Australian Designed High Speed Warships for Australian Based US Marines

Jane's Defence Weekly reports that the US Navy is planning to have an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) to support US Marines based in Darwin ("USN contemplates two-ship ARG concept to support Australia-based marines",  Grace Jean, Jane's Defence Weekly, 29 October 201). This may include the Australian designed JHSVs (Joint High Speed Vessels). The JHSVs are a militarized car ferries, designed by Austral in Western Australia, built built in the USA. The potential for such vessels to be sued for military supply first came to the US Navy's attention when HMAS Jervis Bay was used by the Australian Navy to supply the peacekeeping forces in East Timor.  The RAN will have a similar capability to a US ARG, with its two Canberra-class landing helicopter dock ships., but lacking the US Marines fixed wing aviation combat element.

Australian Built Ship Deploys Surveillance Blimp for US Navy

During the Sydney 2000 Olympics, I was briefly in charge on the bridge of an Incat high speed ship (that is not as reckless as it sounds with the ship alongside a wharf in Sydney). While in Sydney, the ship was demonstrated to the US Defense Department who subsequently leased several and later ordered a new class of similar Australian designed high speed ships from Austral. These vessels are intended for transport of equipment and personnel (the Japanese military have also used one for military transport).  But these vessels have also be tried out for other military roles, the latest of which is to deploy a Tethered Aerostat (unmanned blimp) from the stern of HSV-2 Swift. The aerostat can be positioned 3,000 feet above the vessel for surveillance.

Offshore Combatant Vessel

Australian Defence project SEA 1180, proposes to replace patrol, mine and survey ships with one design of "Offshore Combatant Vessel" (OCV). Containerized equipment would be placed on the ships temporarily to suit the mission. The obvious design for this would be the Austal Multi Role Vessel (MRV 80). This is a trimaran, which looks like a patrol boat at the front and a car ferry at the back. The proposed MRV 80 is about 50% longer and heavier than the current Armidale class patrol boa,. Due to the trimaran design the MRV 80 is twice as wide as the patrol boats, providing room for a helicopter flight deck and hangar, as well as 500m2 of covered space to accommodate cargo, vehicles, or containerized equipment.

The MRV 80 resembles the US  Independence class littoral combat vessel from the same designers. But the MRV 80 is smaller and leaves out the high tech weaponry and complex systems of the LCS.  The LCS has a stern door for launching boats and sensors at sea, with a side ramp for loading equipment in port. In contrast the MRV 80 has boats stored in open areas on each side and a stern ramp for loading equipment. The stern ramp is based on a proven design used on car ferries and might be used to launch sensors at sea and transfer cargo while underway, as well as in port.

Offshore Support Vessel For Australian Navy

The Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith announced the purchase of the 6,500 tonne Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) MSV Skandi Bergen for $130m. Alongside the HMAS Choules , recently purchased second hand from the Royal Navy, this helps fills the gap in amphibious military transport until the first of two new Canberra class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships arrive from Spain. Australia got a good deal with both Skandi Bergen and Choules, due to the downturn in the global economy.

Skandi Bergen is sister ship to the Australian Customs Service's ACV Ocean Protector and will be transferred to Customs when the new purpose built amphibious transport ships are delivered in about three years time. The offshore support vessels are built for supporting oil rigs in harsh polar waters, and so will be useful for patrolling Australia's southern ocean, but are not designed for amphibious warfare. They have a helicopter pad, but this mounted high above the bridge and cannot be used for moving heavy cargo or vehicles, just personnel. But the ships have a useful cargo deck and crane for transshipping supplies.

Media reports indicate that the Minister for Defence rejected the option of purchasing an Australian made military transport, from Incat Tasmania or Austral WA, on advice from the Navy that these were not suitable for extended periods at sea. This is a curious decision as the purpose of a transport ship is not to spend extended periods at sea, but to get cargo from one point on shore to another as quickly as possible. This is a contentious issue in the US military, with the Army acquiring its own ships as a result. The US Army and Navy have both used high speed ships from Australian suppliers, including the Fortitude class Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) from Austral.

Australian High Speed Ship Used by Japanese Military

Media reports indicate that the Natchan World, a high speed ferry designed and built by Incat Australia, was used to transport tanks and other military vehicles, for a Japanese Self-Defense Force exercise in November 2011. The Natchan World, operated by the Tsugarukaikyo Ferry Company, is very similar in design to the HSV-2 Swift operated by the US Navy. The Natchan World, loaded Type 90 tanks and Type 89 infantry combat vehicles, via the stern ramp (the ramp on the Incat ships can swivel around to load from either side).

Another Australian company, Austal, is making the Spearhead class Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), for the US Department of Defence. Unlike many military projects, these ships have been very successful, as they use already proven civilian technology, with minor changes for military use.

Stern Landing Vessels for Australian Military

Sea Transport Corporation has proposed a militarized version of their Stern Landing Vessel (SLV) for use as a heavy landing craft for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The SLV design has been used for civilian passenger ferries. The vessel has a conventional "V" shaped bow at one end and a ramp at the other. This way the ship can travel efficiently in heavy seas and need only back into the beach to unload.

The 65m vessel depicted would have a payload of 400 tons for the ADF Landing Craft Heavy Replacement (Phase 5 t JP 2048 Phase 3 of Amphibious Watercraft Replacement). The 2000Kw propulsion would give a speed of 15 knots and range of 2600 n miles with 83T fuel. This is about twice the capacity and speed of the current Balikpapan class LCH (Landing Craft, Heavy), over a similar range.

The SLV design has an open vehicle deck, typical of military landing craft. However, landing craft of the RAN tend to be used for general duties and rarely for beach landings. It might therefore make sense to build them with a covered vehicle deck. There would be space for a passenger deck behind the bridge (as with the JHSV) and a medium sized helipad above the rear vehicle deck. This would restrict the view from the bridge when beach landing, but video cameras could be used, along with large format high resolution flat screen displays to provide virtual windows on the bridge (also providing some protection for the crew).

The covered vehicle deck would be able to hold ISO shipping container sized equipment modules, as used on littoral combat ships. This would make for a versatile general purpose ship.

Austral Trimaran option for Australian Navy

According to Defence Technology International, one solution to the Australian military's lack of transport ships is a 102 meter trimaran sitting unused in Western Australia ("Good Deal", Bradley Perrett, DTI, April 2011). The ship was built by Austral, with a hull design similar to that of the US Navy's Freedom-class Littoral combat ships (which are made by Austral in the USA). The ship could be quickly modified to carry out a similar logistical function to the Fortitude class Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV) which Austral is also making for the US military.

The ship could also use interchangeable mission modules, as envisaged for the Fortitude class ships. The modules are shipping container sized and can be loaded on the ship for different tasks. There have been problems with the mission module concept, both in production delays and inflexibility. A simpler approach could be taken by the Australian military, with existing truck, container and trailer mounted equipment, simply driven onto the ship and used when needed. Some of this could be equipment used already by the Army, Navy and Air Force on land. Other equipment could be commercial off the shelf. Containerised equipment designed for mining companies and shipping container sized data centres would be particularly suitable.

Amphibious Ship for Earthquake Relief

The Royal New Zealand Navy reported that multi-role vessel (MRV) HMNZS Canterbury was alongside in Lyttelton when an earthquake struck on 22 February 2011. The ship was able to immediately begin relief operations.

Unfortunately Media reports indicate that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has no comparable ships available to assist, with all in for repair.

This would be an ideal use for Australian designed high speed multi hull vessels. The US Maritime Administration (MARAD) used the Australian designed high speed catamaran “Huakai” to deliver aid to Haiti. The US military are acquiring up to ten similar Fortitude class Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV) designed by West Australian based company Austal. Unfortunately the Australian Government has no plans to acquire any of these ships for the Australian Defence Force.

Australian Military Sealift and Amphibious Options

Yesterday I wrote "Options for Amphibious Operations by Australian Defence Force", in response to media reports that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will have limited capabilities for amphibious operations for the foreseeable future. Today I noticed that the Australian Strategic Policy Institute released "Back to the future: Australia’s interim sealift and amphibious capability" (16 February 2011) by Andrew Davies, which comes to much the same conclusions. The Australian military will need to consider interim vessels for transporting the Army , most likely based on commercial vehicle ferries. This is not quite as some cartoonists have portrayed it, with troops on a Sydney passenger ferry. There is now considerable experience in how to adapt vessels for military use, with options for heliports and weapons. The RAAF has used adapted civilian airliners as military aircraft for decades and the practice is now becoming common for navies.

The obvious option option, not raised in the media yesterday, would be the use of Austrlaian built high speed multi hull vessels. The USA is acquiring up to ten Fortitude class Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV) designed by West Australian based company Austal. These ships lack the ability to operate heavy landing craft to deliver tanks to a beach. However, they can operate helicopters and could be adapted to operate smaller landing craft. Ships of this type from Austral and Tasmanian builder Incat are available second hand. Use of such ships would have the political benefit of supporting Australian ship builders, who would be able to quickly carry out any needed modifications for militarisation on the ships they designed and built. This work could be done in months, rather than the years needed for a new build.

While there has much been said about automation of US warships to reduce crews required, this work as gone ahead much faster and much more effectively with civilian ferries. During the Sydney Olympics I had a tour of an Incat ferry and talked to the CEO Robert Clifford. It was a little unnerving when he left me on the bridge alone for a few minutes. The ship was tied up at the wharf, but even so there were an array of computer display panels monitoring the ships functions in front of me (as a former HQADF staff member I guess I could be trusted with this). The ship went to sea a few days later for a demonstration for US military, who were so impressed they ordered several (the Austrlaian military were less impressed, preferring to buy rusty US made ships).

Andrew Davies full report is available as a 423 kbyte PDF download.

For any meaningfully-sized operation overseas, the bulk of ADF personnel and materiel would necessarily be moved by sea. Airlift remains the fastest way to move small numbers of troops or small volumes of equipment, but only movement by sea allows for large quantities to be moved efficiently. The government should soon be faced with some choices about the interim provision of sealift and/or amphibious capability for the RAN. This paper examines the options.

From: Back to the future: Australia’s interim sealift and amphibious capability, Andrew Davies, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 16 February 2011

Options for Amphibious Operations by Australian Defence Force

Media reports indicate that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will have limited capabilities for amphibious operations for the foreseeable future. The Landing Platform Amphibious ship HMAS Manoora (L 52) will be retired during 2011. Sister ship HMAS Kanimbla (L 51) requires repair until mid 2012, but may be retired early. Landing Ship Heavy (LSH) HMAS Tobruk (L 50) is in for longer repairs than anticipated.

Kanimbla was to be replaced in 2014, by the Canberra class amphibious warfare ship HMAS Canberra. But Canberra may not be delivered on schedule. Also the Canberra class ships are much larger and so less able to do some of the tasks undertaken by the smaller ships.

One option under consideration by the Australian government is to acquire the UK's landing ship dock RFA Largs Bay (L3006), which is being retired due to UK defence budget cuts. Largs Bay is larger (and more capable) than Kanimbla and would complement the Canberra class ships.

Another option being considered is sharing New Zealand's HMNZS Canterbury multi-role vessel (MRV). Canterbury is smaller than Kaninbla and less capable of providing for heavy amphibious operations, but is more suited to low intensity operations (and much cheaper to operate). The closest comparable Australian ship is the southern ocean patrol vessel ACV Ocean Protector.

One option not raised in the media so far would be the use of Austrlaian built high speed multi hull vessels.

The USA is acquiring up to ten Fortitude class Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV) designed by West Australian based company Austal. The RAN has previously operated a similar (but smaller) ship HMAS Jervis Bay (AKR 45) to support operations in East Timor. These ships lack the ability to operate heavy landing craft to deliver tanks to a beach. However, they can operate helicopters and could be adapted to operate smaller landing craft. They also can deliver tanks and heavy equipment to a port with no shore infrastructure required. This was demonstrated when the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) used the Australian designed high speed catamaran “Huakai” to deliver aid to Haiti. Use of such ships would allow a level of commonality in operations with the USA and would also have th political benefit of supporting Australian ship builders.

High Speed Resupply for New Australian Submarines

Work has commented on VIGILANT JHSV 2, the second Fortitude class Joint High Speed Vessel being constructed by Australian company Austral for the US military. The first, Spearhead JHSV-1, was started in July.

The JHSV is adapted from Austral's civilian high speed ferry design. One of the civilian ferries, MV Huakai , is part of the United States National Defense Reserve Fleet and was used to carry equipment and personnel to open Haiti's mail port after the 2010 earthquake.


The JSHV could be used by Australia to resupply the Collins class submarine replacement, allowing fewer, smaller, less expensive submarines to be acquired (such as the Spanish S-80 Class from Navantia).

Small Modular Data Centres

Greetings from Data Centre Strategics in Sydney. I am speaking at the conference on Green ICT along with Young Choon Lee from University of Sydney and Charles Nolan from University of NSW.

Before the conference presentations I looked at some of the products on display. SGI have their shipping container data centres. However, these are a bit large for the average Australian organisation's data centre requirements. Two products on a better scale are GreenEdgeData's shipping container product and B&R Data Systems B&R AusRack wit a CoolDoor. The "cool door" has the cooling system built into a standard rack cabinet.

The combination of these technologies allows for a data centre as small as one 20 foot shipping container. For larger installations they can provide multiple modules with not just the racks for computer equipment, but also office space for the staff. Lex Brasell, Technical Director of GreenEdgeData mentioned they had designed a whole modular data centre in about a dozen containers. Some customers see these as a way to save hanivg to build a building. But in practice it still makes more sense to put the containers inside a warehouse type building. I suggested that Lex might like to commission one of Australia's architects to design a tensile fabric roof for the containers. Another option would be a corrugated steel shed, similar to that designed by Glenn Murcutt for Lerida Estate Winery. The idea would not only to be practical (to protect the equipment in the containers) but also to provide an attractive appearance for the facility, so it does not just look like a container port.

As well as permanent data centres, modular systems can also be used for relocatable data centres. A major user of these are the military. As an example, the US military will be carrying containerised facilities on board their Austrlaian designed Joint High Speed Vessel and the Australian Defence Force on their two Australia class Landing Helicopter Dock ships (LHD).

Building Warships from Shipping Containers

With the "Tactical Expandable Maritime Platform" (TEMP) the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is researching how to build warships from standard size ISO shipping containers. Military equipment and space for personnel would be built into standard ISO container sized modules. One option is to then place these on a commercial cargo ship, to turn it into a warship. Another option is to link the containers together with twist-lock connectors and have the floating in the sea.

The idea of putting military equipment in containers and placing them on military ships is not new, neither is the idea of quickly converting civilian vessels to military use, nor of modular barges. The USS Independence (LCS-2) and competing prototype littoral combat ship both have modularised mission modules, as does the HDMS Absalon.

There are obvious problems in using a module which is much larger and heavier than usual military containers. There are also problems with taking a civilian ship and using it for military purposes. To reduce the risk, DARPA are looking to use the containers first for disaster aid missions, not combat.

An obvious alternative to using a civilian ship is to use a military cargo ship. One option is the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), which the US military are buying ten of. This is a high speed vehicular ferry with minor modifications for military transport. It has the advantage of having a large covered deck for holding containers. Such ships might be used most of the time for civilian cargo and only pressed into service for military use when needed.

One option which the DARPA report needs to consider is lowering the specifications of standard ISO shipping containers. These are designed to be strong enough to be stacked six high when full of cargo. This requires a very heavy, usually steel, construction. It is unlikely that military containers will ever be stacked more than two high and will usually be very light, due to having empty space for personnel and equipment access. As a result they could be built much lighter. Such containers could then be transported by air and handed by much smaller ground equipment and used on smaller ships. This is something I suggested for the use by US Air Force for "Prepositioning Strategies for Air Force War Reserve Materiel".

The Tactically Expandable Maritime Platform (TEMP) program will investigate and develop modular technologies and macroscopic modular systems that leverage ubiquitous International Organization for Standardization (ISO) containers and the intermodal transport system to deliver flexible operational capability from unmodified commercial containerships. The program has three primary objectives.

The first objective, corresponding to Technical Area One, is to broadly explore the concept of forming macroscopic integrated systems out of twenty-foot containers, identifying innovative architectures, mission applications, approaches, and enabling technologies.

The second objective, corresponding to Technical Area Two, is to conduct focused architecture development and preliminary design work on a TEMP humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) package. This package design will encompass modular technologies with the range of capabilities necessary to complete the HA/DR mission, such as situational awareness, command and control, and distributed micro-logistics over broad coastal areas without dependence on local infrastructure. The third TEMP objective, corresponding to Technical Area Three, is to demonstrate the viability of ocean deployed modular technologies and systems operating independently from a host containership. The program will design, build, demonstrate, and transition an exemplary system, the Modular Sea Depot - a multi-unit maritime logistics node. The Modular Sea Depot provides near term operational capability, while serving as proof of principle and risk reduction for a larger scale Modular Seabase concept.

From: "Tactical Expandable Maritime Platform" (TEMP), Solicitation Number: DARPA-BAA-10-57, Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, April 2010

Simpler Collins class submarine replacement

The Australian Government is considering a Collins class submarine replacement. Twelve larger, longer range vessels are proposed, which can carry special forces and deliver strategic weapons on land. This is overly ambitious, given that currently only one of the six Collins class submarines is operational. The greater complexity of the proposed replacement the project has minimal of success and it is unlikely that any of the twelve submarines would become operational, if they were built.

An alternative approach would be to prioritise what is required and build simpler, smaller vessels. The primary mission of the submarines is surveillance, secondary is to attack shipping. Accommodation of special forces can be done by providing dual purpose space which can be used for storage or people on a particular mission. Strategic attack of land targets using missiles is not a priority.

Assuming the current Collins class submarines could be made reliable, their capacity to carry special forces and their range could be increased by reducing the weapons systems and loads. Halving the number of torpedo tubes and halving the maximum load of weapons would free up about 50m³ of space, for more supplies or special forces. Using precision guided weapons, less should be needed for any mission.

However, problems would remain with the Collins class. A better alternative would be to build a proven design, with the minimum of modifications. As an example, the German Type 214 submarine is built in several countries. It has a crew of half the Collins class. The 214 design could have half its torpedo tubes and half the weapons storage removed to add more room for stores. The submarine could be lengthened by 6m to add more room. The speed would be reduced, but that is acceptable given the primary mission of the submarine is surveillance.

In addition Australian designed and built Joint High Speed Vessels could resupply the submarines in friendly ports or at sea. The US Defence Department has confirmed it will order two more of these vessels. A fleet of twelve type 214 submarines and six JHSVs to support them would cost less and use a smaller crew than twelve improved Collins class vessels, be faster to bring into service and more likely to actually work.

Joint High Speed Vessel for US Marines

According to a news report, General James Conway, Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, is looking at using the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) as a Marine troop carrier. He is concerned that new US Navy transport ships lack a well deck to launch their equipment at sea. But it occurs to me that the Marines simply drive their Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) off the ramp of the well deck, they don't flood the deck unless unloading a landing craft. The JHSV is designed with a rear ramp to unload Abrams main battle tanks. The ramp could be lowered into the water and the Marines drive their AAVs off the end. This would also have the advantage that the AAVs could be launched when the ship is underway. It may be possible to recover the AAV's replacement the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) at speed on water.

Australian High Speed Ship to Transport Haiti Aid

The US government is deploying the Australian designed 113 metre high speed catamaran “Huakai” to assist with Haiti relief. Completed last year as a vehicle ferry for Hawaii, the ship can carry up to 800 tonnes at 40 knots. It has a shallow draft of 3.7 m, water jets and 20 metre ramp, allowing it to dock and unload without assictance. It is likely the ship will shuttle between Haiti, Guantanamo Bay and Miami.

A similar operation was carried out by the high speed catamaran HMAS Jervis Bay, operating between Darwin and East Timor from 1999 to 2001. Like Huakai, this was a surplus commercial ferry taken up for government use. The US military were impressed with this and leased a number of Australian designed catermarans.

The US Department of Defence has contracted Austal (who built the Huakai), to build up to ten similar "Joint High Speed Vessels" (JHSV) for military transport. The first named “Fortitude” (JHSV 1) is being constructed in the USA. Tjhis will be followed by Vigilant (JHSV 2) and Spearhead (JHSV 3).

Common electronic system for multi-hull Australian warships

In Naval Systems (Proceedings of the US Naval Institute, June 2009) Edward J. Walsh describes the electronic core mission system to be used on the Australian designed USN Navy littoral combat ship Coronado (LCS-4). The Coronado will be the second trimaran LCS for the UN Navy, following the USS Independence (LCS-2), which began sea trials recently. He reports at a simplified version of the same electronic system will be used for the Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV). The JHSVs are designed by the same Australian company, Austral, as the LCS-2 and LCS-4.

Austal are using a similar trimaran hull for the lower cost Multi-Role Vessel and so the same core mission system would be an option for these vessels. If the MRV was purchased by Australia, that would provide some commonality with UNS systems, as well as between different classes of Australian ships.

The Austral design for the LCS is competing with the Freedom class mono hull design by Lockheed Martin. The Israel Navy has abandoned plans to acquire Freedom class ships and is now reported to be looking at the more conventional German Kedah class ships, as used by Malaysia.

Australian Offshore Combatant Vessels

According to "Navy the Big Winner - but but when" (Kym Bergmann, Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter, May 2009), the Australian Government has decided to rationalise the Navy's patrol boats, mine counter measures, hydrographic and oceanographic vessels into one class of twenty "Offshore Combatant Vessels". These will be larger than the current patrol boats, at up to 2,000 tonnes. This would appear to be the role the Austal Multi-Role Vessel was designed for. The MRV can be thought of as an Armidale patrol boat welded onto the front of a Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), making a lightly armed trimaran which can also carry containerised loads and operate a helicopter, or even a F-35B.

Austal Multi-Role Vessel

Austal have proposed a long range, high speed, patrol ship called the Multi-Role Vessel (MRV). This is essentially the Independence-class littoral combat ship (LCS), which was designed for the US Navy, but with the expensive weapons and electronics removed to make a lower cost, long range multi-purpose ship for military and policing purposes.

The MRV is a trimaran with one large hull in the middle and two outriggers. This gives a wide area accross the three hulls at the rear for cargo and a large helicopter flight deck on top. The wider hull projecting at the front provides good sea keeping and space for weapons and sensors. The slim outer hulls allow for high speed.

The Austal Multi-Role Vessel can provide offshore and littoral war fighting roles, border protection tasks, long range counter-terrorism and counter piracy operations, support to special forces and missions in support of security and stability in the immediate neighbourhood surroundings.

The Austal Multi-Role Vessel (MRV) utilises the unique and proven Austal Trimaran platform coupling high speed and superior seakeeping performance with unparalleled deck space.

From border patrol to ASW to humanitarian relief missions the Austal Multi-Role Vessel (MRV) is the truly reconfigurable seaframe.

See Also:

• Austal Trimaran Technology Brochure
• View the Multi Role Vessel Image Gallery
• Austal Defence News - July 2008
• Austal Defence News - March 2008
• Austal Defence News - May 2007

Features

Multi-mission helicopter capability
Large flexible mission / logistics deck
Open architecture systems network
Systems packaged mission modules

• EEZ border patrol
• Command & control
• Surveillance
• Humanitarian support
• Theatre hospital
• At sea replenishment
• Force transportation
• Special forces support
• Amphibious operations
• SAR
• ASW

From: Multi-Role Vessel, Austral, 2009

Influence Squadrons for the Australian Navy

In "Buy Ford not Ferrari" Commander Henry J Hendrix, US Navy (Proceedings of the US Naval Institute April 2009) argues that the US could deploy more smaller naval units, in place of large Carrier Strike Groups (CSG). This may make a good model for the Royal Australian Navy.

In place of a large nuclear powered aircraft carrier, Commander Hendrix's "Influence Squadrons" would be formed around an America class amphibious assault ship (confusingly know by the acronym LHA(R)). Protecting the LHA(R) would be a guided missile destroyer. In support would be a littoral combat ship, Joint High Speed vessel and a high speed vessels like the M80 Stiletto.

What makes this relevant to Australia is that while such a small nation cannot afford the US style CSG, the Influence Squadron is well within its capabilities. Several of the ships proposed have been ordered by the RAN. Other of these ships are Australian designed, some built in Australia and some overseas.

The LHA(R) is similar in concept to the two Canberra class Landing Helicopter Dock ships ordered by Australia. Although the Australian ships are smaller than their US equivalents, they are still capable of operating V/STOL fighter/attack aircraft. The Aegis equipped Spanish Álvaro de Bazán class frigates ordered by Australia will have similar guided missiles to a US destroyer.

The Joint High Speed Vessel mentioned by Commander Hendrix is USS Swift, which was made in Hobart by Incat. New US JSVs will be made to a West Australian design by Austral. One of the two Littoral Combat Ship designs for the US Navy, the USS Independence (LCS-2) is also from Austral.

While Australia has no ships like the M80 Stiletto, such a vessel could be built using the same high speed multihull technology developed by Incat and Austal and others. It is rumoured that the Chinese Type 022 Houbei Class Missile Fast Attack catamaran is based on an Australian multi hull design. The Type 022 does not appear to exploit the stealth characteristics inherent in the multi-hull design, but this could be added in an Australian designed ship.