Fearless-class Landing Platform Dock

The Fearless-class landing platform docks were the first purpose-built amphibious warfare vessels in the Royal Navy. The class comprised only two ships: HMS Fearless (L10) and HMS Intrepid (L11).

Designed as Landing Platform Docks, they were 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 simply drive up the stern ramp and into the internal vehicle decks. At sea, the ships could partially sink 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 carried four LCUs in the stern dock, with four more smaller landing craft on davits on the superstructure. They provided accommodation for up to 400 troops (though if no vehicles were carried, up to 700 could be accommodated using the vehicle decks and corridors).

Specifications

 * Type: Landing Platform Dock
 * Service Period: 1965-2002
 * Characteristics
 * Length: 520 feet (158.5 meters)
 * Beam: 80 feet (24.39 meters)
 * Draft: 21 feet (6.4 meters)
 * Displacement:
 * 11,060 long tons (11,240 t) standard
 * 12,120 long tons (12,310 t) full load
 * 16,950 long tons (17,220 t) ballasted
 * Capacity: 700 troops, 15 tanks, 27 vehicles
 * Crew: 580
 * Propulsion:
 * 2 x shafts
 * 2 x English Electric Steam turbines
 * 2 x Babock & Wilcox boilers (550 psi (3,800 kPa) at 850 °F (454 °C)) 22,000 shp (16,000 kW)
 * Range: 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 kilometers) at 20 knots (37.04 km/hr)
 * Speed: 22 knots (40.75 km/hr)
 * Sensor Suite
 * Type 974 search radar
 * Type 978 Navigation radar
 * Armament
 * Original Armament
 * 4 x Sea Cat SAM Launchers
 * 2 x Bofors 40/60
 * 1985 Refit
 * 2 x Sea Cat SAM Launchers
 * 4 x Oerlikon KCB 30 mm cannon (2 twin mounts)
 * 2 x Oerlikon GAM-B01 20 mm cannon
 * Aircraft Carried: 5 x Westland Wessex helicopters (later it carried 5 x Sea King helicopters)
 * Boats and Landing Craft Carried:
 * 4 x LCM (9) landing craft in dock
 * 4 x LCVP landing craft on davits