LPA Kanimbla - Landing Platform, Amphibious
The HMAS Manoora and HMAS Kanimbla, of 8,500 ton displacement, were originally built for the United States Navy and acquired by the Royal Australian Navy in 1994. Both ships have undergone extensive modifications for their new roles as helicopter capable amphibious transports. Their primary roles are to transport, lodge ashore and support an Army contingent of 450 troops, their vehicles and equipment. Kanimbla and Manoora are fitted with helicopter hangers capable of supporting up to four Army Blackhawk or three of the larger Navy Seaking helicopters. Two helicopters can operate simultaneously from the aft flight deck, while a third can operate from the flight deck located forward of the bridge.
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. The 5,000 ton heavy lift ship HMAS Tobruk was the first purpose-built major amphibious ship in the Royal Australian Navy providing the Australian Defence Force with a heavy lift capability not available in any other Australian-owned ship. The ship is a multi-purpose troop and roll-on/roll-off heavy vehicle carrier. 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 learned became a clarion call for a return to a credible capability in maritime manoeuvre and amphibiosity.
In mid 1994 the previous Australian Government approved the purchase of two ex-United States Navy Newport class amphibious landing ships for the Australian Defence Force. HMAS Manoora (L 52) was acquired as a training and helicopter support ship, originally built as the Newport class tank landing ship (LST) USS Fairfax County for the U.S. Navy by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company at San Diego in California. The ship was acquired by the Royal Australian Navy and commissioned as Manoora in 1994, for use as an amphibious transport ship.
HMAS MANOORA and HMAS KANIMBLA arrived in Australia during late 1994 and from mid 1996 underwent extensive modification and change into Amphibious Transport ships (known as LPAs) at Forgacs Dockyard in Newcastle. This required the ship to be extensively reconstructed, essentially making it a new vessel; the second ship of the Kanimbla class.
When the ships arrived in Australia and commenced their modification there was a significant increase to the scope of work anticipated at the time of purchase which has contributed to a substantial project cost increase and subsequent schedule delay. The initial Government approved project cost for the two ships was $125m. When complete late next year the final project cost will potentially amount to some $400m, an unsatisfactory cost over run.
Notwithstanding the management shortfalls with this project, MANOORA and KANIMBLA improved Australia's defense capability. With four helicopters and two landing craft per ship, extensive communications arrangements and accommodation MANOORA and KANIMBLA each have the capability to embark and transport 450 troops and their vehicles and equipment, then lodge and sustain them ashore. Both ships will have a hospital to provide for treatment, stabilisation and intensive care of casualties. These ships provide Government with versatile platforms to assist with disaster relief around Australia and throughout the region. They also provide us with a flexible means for the evacuation of Australian nationals abroad in times of need.
Two Army LCM8 landing craft can also be carried on the forward flight deck to provide ship to shore transport. They are lifted on and off by a 70 tonne crane. Accessed through a stern door, 810 square metres of storage space is available on the vehicle deck for Army vehicles and other large items of equipment. For Army and Navy exercises the ships have additional operations and planning rooms that provide for both an Amphibious Group Commander and a Landing Force Commander. A comprehensive and modern array of communications equipment is fitted to support these joint operations. Both ships are fitted with the largest and most comprehensive medical facilities in the fleet.
The vessels required extensive refit and modification into amphibious transports (LPA) and were not ready in time for East Timor operations in 1999. Instead, the RAN arranged a two year charter for the fast catamaran HMAS Jervis Bay (II) to provide additional troop lift. The amphibious force has since made significant progress and provided support to ADF operations throughout the region and further afield, including Bougainville, the Solomon Islands, Iraq and East Timor.
The Defence White Paper 2000 outlined the intention to replace the Landing Ship HMAS Tobruk when it reaches the end of its service life in 2010, and to program the replacement of HMA Ships Manoora and Kanimbla in 2015. JP2048 seeks to replace the capability of the current range of ADF amphibious platforms. Phase 4A will replace the Heavy Landing Ship HMAS Tobruk with a larger amphibious vessel (LHD) with a year of decision of 2005/06 and in-service date of 2010/12. Phase 4B will replace one of the two LPA's, either HMAS Manoora or Kanimbla, with a second LHD by 2012/14. Phase 4C will replace the remaining LPA with a Sealift capability by 2016/18.
Continuing the Development of the NZDF's amphibious sealift capability, Army troopers from Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles (QAMR) with their Light Armored Vehicles landed from HMAS MANOORA at Napier during Exercise JOINT KIWI. The exercise ran from 9-17 May 2008, before MANOORA returned to Lyttelton to offload the NZ Army units. The intricate amphibious planning was undertaken by members of CANTERBURY's ship's company, forming a joint Australian-New Zealand amphibious task force. The LAVs, troops, other vehicles and supplies were offloaded onto the beach at Perfume Point in Napier using MANOORA's LCM8s and the ship's Sea King helicopter. Working with the ADF enables the NZDF to develop and enhance their skills in the on-load and off-load of personnel, vehicles, material and supplies without requiring a formal port facility.
Within the exercise the task force conducted amphibious beach landings and withdrawals, designed to increase joint preparations between the ADF and NZDF, for potential operations such as emergency relief or peacekeeping. The MANOORA carries two LCM8 landing craft and a Sea King helicopter - the Australians have used MANOORA and her sister regularly for exercises and operations throughout the region. New Zealand and Australia experience a close and longstanding defense relationship, with similar regional interests in security and stability in the Pacific. The New Zealand-led exercise was aimed at improving interoperability between both nations and five members of the Command team from CANTERBURY formed part of the Amphibious Task Force HQ, working alongside their Australian counterparts.
In February 2011 Australia learned that it did not have a seaworthy amphibious warfare fleet. The two biggest [and oldest] landing ships, HMAS Manoora and HMAS Kanimbla, were deemed in such poor order that the government said the lives of sailors would be imperilled if the vessels were put to sea. The smaller [and slightly newer] HMAS Tobruk was so beset by problems that it could not be used in the recovery operation after cyclone Yasi devastated north Queensland in February 2011. Australia asked to share use of New Zealand's HMNZS Canterbury to fill the void until 2014, when two landing helicopter docks were due to enter service.
The amphibious and afloat support ship component comprises five ships - HMA Ships Manoora, Kanimbla, Tobruk, Success and Sirius). Advice on the Landing Platform, Amphibious (LPA) Class of Ships, HMAS Manoora and Kanimbla of 9 February 2011, provided to the Minister for Defence by the Secretary of Defence and the Chief of the Defence Force, identified a number of causal factors that led to the early decommissioning of the Manoora and the extended unavailability of the Kanimbla.
The factors identified may also have contributed to temporary unavailability of the Tobruk in February 2011, and may have also adversely affected the maintenance and sustainment of the other support units Problems with the amphibious fleet have built up over the past decade or more. Many of the seeds of the problems now faced were sown long ago, and insufficient resources have been allocated to address materiel and personnel shortfalls since the ships were brought into service many years ago. The establishment of the Seaworthiness Board in 2009 was a long overdue means of providing Chief of Navy with an independent review of maritime systems and its review of the amphibious ships provided a focus on the situation that was not previously available.
On 01 February 2011, the Government announced that HMAS Manoora was to be decommissioned on the advice of the Chief of Navy. The Manoora was placed on operational pause by the Seaworthiness Board in September 2010. An examination of the ship, over 40 years old, revealed it required remediation of significant hull corrosion and the replacement of both gear boxes. This work would cost over $20 million and would take until April 2012 to complete. The Manoora was scheduled to be decommissioned at the end of 2012. "That is not value for money for another nine months of service," Mr Smith and Mr Clare said. HMAS Manoora and the Royal Australian Navy's other amphibious support ships (HMAS Kanimbla and HMAS Tobruk) will be replaced by two Canberra Class LHDs, the largest Ships ever operated by the Royal Australian Navy.
HMAS Kanimbla was placed on operational pause by the Seaworthiness Board in 2010. The Kanimbla was not expected to be available for operations until mid-2012 and was scheduled to be decommissioned at the end of 2014.
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