HAMS Canberra

[Jan Hendrik]

Australia's newest Amphibious landing crafts (ALHD) which meanwhile have been commissioned in Williamstown (Melbourne).

The first one: HMAS CANBERRA arrived in Melbourne October 2012 after the hull was completed at the Navantia Shipyard in Ferrol, Spain.
It takes more than 18 months to get these ships fitted out. They include landing helicopter docks.
Following photos I took in October 2012 when the first hull arrived, whilst taken a boat way out the bay in the early morning.

HAMS ADELAIDE left Spain a year later and is also to be transported on the BLUE MARLIN of Dockwise from The Netherlands.
Displacement is said to be 27,500 tonnes which is 10,000 tonnes more than Australia's ever largest navy vessel, HAMS Melbourne -aircraft carrier.

Here are some photos which I took at the mouth of the Yarra River, pretty windy and very early in the morning......

Jan