Spanish landing helicopter dock Juan Carlos I

Juan Carlos I in February 2023
History
Spain
NameJuan Carlos I
NamesakeKing Juan Carlos I of Spain
Ordered5 September 2003
BuilderNavantia
Cost462 million[1]
Laid downMay 2005
Launched22 September 2009[2]
Commissioned30 September 2010[3]
HomeportNaval Station Rota, Rota[4]
IdentificationPennant number: L61
StatusActive
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeJuan Carlos I class
Displacement26,000 tonnes[5]
Length230.82 m (757 ft 3 in)[6]
Beam32 m (105 ft)[5]
Draught6.9 m (23 ft)[6]
Propulsion2 × 11 MW POD,[5] GE ITP LM2500 + Navantia MAN 16V32/40
Speed21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)[5]
Range9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)[5]
Boats & landing
craft carried
Four LCM-1E
Capacity913 soldiers + up to 46 Leopard 2E tanks
Complement
  • Ship's company: 261[5]
  • Air wing: 172
Sensors and
processing systems
  • LANZA-N air search, ARIES surface search, PAR aircraft landing[5]
  • EID ICCS integrated communications control system
Electronic warfare
& decoys
REGULUS and RIGEL[5]
Armament
  • 4 × RWS Sentinel 2.0
  • 4 × 12.7 mm machine guns
  • 2 x BPDMS (FBNW)
  • 1 x VLS (FBNW)
Aircraft carriedAV-8B Harrier II, Chinook, Sea King, NH90
NotesAircraft composition:

Pure combat: 25 AV-8B/F-35B + 6 flight deck parking spots

Mix: 11 AV-8B + 12 NH90 + 6 flight deck parking spots

Pure transport: 25 NH90 + 6 flight deck parking spots

Juan Carlos I is a multi-purpose aircraft carrier-landing helicopter dock (LHD)[7] in the Spanish Navy (Armada Española). Similar in role to many aircraft carriers, the amphibious landing ship has a ski jump for STOVL operations, and is equipped with the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft. The vessel is named in honour of Juan Carlos I, the former king of Spain.[8]

The vessel plays an important role in the fleet, as a platform that replaces the Newport-class tank landing ships Hernán Cortés and Pizarro for supporting the mobility of the Marines and the strategic transport of other ground forces, and acts as a platform for carrier-based aviation replacing the withdrawn aircraft carrier Príncipe de Asturias.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference PEAs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "El 'Juan Carlos I' sale a la mar para las primeras pruebas de navegación" [The Juan Carlos I goes to sea for the first navigation trials] (in Spanish). El Correo Gallego. 22 September 2009. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  3. ^ "Lleva el nombre de 'Juan Carlos I'" [Sports the name of Juan Carlos I] (Press release) (in Spanish). Ministerio de defensa. 30 September 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  4. ^ "Navantia acaba pruebas de mar en "Juan Carlos I" y planea entrega el 24 junio". Finanzas (in Spanish). 2 June 2010. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Cite error: The named reference Armada was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b "LHD Juan Carlos I Technical data". Armada. Archived from the original on November 28, 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  7. ^ LHD "Juan Carlos I" (L-61) - Armada Española - Ministerio de Defensa
  8. ^ "Spanish Navy receives its largest warship 'Juan Carlos I'". Brahmand.com. 4 October 2010. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.