LHD arrival in Port Phillip Bay

The LHD01 hull has been transported from Spain to Australia by a Heavy Lift Ship, Blue Marlin. The trip has taken around eight weeks.
The Dockwise owned Heavy Lift Ship, MV Blue Marlin has travelled around 10,000 nautical miles ( approx 18,520 km) to deliver the first LHD.
The LHDs are the largest ships ever built for the Royal Australian Navy and will provide the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with one of the most capable and sophisticated amphibious ships in the world.
The LHD will be floated off the Blue Marlin over the next two weeks and then towed into the BAE facility at Williamstown.
The Canberra Class LHDs are bigger than Australia's last aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne. When completed they will be more than 230 metres long, 27.5 metres high and weigh around 27,500 tonnes.
Each ship can carry a combined armed battlegroup of more than 1100 personnel, 100 armoured vehicles and 12 helicopters and features a 40-bed hospital.
The LHD is expected to be introduced into Royal Australian Navy service in 2014.

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