The LCM2000 was a class of Landing Craft Mechanised

Landing Craft Mechanized

The Landing Craft Mechanized or Landing Craft Mechanical was a landing craft designed for carrying vehicles. They came to prominence during the Second World War when they were used to land troops or tanks during Allied amphibious assaults....

 (LCM) built for the Australian Army

Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...

 by Australian Defence Industries

Australian Defence Industries

Thales Australia is a primary defence contractor for the Australian Defence Force. Thales Australia is best known for its naval ship repair operations, and currently leases the Captain Cook graving dock at Garden Island Naval Base in Sydney, New South Wales and also leases and occupies many of the...

 (ADI) (now Thales Australia). The LCMs were ordered in 2001 and the first craft was originally scheduled to enter service with the Army in 2003. The craft proved too large for their intended purpose, however, and were only used for training and minor exercises before the project was cancelled in February 2011.

Design

In 1997 the Australian Government approved a project to build six amphibious watercraft to operate from the Royal Australian Navy's two Kanimbla class landing platform amphibious

Kanimbla class landing platform amphibious

The Kanimbla class is a class of amphibious transport ships operated by the Royal Australian Navy . Two ships were purchased by Australia in 1994 and modified...

 (LPA). These craft were to be operated by the Australian Army

Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...

 and would replace its LCM-8

LCM-8

The LCM-8 is a river boat and mechanized landing craft used by the United States Navy and Army during the Vietnam War and subsequent operations. They are currently used by governments and private organizations throughout the world. The acronym stands for "Landing Craft Mechanized, Mark 8...

s. In October 2001 ADI was selected as the preferred tenderer to build the six watercraft; at this time it was intended that the first of the class would enter service in 2003. A contract for the craft was signed in July 2002 and construction work began at ADI's facilities at Carrington, New South Wales

Carrington, New South Wales

Carrington is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia and is named after Lord Carrington, governor of N.S.W. in 1887 when the area was proclaimed a municipality.-Origins:...

 in February 2003. The sixth LCM2000 was completed in August 2005, though at the time there were plans to order further craft. The six LCMs were named AB 2000, AB 2001, AB 2002, AB 2003, AB 2004 and AB 2005.

The LCM2000s were designed by ADI and were intended to be compatible with the LPAs. The craft were to be capable of mating with the stern of LPAs in order to transfer vehicles to and from the ships. Two LCM2000s were to be carried on the bow

Bow (ship)

The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...

 of each LPA, with the craft being lifted out of the water by the amphibious ships' 70 ton crane. The final design was for a 25.2 metres (82.7 ft)-long vessel constructed from aluminium

Aluminium

Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....

 with a maximum displacement of 135 tonnes when fully loaded. The craft were powered by two diesel engines and two water jets

Pump-jet

A pump-jet, hydrojet, or water jet, is a marine system that creates a jet of water for propulsion. The mechanical arrangement may be a ducted propeller with nozzle, or a centrifugal pump and nozzle...

 which generated a maximum speed of 11.5 knots (22.5 km/h) when unladen and 9.5 knots (18.6 km/h) fully loaded. The LCM2000s were to carry loads ranging from 35 to 50 tons, including one Leopard 1 tank or up to five ASLAV

ASLAV

The Australian Service Light Armoured Vehicle , is an Australian version of the Light Armoured Vehicle designed and manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada for the U.S. Marines. The initial design was the MOWAG Piranha 8x8, however the vehicle was re-designed to meet North American...

s; this was three times the cargo which could be embarked in the LCM-8s.

Service and disposal

The LCM 2000s were accepted into service with the Army in December 2005. It was planned that the craft would be operated by the 10th Force Support Battalion

10th Force Support Battalion (Australia)

The 10th Force Support Battalion is an Australian Army logistics battalion. Formed on 1 March 1998, following the amalgamation of a number of terminal, supply, postal and transport units, it is based in Townsville, Queensland...

 from its base at Townsville, Queensland

Townsville, Queensland

Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...

. However, trials conducted with the LPAs found that the craft were too wide for personnel to safely move past when they were embarked. As a result, the LCM2000s were only used for training purposes and minor exercises conducted near Townsville, Darwin

Darwin, Northern Territory

Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...

 and other locations in northern Australia, and spent most of their careers laid up at the Rosshaven marina in Townsville. These trials and training activities were suspended for a period commencing August 2007 while structural issues were rectified. The Army hoped to either use the LCM2000s with the RAN's Canberra class landing helicopter dock when these ships entered service or for other secondary tasks, but the craft were determined to be unsuitable for these purposes.

On 15 October 2010 the project to bring the LCM2000s into service was placed on the Australian Government's defence 'projects of concern' list. On 1 February 2011 the Government announced that the LCM2000 project had been cancelled and the craft would be disposed of. In his media release, the Minister for Defence Materiel

Minister for Defence Materiel (Australia)

The Australian Minister for Defence Materiel is Jason Clare, who was appointed on 14 September 2010. The ministry is part of the portfolio of the Minister for Defence and is administered through the Department of Defence...

 stated that "the dimensions and weight of the watercraft meant they were unsuitable to be launched from these ships [the Kanimbla class] and are not fit for alternative Australian Defence Force use" as the main reasons for the project's cancellation. The Minister for Defence

Minister for Defence (Australia)

The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...

also stated that the project had cost A$40 million and it "was not a project which Defence covered itself in glory".