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| HMAS Balikpapan in 2011 (Image: Wiki Commons) |
LEUT Des Paroz (author)
The Royal Australian Navy’s final three Landing Craft Heavy – ex-HMA Ships Balikpapan, Betano and Wewak – were officially signed over to the Philippines Navy at a ceremony held at Darwin’s HMAS Coonawarra naval base recently.
As workhorses of the Australian Navy for some four decades, the vessels supported a wide range of military, peacekeeping and humanitarian exercises and operations around Australia and the Indo-Pacific region, and following the gifting of two of their sister ships last year, the Philippine Navy has also found the ships to provide an important operational capability.
The Commander of the Philippine Navy’s Sealift Amphibious Force, Commodore Rene V Medina, AFP, lead a small team to Darwin and Cairns to officially take ownership of the three craft.
“The Philippine Navy commissioned BRP Ivatan (ex-HMAS Brunei) and BRP Batak (ex-HMAS Tarakan) in 2015, bringing them into service as part of our Sealift Amphibious Force,” Commodore Medina said.
“These ships have already started to fulfil an important role complementing the Philippine Navy fleet, and we look forward to these three ships also joining the fleet.
“We are grateful to the Australian Navy for safeguarding all three ships while we have been working to coordinate the handover.”
Representing the Australian Defence Force at the handover ceremony was Commander John Navin, Commanding Officer of Coonawarra, and a former landing craft Commanding Officer.
“As the Commanding Officer of Balikpapan in 2000-01, I had the pleasure of commanding the ship while she served in support of peacekeeping operations in East Timor,” Commander Navin said.
“This was a high tempo operational role for Balikpapan and her sisters – an important role that showcased the versatility of the class.
“Commanding one of these ships has been a highlight of my career to date, and I am pleased to see that all six former Royal Australian Navy Landing Craft Heavy are continuing their service with the navies of Australian partners – five of them with the Philippines.”
After an inspection and handover ceremony, Balikpapan and Betano were moved from the hardstand at Coonawarra in the early hours of the morning and out to a waiting sealift ship which will take them back to the Philippines where they will be refitted and readied for the next chapters of their lives.