18 August 2012

Mindblowing pictures of HMAS Canberra on its way to Melbourne on the deck of an even bigger ship

| johnboy
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The pretences are dropping away, we all know the HMAS Canberra is going to be Australia’s first aircraft carrier since the early 1980s and now the Master Mariners have jaw dropping pictures of the huge beast being lugged from its shipyard in Spain back to Melbourne sitting on top of the MV Blue Marlin.

Last Saturday, 4 August 2012, the BLUE MARLIN – the largest semisubmersible heavy-transport vessel (HTV) to date, commenced the loading operation of the Navantia manufactured hull, measuring 230 meters in length, for the amphibious ALHD flagship CANBERRA to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy.

Transporting colossal cargo onboard the BLUE MARLIN is business as usual. With the ALHD CANBERRA, however, a complex technicalUntitled challenge surfaced: the aircraft carrier will protrude 55 meters at the aft of the Blue Marlin. Dockwise marine engineers have been working closely with the Navantia team to develop a new grillage and sea-fastening design to safeguard the hull against forces that may be encountered.

Dockwise was awarded to transport two ALHD hulls from Punta Langosteira, Spain to Melbourne,

If you’re wondering why Fiji is getting serious about returning to democracy I suggest that’s 40,000 tonnes of power projection capacity you’re looking at there focussing some minds in the military junta.

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farnarkler said :

It would appear, from the Navantia website, that these ships are off the shelf hulls.

…with the SEAT badges ground off?

It would appear, from the Navantia website, that these ships are off the shelf hulls.

damien haas said :

For anyone who thinks the Spanish dont know how to build ships, I suggest they visit the naval museum in Madrid on their way to the Prado. There are shipyard models of Spanish vessels dating back to the 14th century.

I found the Naval Museum in Madrid by accident and spent most of a day there. There is so much history tied up with the Spanish seagoing ships and the sailors that were on them. The models are magnificent. Great pistol collection there also. It sure beats getting in a queue at the Prado only to see generally dark stuff masquerading as “art”. Things like an ancient god ripping the head off an infant and eating it.

For anyone who thinks the Spanish dont know how to build ships, I suggest they visit the naval museum in Madrid on their way to the Prado. There are shipyard models of Spanish vessels dating back to the 14th century.

Mr Evil said :

Ah, surprise, surprise, Henry’s talking sh1t again. Did Kopp and Goon give you all that information from their ‘informative’ APA site?

The only bit I agree with you on is that Australia should be building our own ships.

The ski jump is remaining on HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide as it was going to cost too much and involve too much re-engineering to remove the thing.

Too much reengineering to remove it? You don’t really believe that do you. The RAN have for years wanted fixed wing capability, the original procurement process wanted the capability on the new LHDs. It’s just politics that they are keeping it hush.

As for local building, axe it. Close down the military ship building industry.
They dodged up the Collins class, they Armidale class vessels have been dodge since day one.
We have this alliance with the US, we should be sharing the scales of economy their defence industry has.

The replacements for the Armidale class are on the cards now, and they’re predicted to be as big as US Coast Guard’s main vessels. One of the options is to simply buy some of theirs, but again politics means we’ll buy second rate crud from home.

Mr Evil said :

The ski jump is remaining on HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide as it was going to cost too much and involve too much re-engineering to remove the thing.

Transl.: Once again, Defence Procurement are trying to hammer a square peg through a round hole.

Yo dawg, we heard you liked boats…

HenryBG said :

johnboy said :

“The death star is fully operational”

Expect to see some f35b or stovl drones ordered in years to come.

Well, the F35s will be very good at being parked on the deck for the purposes of photoshoots, and with a take-off ramp in the background of the photos this should be good at giving some of the taxpayers the impression that the non-stealthy, slow and unmaneuverable, short-ranged, and minimally arm-able F35 was worth buying.

It’s lucky countries at the arse end of Europe know how to build ships – apparently we’re so clever in this country we can’t build our own.

Ah, surprise, surprise, Henry’s talking sh1t again. Did Kopp and Goon give you all that information from their ‘informative’ APA site?

The only bit I agree with you on is that Australia should be building our own ships.

The ski jump is remaining on HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide as it was going to cost too much and involve too much re-engineering to remove the thing.

HenryBG said :

It’s lucky countries at the arse end of Europe know how to build ships – apparently we’re so clever in this country we can’t build our own.

Well there was the LCM2000 Landing craft that was too large and developed cracks during sea testing, after spending $40m to build 6 of them.
Ironically , the LCM2000 was to be launched from the Kanimbla and the Tobruk, the 2 ships that are being replaced by the Canberra and the Adelaide.

And let’s not forget our foray into replicating The Red October.

johnboy said :

Here’s the Spanish first of these with Harriers on its deck:

http://www.military-today.com/navy/juan_carlos_l8.jpg

While talking about poker faces there’s also the Japanese “Helicopter Destroyers” to be considered:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hy%C5%ABga_class_helicopter_destroyer

(A certain familiar look to them)

And also the South Korean Dokdos:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dokdo_class_amphibious_assault_ship

Also if you haven’t seen it the US Marine Corp’s “LHD” ships which also bear a certain resemblance to aircraft carriers and are named after famous aircraft carriers have been operating F35b jumpjets rather nicely even without our nifty ski ramps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7psXvZp9xI

Thanks! They are quite large then.

I always have two reactions when I look at/watch this sort of thing (the last one in particular).

1. Wow. That is so cool. (As if a Ducati just sped past me as I inch along in my Camry.)

2. Oh the humanity! Oh the money!

But if we are serious about defence, I suppose we need at least one of them. Where will we be parking it?

And do they need a poet in residence? I could produce a series of poems to put on the flags. (-:

johnboy said :

“The death star is fully operational”

Expect to see some f35b or stovl drones ordered in years to come.

Well, the F35s will be very good at being parked on the deck for the purposes of photoshoots, and with a take-off ramp in the background of the photos this should be good at giving some of the taxpayers the impression that the non-stealthy, slow and unmaneuverable, short-ranged, and minimally arm-able F35 was worth buying.

It’s lucky countries at the arse end of Europe know how to build ships – apparently we’re so clever in this country we can’t build our own.

c_c said :

Ski jump on the front, even though the ADF is adamant there will not be fixed wing aircraft on board.

Meanwhile Britain, which is trying to say it’s all Euro focused now, is building massive Aircraft carriers specifically to project power.

And China is claiming the air craft carrier it has is really owned by a Macau casino, even though they’re quietly doing sea trials.

Lot of poker faces about power projection capabilities these days.

We could claim ours is owned by the Labor Club. Or perhaps the Penrith Leagues Club.

I find it hard to get a feeling for the scale of the thing from those photos. It needs planes on it!

Here’s the Spanish first of these with Harriers on its deck:

http://www.military-today.com/navy/juan_carlos_l8.jpg

While talking about poker faces there’s also the Japanese “Helicopter Destroyers” to be considered:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hy%C5%ABga_class_helicopter_destroyer

(A certain familiar look to them)

And also the South Korean Dokdos:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dokdo_class_amphibious_assault_ship

Also if you haven’t seen it the US Marine Corp’s “LHD” ships which also bear a certain resemblance to aircraft carriers and are named after famous aircraft carriers have been operating F35b jumpjets rather nicely even without our nifty ski ramps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7psXvZp9xI

Ski jump on the front, even though the ADF is adamant there will not be fixed wing aircraft on board.

Meanwhile Britain, which is trying to say it’s all Euro focused now, is building massive Aircraft carriers specifically to project power.

And China is claiming the air craft carrier it has is really owned by a Macau casino, even though they’re quietly doing sea trials.

Lot of poker faces about power projection capabilities these days.

Something isn’t quite right here. The ships aren’t going to used for STOL/VTOL aircraft so why were the hulls built with a bow distinctly built for that purpose? Looks like the Spanish told the government this is how we build it, take it or leave it.

“The death star is fully operational”

Expect to see some f35b or stovl drones ordered in years to come.

So we’re not going to see it on Lake Burley Griffin anytime soon, then?

screaming banshee3:01 pm 18 Aug 12

Cool, a boat boat

HiddenDragon11:57 am 18 Aug 12

Wow, that is big, sexy stuff – I assume the ramp is not for bird man contests or as a launching pad for aquatic skateboarding manoeuvres. But why bother with Fiji, when we could send it across the Tasman (a la Gruen) and remove any doubt – what….so….ever…. – about the ownership of the Bledisloe Cup?

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