VESSEL REVIEW | Matilda 1 – New stern landing vessel boasts long-distance navigation capability
An Australian-designed amphibious transport ship will soon commence operational sailings in support of the US Armed Forces.
The 73-metre (240-foot) stern landing vessel (SLV) Matilda 1 was designed by Queensland-based naval architecture firm Seatransport and built by Karimun Anugrah Sejati of Batam, Indonesia. She was built with a high bow and a wide stern ramp.
The SLV will shortly enter a three-year charter with the US military in support of operational objectives and to inform ongoing expeditionary requirements and concepts of operations. Seatransport said the US military lease is the first adoption of a true SLV design by any defence force worldwide.
Designed to withstand offshore conditions
The SLV will enable US forces to transport significantly larger loads over much longer ranges than is possible with current and emerging navy bow ramp landing craft, in this case up to 550 tonnes of cargo (actual beaching load) at a deadweight of 1,500 out to 4,000 nautical miles.
“Almost all amphibious vessel designs are incapable of long-distance offshore voyages,” Dr Stuart Ballantyne, CEO of Seatransport, told Baird Maritime. “This vessel can achieve 85 per cent of her designed speed in head sea state five and predominant waves in standard tradewind areas.”
The vessel is not the first SLV to be designed by Seatransport, but she was developed to be faster, capable of transporting a greater payload in higher sea states, and suitable for emergency and disaster response as well as defence-related activities.
The SLV will be operated in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in Northern Australia and Indonesia. She will initially be used for training for landings onto unprepared beaches on behalf of military and civilian operators.
Configured for safe and efficient loading and unloading
The SLV’s deck is configured for the transport of 84 TEUs stowed either longitudinally or transversely. The stern ramp is 12.7 metres (41.7 feet) wide and is of unrestricted height for facilitating rapid operations on or off a beach, whereas most examples of bow landing craft only have five- to six-metre (16- to 20-foot) wide ramps with restricted height.
According to Ballantyne, the design was developed to be able to withstand a drone attack, “such as the Ukrainian attack on a large Russian LCT hitting on the ramp hinge and successfully sinking it.” The SLV also incorporates a well deck, the geometry of which can withstand total swamping.
The vessel features a high-efficiency, high-redundancy quad-screw, diesel-electric propulsion system and a bow optimised for blue water transits at higher speeds, better seakeeping and increased range.
Four electric motors are connected to fixed-pitch propellers, and the motors incorporate thrust blocks, thus eliminating the need for gearboxes to be fitted. Also installed are six 450kW generators with radiators above the side decks.
“The propulsion setup is designed to ensure there will be no damage to the stern gear during beach landings even when the vessel is coming in at an angle to the beach,” Ballantyne told Baird Maritime.
The electronics include equipment optimised for unrestricted voyages. The deck equipment meanwhile includes Muir vertical anchor winches and stern-mounted rope capstans.
The vessel accommodation is suitable for eight crewmembers, and up to 36 additional personnel such as first responders can also be embarked. One of the onboard facilities is a military communications room located adjacent to the bridge.
Continuing improvement in final design stages
Ballantyne explained that the biggest challenge with the SLV was related to modifying the hull after the tank test results became available. There were also challenges that manifest as a result of changes requested by the client regarding the electronics and machinery.
In Ballantyne’s view, the project highlighted the importance of strict adherence to general arrangement and specifications signed by all parties, from the owners and builders to the funders, charterers and ship managers.
Testbed for miniaturised nuclear reactor technology
Matilda 1 had even been used as a trial platform for a hybrid nuclear-ready power concept developed for use on ships. Sea trials of the SLV confirmed the design assumptions used in the nuclear micro modular reactor (MMR) concept, which Seatransport said provided strong technical assurance that the design is both practical and robust.
Under the MMR project, Seatransport collaborated with classification society Lloyd’s Register to demonstrate how licensable reactors can be integrated with diesel-electric systems to deliver long-range vessels with significantly reduced fuel dependence and emissions.
By incorporating a hybrid nuclear-ready capability, vessels can gain effectively unlimited operational range, significantly reduced reliance on conventional fuels, and extended endurance for sustained missions.
Seatransport said this approach will also enhance operational flexibility, deliver low-emission performance, and enable reliable operation in demanding environments, such as landing and logistic support on unprepared or remote beaches.
The MMRs under consideration range from 1.2 MW to 2.6 MW and are undergoing technical and regulatory assessment.
“These designs secured an approval in principle from Lloyd’s Register in February 2026 for the inclusion of MMRs into a hybrid design that can operate with either diesel generators or the nuclear MMR,” Ballantyne told Baird Maritime. “The first live test of an MMR-propelled SLV is programmed for November and December 2027.”
