The Navy’s second LPA amphibious ship, the HMAS Kanimbla, is to be decommissioned, Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare has announced, following the early decommissioing of sistership HMAS Manoora in May.
According to Clare, an assessment into Kanimbla’s materiel state and a cost and risk assessment deemed that, “the most cost effective and lowest risk option is to decommission HMAS Kanimbla,” as required remediation work would cost in the vicinity of $35 million.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
“HMAS Kanimbla would not on that basis be available for operations until at least mid-2012,” Clare said. “HMAS Kanimbla was scheduled in any event to be decommissioned at the end of 2014.”
Both Kanimbla and Manoora were placed on operational pause in September 2010 due to seaworthiness concerns.
To cover sealift capability gaps until the Navy’s two new LHDs are delivered, Defence is acquiring the former RFA Largs Bay, which is due to commission into RAN service as the HMAS Choules in Fremantle in December.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?
Make Australian Aviation a preferred news source on Google.
Click here to add Australian Aviation as a preferred news source.