%2B1.jpg)
HMAS Canberra joins the fleet
Governor General of Australia, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove, AK, MC (Retd), together with the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Mr Tony Abbott, MP, were the guests of honour today as Australia’s first Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) was welcomed into service in the Royal Australian Navy.
The Australian White Ensign was raised for the first time, signaling that HMAS Canberra III was formally commissioned into the Fleet.
Navy, Army and Air Force members of ship’s company lined the aircraft hangar as invited guests witnessed the historic event.
Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, AO, CSC, RAN, said the commissioning was a step towards developing the future of the Navy.
“HMAS Canberra is an exciting addition to the Royal Australian Navy. This very capable ship will serve the nation well for decades to come,” he said.
Commanding Officer, Captain Jonathan Sadleir, AM, RAN, said it was also a significant moment for the tri-service ship’s company who had been training for months in preparation for the introduction of the LHD.
“It was a proud and emotional experience for me to stand with 400 exceptional members of my crew today.
“Through the efforts of many organizations, this outstanding ship is now a reality,” Capt Sadleir said.
The ship brings a significant increase in amphibious potential to the Australian Defence Force.
“We know it’s an awesome ship with huge capability, but the next step is to go to sea and test procedures, refine and consolidate, so we can be ready when the nation needs us,” he said.
HMAS Canberra will proceed to sea in the coming weeks for a period of training and assessment for the crew.
Canberra is first of two LHDs to be introduced into the Navy. The ship is expected to (be) used for diverse tasking such as humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and amphibious operations.
Canberra is capable of embarking more than 1000 troops and associated cargo which can be landed ashore by helicopters or state of the art landing craft.
She is the third ship to bear the name.
---
HMAS Canberra, among the best in the world
The commissioning of HMAS Canberra, a 27,000 tonne Landing Helicopter Dock, provides the Royal Australian Navy with one of the world’s most capable and sophisticated amphibious assault ships, Defence Minister David Johnston said.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony held at Garden Island, Sydney, Senator Johnston said HMAS Canberra was the largest warship ever built for the RAN and her introduction to the RAN fleet marked a “very proud day for the men and women serving in the senior service”.
HMAS Canberra is the first of two LHDs, a collaboration between the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) Spanish shipbuilder Navantia and BAE Systems – Maritime. The second LHD, NUSHIP Adelaide is planned to commission in 2016.
“HMAS Canberra incorporates lessons learnt from recent operations in East Timor and the Solomon Islands.
“This LHD is a true multi-purpose warship ideally configured to carry out humanitarian assistance or transport an embarked force complete with their equipment and aviation assets for a peacekeeping mission,” he said.
“These two ships together will be able land a force of more than 2000 personnel by helicopter and water craft, along with all their weapons, ammunition, vehicles and stores.”
The warship will be jointly crewed with personnel from Navy, Army and Air Force forming the ship’s company.
Both warships have state of the art medical facilities including operating theatres, an eight bed Critical Care Unit, a variety of wards, pathology and radiology services, an x-ray, pharmacy and dental facilities.
HMAS Canberra has deck space for six medium-size helicopters such as the MRH 90 Taipan or Black Hawk, and can support a mix of helicopter operations ranging from the smaller Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopter through to the much larger CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopters.