Australian Navy uses for the first time LHD Landing Craft to carry M1A1 Abrams tank.

According to the Twitter account of the Chief of Australian Navy, the Australian Navy has used for the first time LHD Landing Craft to carry M1A1 Abrams main battle tank and perform landing operations aboard LCM-1E (Landing Craft Mechanical 1E) during the bilateral defense exercise with the US, Talisman Sabre 2019.

An LHD Landing Craft (LLC) transports an Australian Army M1A1 main battle tank as the Australian Defence Force draws closer to achieving Final Operational Capability for Australia's Amphibious Task Group.(Picture source Australian Navy Facebook account)

The biennial exercise Talisman Sabre is Australia’s largest bilateral defence exercise with the US and is designed to improve the combat readiness and interoperability between the two countries. The majority of exercise activities were conducted in the existing ADF Shoalwater Bay Training Area and surrounding region in Central Queensland.

As part of the Combined Joint Forcible Entry Operations, the U.S. and Australian armed forces conducted a multinational amphibious landing in Stanage Bay, Queensland, Australia.

The LCM-1E is part of the HMAS Canberra (L02), a ship class of two Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The well deck will carry up to four LHD Landing Craft (LLC) LCM 1E, which can be launched and recovered in conditions up to Sea State 4.

The LCM-1E is a medium-sized fast landing craft used in amphibious landing operations. It is designed to operate with landing platform dock (LPD) / landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships to transport large quantities of cargo, troops and equipment between ship and the shore. It can also perform cargo transfer between the craft and landing ship tank.

The LCM-1E can be operated by a crew of three to four people. It measures 23.3m in overall length, 21.27m in floatation length and 6.4m in width. It has a molded depth of 2.8m and a depth of 1.6m at cargo deck. The mean draught is 1m, light displacement is 56.6t and full load displacement is 110t. The cargo area of the craft is approximately 103m².

The LCM-1E can carry different cargo load combinations including one M1 Abrams / M88A1 recovery vehicle; one Leopard type tank weighing 62.5t; one M109 A2 howitzer and one M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Supply Vehicle; two AAV (Assault Amphibious Vehicles); six HUMMER type vehicles; two M109 A2 howitzers; two C10T heavy trucks with trailer; two PIRANHA type vehicles; one heavy truck and three HUMMER vehicles; one medium truck with 20t container; and one Marine Corps company of 170 people.