Jason-class tank landing ship

The Jason-class LST (Land Ship, Tank) (Hellenic: αρματαγωγό κλάσσης Ιάσων, literally tank-carrier of class Jason) is a class of tank landing ships designed and built in Greece through a cooperation of the Elefsis Shipyards with the National Technical University of Athens and the Hellenic Navy, which ordered the ships in 1986. Along with the Zubr class LCAC, they are the primary amphibious warfare ships of the Hellenic Navy. The first was laid down on 18 April 1987, second in September 1987, third in May 1988, fourth in April 1989 and fifth in November 1989. Completion of all five and in particular the last three was severely delayed by the shipyard's financial problems, which was privatised in October 1997. Greece tried to start building a sixth ship in 2000 but cancelled it before construction began.

HS Chios, L-173
Class overview
Builders: Hellenic Shipyards, Greece
Operators:  Hellenic Navy
Built: 1993-2000
In commission: 1994 - present day
Planned: 6
Completed: 5
Cancelled: 1
Active: 5 (2018)
General characteristics
Type: Landing Ship Tank
Displacement: 4,470 tons full load
Length: 116 metres
Beam: 15.3 metres
Draught: 3.4 metres
Propulsion: 2 shafts, 2 Wärtsilä Nohab 16V25 diesels; 9,200 hp(m) (6.76 MW) sustained
Speed: 16 kn
Range: 4,700 nmi (8,700 km; 5,400 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 craft carried: 4 x LCVP 36-F Fast Landing Crafts
Troops: 350
Complement: 120
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Radars: Thomson-CSF (now Thales) TRS-3030 Triton 2D surface to air & surface to surface G-band radar
  • Fire control: Thomson-CSF Pollux TRS3220 I/J-band monopulse radar
  • Navigation: Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 (I-band)
  • Thomson-CSF Vega II weapons control and tactical data system
Electronic warfare
& decoys:		 Mark 36 SRBOC chaff and deoy launching system
Armament:
Aviation facilities: 1 platform for medium sized helicopter

The ships are capable of transporting 350 infantry troops, but they can transport up to 1,200 infantry for short distances, and they can also carry up to 22 main battle tanks (MBTs) or a variety of other equipment such as armoured personnel carriers (APCs), howitzers, MLRS launchers, trucks, etc.

The Hellenic Navy used the Jason class ships to replace older American landing ships from the Second World War era. The Hellenic Navy preferred to not buy new ships from other nations in order to acquire experience in the design and construction of warships entirely in Greece.

Although the new ships replaced WW2-era LSTs, the Hellenic Navy did not equip the Jason-class ships with marine fighting vehicles (such as BMP-3F) and therefore Greek marines have to use tactical landing methods similar to those of the Second World War era. The ships use two types of Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVPs): the type 36 and the type 36F (with F meaning Fast).

Ships
Ship Namesake Builder Commissioned Status
L173 HS Chios Χίος Chios Elefsis Shipyards 1996 In service (2018)
L174 HS Samos Σάμος Samos Elefsis Shipyards 1994 In service (2018)
L175 HS Ikaria Ικαρία Ikaria Elefsis Shipyards 1999 In service (2018)
L176 HS Lesvos Λέσβος Lesbos Elefsis Shipyards 1999 In service (2018)
L177 HS Rodos Ρόδος Rhodes Elefsis Shipyards 2000 In service (2018)

Armament and sensors

Each ship of the class is armed with one Oto Melara 76mm/62 Mod 9 compact naval gun, two Breda 40mm/70 guns and two smaller Rheinmetall 20mm (2 twin) guns. A serious drawback of the ships is the lack of a modern CIWS system.

The main radar of the ships is the Thomson-CSF TRS-3030 Triton G which is a G-band, 2D Surface-to-Air & Surface-to-Surface Radar.[1][2] The ships have installed the Thomson-CSF Vega II command and control system which includes the Pollux TRS3220 fast-scanning radar as a fire control radar system.

References
  1. TRS 3050 (Triton G) Radar information from www.radartutorial.eu
  2. TRS 3050 Triton G (1988, DRBV 52)
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