Will Australia Ever Follow other Naval Fleets and Carry F-35s to Sea?

As tensions rise in the Pacific region, America and Japan have embarked on converting their naval Landing Helicopter docks and amphibious landing ships to operate the F-35B Lightning II, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft. Other nations around the world are also considering or converting their amphibious assault ships to F-35B operating hybrid LHD/Small Carriers.

The Royal Australian Navy operate two Canberra class landing helicopter dock (LHD), these were both commissioned within the last ten years and designed to give Australia a forward defence capability for landing and supporting troops on Asian territory. Unlike the Previous Australian light fleet carriers, HMAS Melbourne (R21) scrapped in the early 1980's and HMAS Sydney (R17) scrapped in 1975, the Canberra class LHD ships will not be carrying fixed wing aircraft.

This film looks at the canberra class ships and other naval nations future and current direction for their light carriers and LHD.

Update, I stated the CV-22 Osprey had landed on the flight deck of the Canberra for the first time in 2022, to clarify it was 2016. During RIMPAC 22 Canberra amphibious assault ship embarked US Marine Corps (USMC) MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft in an at-sea phase of a naval exercise for the first time.

Additional Editing, research and graphics by @OFF TRACK PLACES - Military Aircraft

Original videos by Navy Personnel from around the world

[jamesr]

They'd need an upgraded deck to support F-35s but having that capability would change them from targets to an actual threat to enemy ships over 1, 000km away. Consideration should be given to using drones as an alternative.

[nevillemignot]

A defense white paper about the purchase and use of the class does say that the two ships can have their prime use 'Altered' to fit 'Circumstances of the Time'. I would think that this means they can carry and service Jump Jets or Short Take Off type jets sometime in the future if required

[KeepItSimpleSailor]

Australia needs to increase capabilities on all fronts - period. Part of the problem is Defence is not a great manager of money for infrastructure nor equipment - they really need to do much better in acquisitions.

[aaronspackman]

My belief is that in Australia we do require a dedicated aircraft carrier as part of a bi-lateral option as I see it our armed service is not big enough to operate a vessel that size but if the RN and RAN operate a carrier together as 3 carriers is probably one too many for the UK to operate by itself. They could deploy the joint carrier between Australia and United Kingdom to project a larger sphere of strength and more stability into the Pacific and South China Sea

[rh]

For pete's sake, what is the point of the ski launch ramp except to launch STOVL aircraft like the F35Bs? Retrofitting the flight deck with coating to handle F35Bs is not a large investment, maybe $50 million. Well worth the cost in return for turning the Canberra class into power projectors instead of sitting ducks. The UK QE class carriers with ski launch ramps already show how it's done, as does the Italian light carrier Cavour, which all operate F35Bs already from ski jumps. There's no excuse for delay with the China threat looming.

[billyeyeball]

Dont know much about the details etc, but it is so good being able to walk down to the neighbourhood of wooloomooloo in Sydney and just look at the ships such as this one.
Cheers for the vid .

[aussietaipan]

Yes, we should have L03 and L04 more dedicated for the F35B, each of these accompanying L01 and L02 as strike missions and stand off air cover for the amphibious forces.

[LeonAust]

I would like to see the Canberra class have a few VTOVL AWAC aircraft - maybe a converted Osprey or the British Crowsnest radar helicopter mod or even fitted to future drones. That could give the Hobart or Hunter class ships an (OTHT) over the horizon targeting capability against anti ship cruise missiles. They would be network guiding the SM2 SM6 missiles over the horizon.

[meejinhuang]

Yes, they should operate the F35B on small carriers to project power into the Pacific.

[kxngmars]

I've been saying we should get aircraft carriers and upgrade and modify our fleets to suit for a bit now. But I'm thinking at this point, going all in would just be better and make more sense. We're literally surrounded by water. Having a good air defense operating from your shores with a basic A2/D2 defense strategy these days is a bare minimum. Although this obviously means changing the ADF. It would no longer be classified as a Defense force and would turn into the Australian Military. However, considering us and our geographical closest ally (NZ) I think it's something that would make a huge difference. As an Australian, although we're aligned with the US so heavily, I'd be more comfortable knowing we can hold our own if our supply lines get cut, or whatever situation may arise. This also frees up the US to focus their efforts elsewhere that's needed, again beneficial for both countries and region stability for the most part. We get threatened to get nuked as it is by China anyway even holding a nonproliferation status so there's no reason to hold ourselves back at this point in my eyes. By 2030 (maybe 2040) they've committed to increasing troop levels quite substantially. Most of this is logistics and support roles though. However I imagine that's the first smart step in actually being able increasing your military without sacrificing combat effectiveness. Creating the nuclear framework with the UN as we're currently doing to be able to procure nuclear reactors and nuclear powered naval crafts means the framework could potentially be extended to other things like aircraft carriers in the future. The cost and yearly maintenance costs for the new Ford class carriers are very doable for Australia. The only thing is, carriers require a massive learning curve. The benefit there is having the US already having so much experience and know how, I imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to setup and integrated training program to be able to rotate Australians on and off to be able to get the training and operations, and intricacies down to even things like quarantine etc.

PLUS, research should be done with AUKUS to figure out how, or if it's necessary to design a new boat to take as many of these drones that can pair up with the F-35s as possible such as the Ghost Bat, and the rest of the Lone Wingman programs. Increasing the size of a fleet but also multiplying it's power and force projection capabilities substantially. Having the US, Australia and the UK integrate their fleets, drone capabilities and cohesion to an entirely new level on the water as well as being able to project an even more unified and capable air force would solidify stability in the regions, and balance the load between countries and their capabilities much better. I do think this should involve massive expansions to sub and ship yards in Australia that can accommodate as many allied vessels as possible would be massively beneficial as well. Look at Pine Gap, it provides almost all of the intelligence for the entirety of Russia and China and disseminates, and sends that out to the Five Eyes partners.

That's my take anyway. Interesting to see this discussion coming up more often though. Currently I think Australias military is severely under prepared, and needs some serious attention and strengthening. I don't think we can hold off an attack ourselves if it came down to it. Not a chance. We have almost the same amount of land as the US, only 25m people and like 75 tanks, 200 combat fighters (maybe) and some fleets and submarines that would easily be outmatched, and outgunned. Shit we literally couldn't afford to give Ukraine more than 6 M777s, cause we honestly just don't have that much. Plus our supply lines and stockpiles are pathetic last I heard. There's currently a military review that's been called but I'm assuming when the report comes out, it's not going to be saying anything good other than our soldiers are trained quite well. But you look at things like the HiFire program, or the JORN radar. Our geographic location, having the entire continent to ourselves helps too. We have a lot of potential. If we taxed resource extraction companies more in this country, we could pay for all of this in like 2 years. Either way, I feel like as an Australian, I think it's time we start to see some big changes to adapt to these threats like China and Russia. Especially considering we're so isolated from a lot of our closest allies.

[richardthomson]

Firstly V-22 have operated from them for many years, RIMPAC was the first time they stored them below deck, previously they just did flight ops from them. Ospreys have been landing on canberra class for at least the last 6 years

[richardcostello]

I think people are forgetting that our Navy isn't tiny compared to most developed nations
We are also designed more for disaster relief and recovery rather than power projection and war fighting, since our part of the world has a ton of cyclones and tsunamis/earthquakes

[SNOWDONTRYFAN]

Having those aircraft does give one the advantage of being independent and able to operate outside of the range of your own mainland airbases re: cover, but its the way they are used, more so like the US and probably the UK being a joint carrier force (Aegis) incorporated into something like the Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) and Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air (NIFC-CA) allowing the strike group to operate well beyond their own ships sensors and as one can appreciate a massive over the horizon threat !

[OzinPictures]

You've hit on a great subject here and one I've raised some years ago. My take on this is they absolutely should have been fitted to take them from the start even if it isn't their primary use in peacetime and it wouldn't have been a big stretch to make it possible if it had been done at the start. The deck is the main issue as far as I can see. One of the other problems however is that the powers that be over here didn't consider that the B variant of the F-35 was the one to get and instead went for the A variant. This IMHO was a huge mistake. We should have divided it pretty much down the middle and got half of each. Enough to put on both Adelaide and Canberra if necessary. You only have to look at the specs to see that aside from radar cross section (which admittedly does not work in their favour) they should be as effective as the Invincible Class was for Britain. If we were smart, we would have 2 US carrier battlegroups permanently based over here too. It would be sensible for us and as the US Navy is designed to operate away from home and protect their interests without it coming close to their coasts it would be in their interests to do it too.

[stevenhoman]

There should be no question about it. The RAN should prepare itself to be in a position to carry fixed wing aircraft in addition to helicopters. They all serve different needs and missions. It would provide for our navy to have the ability to offer both an offensive and defensive force where needed. Something we have been missing for far too long.

[philcole]

The video you made is very in-depth I'm very happy I watched it keep up the good work and I will Beerus Chrysler of yours from now on thank you for making it

[Exadius]

Great idea, small problem. Their decks would melt if an F-35 were to take off. To reinforce them would take considerable engineering challenges, time and costs plus time in drydock.

[valenrn]

The Canberras have the same physical dimensions as Juan Carlos I, but differ in the design of the island superstructure and the internal layout. Canberra class's 27, 500 displacement is too small to match USN's 40, 500 tons displacement Wasp-class LHD's dual roles. Canberra class has to drop one role to change into a light/escort aircraft carrier role.

[hgf]

Australia must build more destroyers first. Having only three destroyers available and old outdated frigates (the new hunter class frigates are many years away) and considering the changing geopolitical environment, I think Australia would be better served if it built several of it's own aircraft carriers.

[thomasb]

Australia could 1 Squadron 24 F35B based on land and use LHD when needed. We where going to have 100 F35 at one point now I believe we are going 1 squadron short of that.

The 2 LHD could have room for a few F35B we just don’t know as no one has actual looked at what would be needed or cost. I have heard it could be a simple as special paint on the deck to a complete overhaul of the main structure. Those that are opposed to such an idea can’t point to a structural difference between any of the Juan Carlos variants, they talk of lift not being strong enough, not big enough aviation fuel storage, reduce space of the vehicle storage decks and so on but with no actual studies.

Australia does not need a full squadron of F35B on a single carrier full time, usefulness is to limited. Australia needs to be flexible. A LHD ability to carry 0 to 12(8) F35B is what should be looking at. The ability to be fitted to provide relief missions like Tonga, fleet escort, ground support or foreign air support roles should be the determining factor in how many F35B need to be carried. We can’t achieve force projection by ourselves but we should be able to either assist or conduct smaller missions. The ability to put and resupply F35B in the Pacific or Indian oceans might be very useful.

Australia should have a third LHD so we have one available, one training and one routine maintenance.