Австралиялық десанттық кеме "Канимбла" тарихы

Amphibious Ship operated by the Australian Navy

the ship's US Navy service

HMAS Kanimbla (L 51) was a ship operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Originally built for the United States Navy (USN) as the Saginaw, the ship was decommissioned in 1994 and sold to the RAN. After entering service with the RAN in 1999, Kanimbla participated in numerous worldwide deployments, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and in response to the 2006 Fijian coup d'état. During the ship's career, two helicopters were lost in crashes. After a fire broke out aboard Kanimbla in late 2010, she and sister ship were removed from active service because of extensive problems found aboard both ships. The intention was to repair Kanimbla and return her to service by 2012, but this was deemed uneconomical. The ship was decommissioned in 2011, and sold for breaking in 2013.

The ship was laid down by National Steel & Shipbuilding Company at San Diego, California for the USN on 24 May 1969 as tank landing ship Saginaw. She was launched on 7 February 1970, sponsored by the wife of R. James Harvey, a Congressman and former mayor of Saginaw, Michigan, and commissioned into the United States Navy on 23 January 1971. Meeting the vague specifications of the project required a purpose built vessel at an approximate cost of A$500 million. Saginaw was to be renamed Kanimbla. Prior to Saginaws decommissioning and transfer, a RAN crew was sent to Norfolk, Virginia, for several weeks training aboard the vessel, as they were to sail her to Australia after she was commissioned into the RAN. Saginaw was decommissioned on 28 June 1994, but instead of being immediately recommissioned as HMAS Kanimbla, it was announced at the decommissioning ceremony that the United States Congress had decided not to release the ships into foreign service. The last minute move was part of a sale blockage for fifteen surplus Newports to nine nations, and was caused by the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services in an attempt to pressure US President Bill Clinton on the perceived running down of the USN's amphibious warfare capability, as well as the concerns of one Senator over human rights in Morocco (one of the other nations slated to acquire a Newport class ship). The sale was not approved until the start of August, with the ship commissioned into the RAN on 29 August 1994. The conversion required the bow ramp to be removed and the bow doors welded shut. A hangar for three Sea King or four Blackhawk helicopters was added, while the aft helicopter deck was reinforced. Chinook helicopters are able to land and take off from the aft deck, but cannot be carried long term. The refit was planned to last from 1995 to 1996, but did not conclude until late 1999, after extensive corrosion was discovered in both ships. The fire, which occurred on 8 February 1999, was extinguished quickly, and only caused superficial damage. In April 1999, personnel from Kanimbla, Manoora, and Sydney bases assisted the New South Wales Department of Agriculture in containing an outbreak of Newcastle disease in Mangrove Mountain poultry farms. Between April and June 2001, Kanimbla was sent to Vanuatu to provide disaster relief assistance following the eruption of the Lopevi volcano. After this, from 2 June to 8 August 2001, the ship was deployed to the Solomon Islands to support the International Peace Monitoring Team following the signing of the Townsville Peace Agreement. Following this, Kanimbla operated in support of the Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) in Bougainville. This was a short term assignment at the end of the Solomon Islands deployment to assist with backload of PMG equipment to Australia. On 2 December 2001, Kanmibla and the frigate were deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Slipper, to enforce UN trade sanction against Iraq. This deployment concluded on 4 March 2002. During this deployment, which concluded on 14 June, she was involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, served as a command and control ship during operations in the northern waters of the Gulf, and helped deliver relief supplies to Baghdad.

On 30 December 2004, Kanimbla sailed as part of Operation Sumatra Assist, the Australian contribution to relief efforts following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. The ship's involvement ended on 26 March 2005, and she sailed to Singapore, but was redeployed three days later after a new earthquake off the Sumatran coast. Operations did not conclude until 13 April. The ship remained in the area until late July. At the start of November 2006, Kanimbla, , and sailed to Fiji as part of Operation Quickstep, the ADF response to threats of a coup d'état by Fijian military forces. On 29 November 2006, an Australian Army S 70A Black Hawk helicopter operating from Kanimbla crashed and fell overboard while attempting to land on the aft helicopter deck. Of the ten Army personnel on board, seven were injured, one was killed, and the tenth was declared missing until his remains were found on 5 March 2007, trapped in the helicopter wreckage below sea level.

In October 2007, Kanimbla visited New Zealand. The ship had been previously scheduled to visit New Zealand on two occasions in 2006, but was unable to on both occasions due to short notice operational deployments. Kanimbla was one of the thirteen ships involved in the ceremonial entry through Sydney Heads, and anchored in the harbour for the review. Following an overhaul of the RAN battle honour system completed in early 2010, Kanimbla was also granted the battle honours "Persian Gulf 2001–2003" and "Iraq 2003". During July and August 2010, Kanimbla was one of three RAN ships to participate in the RIMPAC 2010 multinational exercise.

On 21 September 2010, Kanimbla was leaving Sydney Harbour when a fire broke out aboard and caused the ship to lose power briefly. Shortly after this, Kanimbla and sister ship Manoora were brought to Fleet Base East for an 'operational pause' after several problems were identified with both ships. These included large quantities of ongoing corrosion and faults with the deck crane and alarm system, along with the need to overhaul the propulsion system, power generators, and air conditioning, and upgrade the communication suite. The ship's capability was initially replaced by Choules, until the amphibious warfare ships entered service. In June 2012, the federal government offered Kanimbla and Manoora to the Queensland state government for scuttling as dive wrecks off the Queensland coast. However, the government chose not to go ahead with this, as it would cost $4 million each to prepare them for scuttling, and could provoke similar reactions to the contested sinking of the frigate Instead, Kanimbla was to be broken up, with an estimated scrap metal value of $2.5 million. Tendering for the disposal of the vessels began in June 2012, with the contract awarded to Southern Recycling on 20 May 2013.