Gifted ships to Philippines refitted in Cairns for $4m

From the Cairns Post (Jul 24): Gifted ships to Philippines refitted in Cairns for $4m



TAKING CHARGE: Philippine navy personnel stand to attention at the handover of the two ex-navy landing craft heavy vessels.Pictures: JUSTIN BRIERTY

TWO former Australian navy warships based and refitted in Cairns at a cost of $4 million are on their way to the Philippines.
              
The two heavy landing craft (LCH), BRP Ivatan and BRP Batak, were gifted to the Philippines navy and handed over with pomp and ceremony at HMAS Cairns yesterday.

Norship Marine chief executive Olav Groot said the two vessels spent a month in their yard, receiving preservation and other refit work, for the journey to the Philippines and service in their waters.

Maintenance and service work was also done, he said.

Three other LCHs – HMAS Wewak, Betano and Balikpapan – remain in Cairns as the Philippines finalises its purchase with the Australian government, due to settle later this year.

The decommissioned HMAS Tarakan and Brunei were handed over to the Philippine naval chief Vice Admiral Jesus Millan and their commanding officers and crews before they sailed from HMAS Cairns yesterday afternoon.

Australian naval chief Vice Admiral Tim Barrett said the devastating super-typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in November 2013 revealed the lack of suitable heavy lifting ships operated by the Asian country’s navy.

“This relief effort highlighted the importance of sea lift due to numerous airfields being inaccessible and land infrastructure impassable,” he said.

Vice Admiral Barrett said this led to a decision by Defence Minister Kevin Andrews to refit and give the LCHs to the Philippines navy.

“These craft will assist the Philippines’ defence modernisation program and improve the Philippine navy’s ability to respond to future natural disasters.”

Vice Admiral Barrett said they were “reliable workhorses that get the job done” with 40 years’ service in the Australian navy, proving invaluable after cyclone Tracy in Darwin in 1974, in the Solomon Islands in 1983 and after cyclone Yasi in the Far North in 2009.

Vice Admiral Millan said the two ships “will definitely boost our humanitarian assistance and response”.

http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/gifted-ships-to-philippines-refitted-in-cairns-for-4m/story-fnjpusyw-1227454522132