Zealand Class

Zealand Class Landing Helicopter Dock
Zealand Class Landing Helicopter Dock
Career
Nationality:	Skandinavia
Operated by:	Sjøforsvaret
Builder:	Navantia, Spain and Aker Yards, Skandinavia
Ordered:	First of class: June 2006
Launched:	First of class: November 2007
Commissioned:	First of class: October 2009
Status:	In Service
General characteristics
Displacement:	32,700 tons
Length:	253 m
Beam:	35 m
Draft:	8 m
Power:	140 MW
Propulsion:	NAtech Hybrid Multi-Gas Power Plant with four pods
Speed:	31 knots
Maximum speed:	39 knots
Range:	14,300 nautical miles at 31 knots
Complement:	1670
Armament:	Sensors 1 x Saab 9LV CMS Combat Management System 1 x Saab 9LV FCS Fire Control System 2 x Saab EOS 500 Electro Optical Fire Control 2 x TERMA SCANTER 6000 Surveillance Radar 1 x Kongsberg C-Scope Sonar System Electronic warfare 1 x Saab SME-200 Tactical EMS / ELINT 1 x Saab NLWS Naval Laser Warning System Decoys 1 x TERMA DL-12T decoy launcher 1 x TERMA Loki torpedo countermeasure Armament 2 × 8-cell Mk41 Vertical Launching System w/ 72 × RIM-162 ESSM 4 x 30 mm Kongsberg Sea Protector CIWS 2 x Long Range Acoustic Device
Aircraft carried:	Depending on the role up to 40 helicopters and VSTOL aircrafts

The Zealand Class is a ship class of four Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships built for the Sjøforsvaret. They are the strategic projection ships of the Sjøforsvaret and are designed to operate in a miltirole way as aircraft platform and amphibious assault platform.

Background

In 2005 FLOSK aproved a projet to build 2 Landing Helicopter Platforms to support the aircraft and amphibious capabilities of the Sjøforsvaret. The design contract was awarded to a consortium formed by Aker Yards, Saab and Navantia. It is based on the Navantia design for the Spanish Navy.

In June 2006, FLOSK ordered the construction of 2 new ships to the consortium. Currently 4 ships are in service.

Design

The Zealand Class LHD is a multipurpose vessel that can be used as an aircraft carrier as well as for amphibious and relief operations. The Zealand Class has a reinforced hull with icebreaking capabilities.

Aircraft Carrier Role

As an aircraft carrier, Zealand Class has a 236 m-long and 36 m-wide flight deck with a 12° sky-jump facility for VSTOL aircraft as Harrier II. Apart from Harrier II a large variety of helicopters can be operated from the vessel. The hangar can accommodate up to 24 aircraft, while 12 aircraft can be parked on the flight deck. The ship has two elevators, with a capacity to carry bigger aircraft in the future. The vessel's displacement for air operations is 30,678 t and maximum sustained speed is 31kt.

Amphibious Operations Role

The ship has a dock of 74 m length and 20 m width. Her flooding deck can carry up to six LCMs & LCACs and a number of LVTs. Displacement of the LHD for amphibious operations is 32,700 t, while the maximum sustained speed is 29 kt.

The Zealand Class ships are capable of transporting 212 containers as well as evacuated civilians. It has two operation theatres, a dentist's room, a sick bay, a consulting room, a first aid room, an ICU, an injury selection area, an X-ray room, a lab and a chemist's room. An elevator connects the dock, flight deck and cargo decks to the hospital to transport invalid personnel.

The Sjøforsvaret will deploy the vessel jointly with the SJF Marineinfanteriet and the Hæren. The Zealand class has a 2,000 m² heavy vehicle garage for 60 Leopard type tanks. The light vehicles garage is next to the aircraft hangar, in an area of up to 3,000 m².

Power generation & propulsion

The power plant of the ship has been completely redesigned to suit the needs and requirements of the Sjøforsvaret and the new systems and elements of the ship. FLOSK chose to equip the ship with a mixed multi-gas turbine and fuel cell propulsion system (COFCAG) developed jointly by NAtech and Volvo Aero. Main fuel for which the system has been designed is hydrogen, but the system can also work with natural gas, methane and other gases, although with a lower energy efficiency. At low speed and during maneuvers the system uses the power delivered by the fuel cells, using the gas turbine system to achieve higher speeds. In addition, the system reuses the exhaust gases to supercharge the turbine and for the ship's heating systems, which considerably reduces the ship's thermal footprint. Power plant of the ship was designed taking into account the current needs of energy for propulsion and other systems on board, so it was possible to assume an increase in power required if new equipment or systems were installed in the future.

The propulsion system is fully electrical with four AZIPOD s (ASEA azimut thrusters) mounted externally to the main hull. The electricity for the motors is supplied by the power system.

Electronic systems

One of the main design premises was the need to mount Skandinavian made electronic systems in order to full integration with other Forsvaret systems and satellite net.

Sensors

• 1 x Saab 9LV CMS Combat Management System
• 1 x Saab 9LV FCS Fire Control System
• 1 x Saab EOS 500 Electro Optical Fire Control
• 1 x TERMA SCANTER 6000 Surveillance Radar
   
• 1 x Kongsberg C-Scope Sonar System
  
   

Electronic warfare

• 1 x Saab SME-200 Tactical EMS / ELINT
• 1 x Saab NLWS Naval Laser Warning System
   

Decoys

• 1 x TERMA DL-12T decoy launcher
• 1 x TERMA Loki torpedo countermeasure

Armament

The weapons system of the class are:

• 2 × 8-cell Mk41 Vertical Launching System w/ 72 × RIM-162 ESSM
• 4 x 30 mm Kongsberg Sea Protector CIWS
• 2 x Long Range Acoustic Device

Air wing

In the amphibious role the ship can carry up to 15 aircrafts, that can reach 40 in the aircraft carrier role. The aircrafts suitables to be operated are:

• Medium and heavy helicopters. Currently AS332 Super Puma, AS332 Super Puma Naval variant, Westland Sea King and AS532 Cougar
• VSTOL Aircraft as Harrier II

List of ships

The ships are named after islands of the are of Jylland.

#	Name	Ordered	Launched	Commissioned
LHD-100	KSS Zealand	June 2006	November 2007	October 2009
LHD-101	KSS Funen	June 2006	February 2008	January 2010
LHD-102	KSS Lolland	September 2010	December 2011	April 2013
LHD-103	KSS Bornholm	September 2010	April 2012	January 2014