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L 126 Balikpapan Landing Craft, Heavy (LCH)

The Navy's six 'Balikpapan'-class Landing Craft, Heavy (LCHs) are much larger than the Army's LCM-8s, and sail to the landing zone under their own steam, since they are too tall to fit into a well dock. The Balikpapan class Landing Craft, Heavy (LCH) are able to carry 150 tonnes of cargo, with full accommodations for the crew. Further, they are able to safely navigate in heavy seas,though not with much comfort forembarked crew and passengers.

They are versatile craft able to move and supply personnel in areas that other vehicles cannot reach. For instance, they provided much of the logistics backbone during the ADF's deployments to the Solomon Islands. The LCH can mate their bow ramp to the stern ramps of the larger amphibious ships, allowing for vehicles and equipment to be transferred between units. The maximum cargo load of the LCH is governed by the load-fuel balance. A load of 175 tonnes gives the ship a maximum range of 1300nm increasing to 2280nm for a load of 150 tonnes. They can carry up to two tanks, 23 trucks or 13 armoured personnel carriers. In ship-to-shore operations, 400 fully equipped troops can be carried, but only 60 for calm weather coastal passages. Top speed is approximately 9 knots.

HMAS Balikpapan (L126) was named after the final landing of the Pacific War when the Royal Australian Navy [RAN] complete amphibious squadron, HMA Ships Manoora (I), Westralia (I) and Kanimbla (I), put troops of the Australian 7^th Division ashore into Borneo on July 1945.

The first of eight vessels of the 311-503 tons full load Balikpapan Class Landing Craft Heavy [LCH] were initially ordered for the Army Water Transport Units, until a Department of Defence decision in the early 1970s brought all Australian Defence Force [ADF] sea-going vessels under the Navy's wing, and the class was jointly manned. All of the Australian-designed ships were built by Walkers Ltd at Maryborough in Queensland. Balikpapan as the lead ship was commissioned in 1971, preceding the Department of Defence decision, and was manned by an Army crew until late the following year. On 5 January 1973, the eight craft were formed into the First Australian Landing Craft Squadron based at HMAS Moresby in the Brisbane River.

On 18 November 1974, two of the squadron, HMAS Buna (L132) and HMAS Salamaua (L131) were transferred to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force.

The Six Balikpapan class heavy landing craft (LCH) entered service from 1971, and a decade later the heavy landing ship (LSH) HMAS Tobruk and the training ship HMAS Jervis Bay (I) added some military sealift capability. These ships did not operate together as a cohesive amphibious force, however. Operation MORRIS DANCE, the ADF's response to the 1987 Fiji crisis, revealed the government's limited power projection response options, and the lessons learnt became a clarion call for a return to a credible capability in maritime manoeuvre and amphibiosity.

Balikpapan was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian-led INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce. The landing craft heavy was attached to INTERFET on two occasions; first from 20 September to 13 October 1999, then from 8 December 1999 to 15 January 2000. The ship was awarded the battle honour "East Timor 1999-2000" in recognition of her service. Balikpapan later operated in support of UNTAET, and was the last RAN ship to leave East Timorese waters when she sailed from Dili in August 2001.Balikpapan returned to East Timor in 2006 during Operation Astute and continues to provide ongoing support as a part of the Australian Government's response in providing assistance to the Government of Timor-Leste. Home ported in Darwin, the ship has also been employed in some survey roles around Northern Australia.

The Australian Government will gift two recently-decommissioned Landing Craft Heavy vessels, including a package of spare parts, to the Philippines Government, the Minister for Defence Kevin Andrews announced 29 January 2015. 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,” Andrews said. The Landing Craft will be commissioned in the Philippines Navy and will provide additional intra-theater 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,” Andrews said.

The Landing Craft Heavy fleet was decommissioned from Australian service at a ceremony in Cairns on 19 November 2014. The Philippines Government was 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 December 2012.

Philippine government will purchase remaining three decommissioned Landing Craft Heavy vessels from the Australian government. Department of National Defense public affairs chief Arsenio Andolong said 03 February 2015 these vessels will be procured with PhP726 million, a giveaway price.

On 14 December 2014 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). HMPNGS Lakekamu was formerly the Royal Australia Navy Landing Craft Heavy HMAS Labuan, which was decommissioned from Australian service at a ceremony in Cairns in November 2014.