Former RAN Landing Craft enters service with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force

: Posted On Friday, 05 December 2014 10:38

Naval Forces News - Papua New Guinea

Former RAN Landing Craft enters service with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force

On December 4th in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, a ceremony was held to mark the commissioning of the Landing Craft Heavy HMPNGS Lakekamu into service with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF).

NHMPNGS Lakekamu was formerly the Royal Australia Navy Landing Craft Heavy HMAS Labuan, (Pictured here during the 2013 Internationa Fleet Review) which was decommissioned from Australian service at a ceremony in Cairns last month. Picture: Hpeterswald

Defence Minister Senator David Johnston welcomed the gifting of MMAS Labuan, which fulfilled a commitment the Abbott Government made to Papua New Guinea last year.

Senator Johnston said following its decommissioning HMPNGS Lakekamu was sailed to Port Moresby by a combined Royal Australian Navy and Papua New Guinea Defence Force crew.

HMPNGS Lakekamu has been gifted to Papua New Guinea as a training vessel, and will be used by the PNGDF to develop mariner skills and a seaworthiness culture in the Maritime Element’s growing workforce.

HMPNGS Lakekamu has been named after the Lakekamu River, in Gulf Province, south-western Papua New Guinea, and is the first PNGDF vessel to bear that name.

As HMAS Labuan, the vessel had visited the Papua New Guinea on several occasions, including during her first operational voyage in 1973.

Senator Johnston will visit Papua New Guinea on December 15 for the Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum on 15 December, to hold his second Defence Ministers’ Meeting with Dr Fabian Pok.