MV Blue Marlin arrives in Port Phillip Bay with HMAS CANBERRA. Mid Caption: The hull of the first of the Royal Australian Navy's two new amphibious ships, HMAS Canberra, transited through Port Phillip Heads and was greeted by the men and women of HMAS Cerberus. The Canberra class vessels are 230.8 metres long overall, with a maximum beam of 32 metres, and a maximum draught of 7.18 metres. At full load, Canberra will displace 27,851 tonnes, making the new LHDs the largest ships to serve in the RAN. HMAS Canberra will be accepted into service in 2014, followed by her sister ship HMAS Adelaide (LHD02) the year after. (photo : Aus DoD)
Minister for
Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today
announced that Australia’s largest ever warship has arrived in Australia.
The hull of
the first of two Landing Helicopter Docks (LHD) has been transported from Spain
to Australia by a Heavy Lift Ship, Blue Marlin.
The Canberra
Class LHDs are bigger than Australia’s last aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne.
The hull is
230m long and 32m wide, making it the same length as the Rialto Tower in
Melbourne.
The height
from waterline to the aft mast is just 40cm lower than the deck of the Sydney
Harbour Bridge.
The flight
deck on the LHD is as big as 24 tennis courts and could fit four ANZAC Class
frigates.
The LHD will
be equipped with a hospital that could treat a town the size of Warrnambool and
it generates enough electricity to power a city the size of Darwin.
The arrival
is a significant milestone and marks the next step towards a new era for
Defence’s amphibious force capability.
Construction
of LHD 01 began in September 2008. The first three blocks were laid down in
September 2010 and the hull was launched in February 2011.
The hull was
constructed in Spain by shipbuilder Navantia and has taken around nine weeks to
complete the 13,000 nautical mile voyage to Australia.
The hull
will now be unloaded and moved by tug to the BAE Systems’ Williamstown dockyard
for consolidation of the superstructure and other critical fitout work.
LHD 01, to
be commissioned HMAS Canberra, is the first of two LHDs being built for the
Royal Australian Navy.
The
introduction into service of these ships will mark a significant change in the
way the Australian Defence Force (ADF) deploys its land forces and conducts
amphibious operations.
The LHDs are
the largest ships ever built for the RAN.
Each ship
with its crew of around 300 personnel can also carry and embark a combined
armed battlegroup of more than 1100 personnel, 100 armoured vehicles and 12
helicopters, and features a 40-bed hospital.
Work on LHD 02, to be commissioned as HMAS Adelaide, began in February 2010. The first hull blocks were laid down in February 2011.
Work on LHD 02, to be commissioned as HMAS Adelaide, began in February 2010. The first hull blocks were laid down in February 2011.
The hull of
LHD 02 was launched in July 2012 and is due to arrive in Australia for
superstructure completion and fitting out in early 2014.
The LHD 01
is expected to be introduced into RAN service in 2014. LHD 02 is expected to
follow in 2016.
BAE Systems
is the Prime Contractor for the LHD project and is managing the overall project
in cooperation with subcontractors Navantia, Saab and L-3 Communications.
(Aus DoD)
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BalasHapus