Landing Platform Dock (LPD)

The Commonwealth and NATO term for an amphibious transport dock: a warship with a flooding well dock aft for landing craft plus a flight deck and hangar for helicopters, carrying troops and vehicles for amphibious landings. The US Navy uses the equivalent hull symbol LPD. Examples include the Royal Navy’s Albion class and the Dutch Rotterdam/Johan de Witt class. The LPD sits between the dock landing ship (more well-deck focused) and the large helicopter-carrying assault ships; it balances surface-craft, vehicle, and aviation capacity in one hull.