,000 hp (6.7 MW) 2 × propulsion pods 1 × bow thruster[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Laid down |
|---|
26 March 1986[source] |
28 January 2002[source] |
| Launched | 19 November 1988[source] | 18 July 2003[source] |
|---|
| Commissioned | 7 December 1990[source] | 13 December 2011[source] |
|---|
| Decommissioned | December 2011[source] | — |
|---|
| Home port | Toulon[source] | Fleet Base East[source] |
|---|
| Identification | L 9011[source] | IMO number : 9240756 MMSI number : 232653000 Callsign : GCIA Pennant number : L3006[source] |
|---|
| Fate | Transferred to the Chilean Navy in December 2011[source] | Decommissioned under SDSR , sold to Australia[source] |
|---|
| Acquired | 23 December 2011[source] | 6 April 2011[source] |
|---|
| Status | In active service[source] | Active as of 2022[source] |
|---|
| Class & type | Foudre -class landing platform dock[source] | Bay-class landing ship dock[source] |
|---|
| Boats & landing craft carried | 8 landing craft[source] | 1 LCU Mark 10 , 1 LCM-8 , or 2 LCVPs ( Royal Marines version or RAN version ) 2 Mexeflote powered rafts[source] |
|---|
| Capacity | 150-man command headquarters[source] | 1,150 linear metres of vehicles (up to 24 Challenger 2 tanks, 32 M1A1 Abrams tanks, or 150 light trucks) Cargo capacity of 200 tons ammunition or 24 TEU containers[source] |
|---|
| Troops | 450 (900 for a short cruise)[source] | 356 standard or 700 overload[source] |
|---|
| Armament | 3 Simbad systems 3 30 mm Breda-Mauser guns 4 12.7 mm M2-HB Browing machine guns[source] | RFA service Fit to receive: Phalanx CIWS 30 mm DS30B cannon RAN service : 1 Phalanx CIWS AN/SLQ-25 Nixie[source] |
|---|
| Aircraft carried | 4 helicopters AS-532 Cougar (Chilean Navy)[source] | Blackhawk and Seahawk helicopters frequently embarked; flight deck can operate helicopters up to Chinook size[source] |
|---|
| Aviation facilities | Hangar[source] | No permanent hangar; temporary hangar can be fitted.[source] |
|---|
| Role | amphibious assault ship of the Marine Nationale , the twelfth vessel to bear the name , and lead ship of the Foudre -class landing platform docks[source] | — |
|---|
| Ordered | — | 18 December 2000[source] |
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| In service | — | 28 November 2006[source] |
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| Out of service | — | April 2011[source] |
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| Motto | — | "Face Difficulty With Zeal"[source] |
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| Sensors & processing systems | — | RAN service : EID ICCS integrated communications control system CEAFAR-S multi-function radar[source] |
|---|
| Source measurement | — | The Bay-class ships have a full load displacement of 16,160 tonnes (15,900 long tons) in RFA service; this increased slightly to 16,190 tonnes (15,930 long tons) after modifications for RAN service.[source]HMAS Choules · Design and construction; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Largs Bay / Choules is 579.4 feet (176.6 m) long, with a beam of 86.6 feet (26.4 m), and a draught of 19 feet (5.8 m).[source]HMAS Choules · Design and construction; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Propulsion power is provided by two Wärtsilä 8L26 generators, providing 6,000 horsepower (4.5 MW), and two Wärtsilä 12V26 generators, providing 9,000 horsepower (6.7 MW).[source]HMAS Choules · Design and construction; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Maximum speed is 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph), and the Bay-class ships can achieve a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[source]HMAS Choules · Design and construction; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Largs Bay was fitted for but not with a Phalanx CIWS and a 30mm DS30B cannon when required for self defence.[source]HMAS Choules · Design and construction; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The cargo capacity is equivalent of 200 tons of ammunition, or 24 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers.[source]HMAS Choules · Design and construction; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage During normal conditions, a Bay-class ship can carry 356 soldiers, but this can be almost doubled to 700 in overload conditions.[source]HMAS Choules · Design and construction; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Two 30-ton cranes are fitted between the superstructure and the flight deck.[source]HMAS Choules · Design and construction; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Four months after entering service, an engine room fire resulted in steering and propulsion issues, requiring Largs Bay to be towed to Plymouth for repairs. In late November 2007, Largs Bay embarked 815 Naval Air Squadron 215 Flight and left home waters for the Caribbean to conduct counter-drug operations. She visited eleven islands including Barbados , Curaçao , Grand Turk , Martinique , Trinidad and also the USA. Three days after leaving Barbados Largs Bay ' s patrolling helicopter spotted a small fishing vessel stopped in the water and detained her after a pursuit; 575 kilograms (1,268 lb) of cocaine were recovered, with an estimated £20 million European street value. She participated in Navy Days while in port at Curaçao, where several hundred people toured her.[source]HMAS Choules · Operational history / United Kingdom; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage In early 2010, Largs Bay was deployed to the Arctic Circle. Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake , the ship was pulled from exercises and sailed on 3 February to deliver a load of relief supplies to Haiti. On 18 February 2010, she arrived at Port-au-Prince and unloaded 430 tonnes (470 tons) of supplies plus 165 tonnes (182 tons) of rations, while engineers from the ship began work on restoring electricity ashore. On 30 March 2010, she returned home. Largs Bay ' s actions were recognised in December 2011 with the awarding of the Firmin Sword of Peace .[source]HMAS Choules · Operational history / United Kingdom; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage For a short time from July 2013, Choules was anchored offshore of the Manus Regional Processing Centre in Papua New Guinea to provide temporary accommodation for Department of Immigration and other personnel, due to a lack of accommodation at the centre. In April 2015, the ship transported 46 Vietnamese asylum seekers back to Vũng Tàu , after their vessel was intercepted at sea on 20 March by Australian border protection units and their claims were rejected after interviews at sea lasting less than 40 minutes.[source]HMAS Choules · Operational history / Australia; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Choules was deployed to Vanuatu on 30 September 2017 to aid in the rescue of 11,000 people from a volcanic eruption of Monaro Voui.[source]HMAS Choules · Operational history / Australia; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage |
|---|
16,160 t (15,905 long tons ) full load (RFA) 16,190 t (15,934 long tons) (RAN)[source]