The hull of the first of the Royal Australian Navy’s
(RAN’s) new amphibious ships has begun the final leg of its journey to Australia.
Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare said the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) 01 hull
has rounded the Cape of Good Hope and is expected to arrive in Melbourne in the next few
weeks.
The LHD hull left Ferrol,
Spain in August
and is being transported by the Heavy Lift Ship, Blue
Marlin. The hull was built in the Navantia shipyard in Spain.
“The Blue Marlin is making good progress and we expect
the LHD to arrive in Melbourne
by mid October,” Clare said.
The Canberra Class LHDs are bigger than Australia’s last aircraft carrier HMAS
Melbourne.
“From Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne,
the LHD will then travel to the Williamstown dockyard for consolidation of the
superstructure and installation of the combat and communications and navigation
systems,” Clare said.
The vessel is scheduled to be delivered to the RAN in early 2014.
The LHD hull left Ferrol, Spain in August and is being transported by the Heavy Lift Ship, Blue Marlin.
