In a joint release Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced that the Government had agreed to purchase the Offshore Support Vessel MSV Skandi Bergen.
The Skandi Bergen will add to the Royal Australian Navy’s current amphibious ships, HMAS Choules and HMAS Tobruk.
In December last year Ministers Smith and Clare announced that they would pursue the purchase of an additional ship to be used by Navy, particularly for humanitarian and disaster relief situations which was outlined in the recently published Rizzo report.
The purchase of the Skandi Bergen – at a cost of less than $130 million – will ensure that Defence has the humanitarian and disaster relief capability required between now and the arrival of the two new Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships in the middle of the decade.
It will primarily be used to transport troops and supplies in support of humanitarian and disaster relief operations domestically and in the region.
The purchase of this vessel will also provide a long term capability for Customs and Border Protection.
After Defence introduces the LHDs into service, the vessel will be transferred to Customs and Border Protection.
The commercial off-the-shelf vessel will require minimal modifications and will enter into service in the middle of the year and will be operated under a civilian crewing arrangement.