The Jason-class tank landing ship ( Hellenic: ''αρματαγωγό κλάσσης Ιάσων'', literally ''tank-carrier of class Jason'') is a class of

tank landing ship Landing Ship, Tank (LST), or tank landing ship, is the naval designation for ships first developed during World War II (1939–1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore with ...

s (LSTs) designed and built in Greece through a cooperation of the

Elefsis Shipyards Elefsis Shipyards is a Greece, Greek shipbuilding company, also involved in other industrial constructions. Founded in 1968, it has constructed many types of ships, including the largest bulk carriers built in Greece and military ships. The latter ...

with the

National Technical University of Athens The National (Metsovian) Technical University of Athens (NTUA; el, Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο, ''National Metsovian Polytechnic''), sometimes known as Athens Polytechnic, is among the oldest higher education institution ...

and the

Hellenic Navy The Hellenic Navy (HN; el, Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, War Navy, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Hellenic Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy historically hails from the naval forces of vari ...

, which ordered the ships in 1986. Along with the , they are the primary

amphibious warfare Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducte ...

ships of the

. 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. 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 tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...

s (MBTs) or a variety of other equipment such as

armoured personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

s (APCs),

howitzer A howitzer () is a long- ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like ot ...

MLRS A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a volle ...

launchers, trucks, etc. The Hellenic Navy used the Jason-class ships to replace older American landing ships from the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

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 Second World War-era LSTs, the Hellenic Navy did not equip the Jason-class ships with

marine fighting vehicle Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

s (such as

BMP-3F The BMP-3 is a Soviet and Russian infantry fighting vehicle, successor to the BMP-1 and BMP-2. The abbreviation BMP stands for ''boevaya mashina pehoty'' (, literally "infantry combat vehicle"). Production history The design of the BMP-3 ('' ...

) and therefore Greek marines have to use tactical landing methods similar to those of the Second World War era. Although, Greece purchased 76 AAV-7A1 RAMS from EDA of USMC in 2022. Each landing ship can carry up to 15 AAV-7 and 300 Marines. The ships also use two types of

Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel A Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel or Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) is any of a variety of amphibious landing craft designed to transport troops or armoured vehicles from ship to shore during amphibious landings. United Kingdom The desi ...

(LCVPs): the type 36 and the type 36F (with ''F'' meaning ''Fast'').

Ships

Armament and sensors

Each ship of the class is armed with one Oto Melara 76 mm/62 Mod 9 compact naval gun, two Breda 40 mm/70 guns and two smaller

Rheinmetall Rheinmetall AG is a German automotive and arms manufacturer, headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. Its shares are traded on the Frankfurt stock exchange. History Rheinmetall was founded in 1889. Banker and investor Lorenz Zuckermandel L ...

20 mm guns in twin mounts. A serious drawback of the ships is the lack of a modern

CIWS A close-in weapon system (CIWS ) is a point-defense weapon system for detecting and destroying short-range incoming missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defenses, typically mounted on a naval ship. Nearly all classes of la ...

system. The main radar of the ships is the

Thomson-CSF Thomson-CSF was a French company that specialized in the development and manufacture of electronics with a heavy focus upon the aerospace and defence sectors of the market. Thomson-CSF was formed in 1968 following the merger of Thomson-Houst ...

TRS-3030 Triton G which is a G-band, 2D Surface-to-Air & Surface-to-Surface Radar.TRS 3050 Triton G (1988, DRBV 52)
/ref> 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

External links

Jason class landing ship, Hellenic Navy official website
{{Ship classes of the Hellenic Navy Jason class LST Tank landing ships