Galicia class landing platform dock

Galicia delivering humanitarian supplies to Iraq.
Class overview
Operators:	Spanish Navy
Completed:	2
Active:	2
General characteristics
Type:	Landing platform dock
Displacement:	13,000 tonnes full load
Length:	166.2 m
Beam:	25.0 m
Draft:	5.8 m
Propulsion:	4 diesel Caterpillar 3612 (two in tandem per shaft) at 16.2 MW, 2 shafts
Speed:	20 knots, 19 sustained
Range:	6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) at 12 kt
Endurance:	6 weeks
Boats and landing craft carried:	4 LCM1-E and two RHIB
Complement:	185. The ships can transport 600 fully equipped soldiers or 170 APCs or 33 MBTs.
Sensors and processing systems:	DA08 air / surface search IRSCAN SATCOM, Link 1, JMCIS
Armament:	4 Sippican Hycor SRBOC MK36 launcher 1 AN/SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo decoy Indra SLQ-380 Aldebarán 2 x Oerlikon Contraves 20 mm cannons
Aircraft carried:	4 SH-3 Sea King or 6 NH-90 helicopters

The Galicia class is a class of two 13,900 t landing platform dock ships, belonging to the Spanish Navy. Built in Ferrol, their mission is to carry amphibious warfare by transporting the bulk of the Infantería de Marina.

These ships have both a large helicopter deck and a well deck for large landing craft. Their origin is a joint initiative with the Netherlands and Spain for developing a common class of LPD that would fulfill the needs of both countries to replace older ships and thus, the Galicia class is similar to the Royal Netherlands Navy's Rotterdam-class Rotterdam (L800) and Johan de Witt (L801). The SPS Galicia (L51) was commissioned in 1998 and the SPS Castilla (L52) in 2000. The Galicia and the Castilla are based at the Rota naval base in Spain.

Photo gallery

• ''Galicia'' class ship
• 

  The Galicia delivering humanitarian supplies to Iraq (2003-04-10)

• 

  SPS Galicia (L51) in Santander 2009

• 

  SPS Galicia (L51) during the celebration of Armed Forces Day in Santander (2009)

• 

  Castilla docked at the Rota naval base.

External links

• Naval-technology.com
• (Spanish) Official site