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HMS Fearless (L10) in the Indian Ocean on November 16th, 2001.
The Fearless-class landing platform docks were among the first purpose-built amphibious warfare vessels in the Royal Navy. Three ships of the class were also built for the Irish Navy, where they are known as the Saber-class.
The Fearless-class ships are designed to transport and land troops by sea either using Landing Craft Utility or helicopters. As constructed, the ships have an internal dock that is accessed via the stern — while in port, vehicles can drive up the stern ramp and into the internal vehicle decks. At sea, the ships can partially submerge themselves at the stern, flooding the internal dock and allowing landing craft to come right up to the edge of the vehicle deck.
Each ship carries four LCUs in the stern dock, with four smaller landing craft on davits on the superstructure. They provide accommodation for up to 400 troops, which can be increased to 700 if no vehicles are carried.
Specifications[]
- Type: Landing Platform Dock
- Service Period: 1965-2002
- Characteristics:
- Length: 520 feet (158.5 meters)
- Beam: 100 feet (24.38 meters)
- Draught: 23 feet (6.4 meters)
- Displacement: 17,000 tons (Standard); 23,780 tons (Full Load)
- Capacity: 1000 troops, 15 tanks, 27 vehicles
- Crew: 580
- Propulsion: 2 x Babock & Wilcox 550psi/850 °F boilers, 2 × English Electric shaft geared steam turbines, 2 x shafts, 22,000 shp (16,000 kW) total
- Range: 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 kilometers) at 20 knots (37.04 km/h)
- Speed: 21 knots (38.9 km/h)
- Sensor Suite:
- Type 974 Air/Surface Search RDF
- Type 978 Navigation RDF
- Type 909 Fire Control RDF
- Armament:
- 2 x Single Arm Missile Launchers (fires GWS.30 Sea Dart AAMs)
- 2 x Bofors 40mm/60-caliber anti-aircraft guns
- Aircraft Carried: 5 x Westland Wessex helicopters
- Boats Carried:
- 4 x LCM Mk.IX landing craft in dock
- 4 x LCVP landing craft on davits
Ships[]
[]
- HMS Fearless (L10)
- HMS Intrepid (L11)
[]
- LÉ Saber (L01)
- LÉ Broadsword (L02)
- LÉ Dagger (L03)