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Career
Name:	Juan Carlos I
Ordered:	2003
Builder:	Navantia Ferrol, Spain
Laid down:	2005
Launched:	November 2007
Commissioned:	Expected in 2008
General characteristics
Displacement:	27,079 tonnes
Length:	230.8 m
Beam:	32.0 m
Draught:	7.18 m
Propulsion:	Gas turbines Electrical (pods)
Speed:	21 knots
Range:	4,900 nm at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Boats and landing craft carried:	Four LCM
Complement:	Crew: 243 Air wing: 172 Amphibious assault force: 902
Aircraft carried:	Up to 30 aircraft[citation needed]

Juan Carlos I (LHD1) — a strategic projection vessel (Buque de Proyección Estratégica), similar to an LHD — is a planned multipurpose warship for the Spanish Navy (Armada Española). The concept was approved in September 2003 and Navantia (formerly part of the Izar shipyards in Ferrol) began construction of the 231-metre 27,000-ton V/STOL aircraft carrier and amphibious assault ship in 2005. The vessel was launched in November 2007, and she will be delivered to the Navy in 2008. The vessel is named in honour of Juan Carlos I, the current King of Spain.

The construction is in a historical frame characterized by the increasing budgets and the gradual assumption of international responsibilities on the part of Spain. The new vessel is to play an important role in the Fleet. A platform that not only supports the mobility of the Marines (probably it will replace the "cornudas", L-41 Hernán Cortés and L-42 Pizarro (ex-USS Barnstable County and ex-Harlan County, Newport-class LSTs), but that will possibly act as a platform for carrier-based aviation, and the strategic transport of ground forces as required.

The capacity of the ship will be of around 900 naval personnel, with equipments and support elements for 1,200 soldiers. Multi-functional garage and hangar space on two levels of 6,000 m², with capacity for 6,000 tonnes load each. A stern dock being able to lodge up to four LCM-1e boats or one LCAC.

If used as an aircraft carrier the vessel will have a flight deck of 201.9 metres with 'ski-jump', and six points for Harrier, JSF or medium helicopters, or four points for heavy helicopters of the CH-47 Chinook type. She can carry up to 30^{[citation needed]} Harrier IIs in the aircraft carrier mode, using the light vehicles bay as storage zone.^{[citation needed]}

For the first time in the Spanish Navy, the ship will use diesel-electrical propulsion, simultaneously connecting both diesels and the new technology gas turbine to a pair of azimuthal pods.

Construction started in May 2005 simultaneously in Ferrol (with the cut of the first plate corresponding to Block 320) and in Fene (with the cut of the first plate corresponding to Block 330). The ship, that supposes a service load of 3,100,000 hours of production and 775,000 hours of engineering, was launched in November 2007 and is planned to be commissioned somewhere in 2008.

Following a lengthy design contest that pitted the design against the similar but smaller French Mistral class of ships, the Prime Minister of Australia announced on Wednesday 20 June 2007, that Australia would purchase and build two ships of the same design (to become the Canberra-class large amphibious ships). Work for these two ships is expected to be performed in Australia by Tenix Defence with the balance in Spain and other countries.

• Canberra-class large amphibious ship
• Amphibious assault ship

• Official Web-site of the Spanish Navy (in Spanish) with information about the "Buque de Proyección Estratégica" being built at Ferrol (2005–2007)