Should LPDs be built to civilian standards, and why do they carry so many medical and support specialists?
Short answerCommercial standards can suit non-critical areas, but military spaces still need protection and resilience; the extra medical capacity supports embarked forces, the fleet, and disaster relief.
NotesThe answer cautions that claims about civilian standards may mean either a genuinely commercial ship or only commercial practice in non-critical spaces. Amphibious vessels usually carry larger medical teams and facilities because they are designed to support many embarked personnel and can serve the wider fleet. Their volume also makes them useful for evacuations and disaster response, as Canberra-class ships demonstrated during Australian fires. The watch point explains both the savings and the limits of adapting commercial practice to a warship expected to enter dangerous waters.