Two Former RAN Balikpapan Class Landing Craft Gifted by Australia to the Philippine Navy

: Posted On Thursday, 29 January 2015 19:08

Naval Forces News - Australia, Philippines

Two Former RAN Balikpapan Class Landing Craft Gifted by Australia to the Philippine Navy

The Australian Government will gift two recently-decommissioned Balikpapan class LCH (Landing Craft Heavy) vessels, including a package of spare parts, to the Philippines Government, the Minister for Defence Kevin Andrews announced today.

The Former Royal Australia Navy Landing Craft Heavy HMAS Labuan, (Pictured here during the 2013 Internationa Fleet Review) recently entered service with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force. The former HMAS Tarakan and Brunei gifted to the Philippines belong to the same class.
Picture: Hpeterswald

Mr Andrews said the former Royal Australian Navy vessels HMAS Tarakan and Brunei would be gifted to the Philippine Navy after being refurbished with new safety and navigation equipment. “I expect the vessels will be refitted and ready for hand over in May 2015,” Mr Andrews said.

The Landing Craft will be commissioned in the Philippines Navy and will provide additional intra-theatre sealift capability.

A lack of sealift capability hampered efforts to assist Philippines’ coastal areas devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

“The Landing Craft will greatly improve the Philippines’ ability to respond to natural disasters by enabling heavy equipment and large amounts of aid to be moved to affected areas,” Mr Andrews said.

The Landing Craft Heavy fleet was decommissioned from Australian service at a ceremony in Cairns on 19 November 2014.

The Philippines Government is also considering whether to purchase the remaining three Landing Craft Heavy. The former HMAS Wewak, Betano and Balikpapan were decommissioned from the Royal Australian Navy in 2012.