The two recently-decommissioned Landing Craft Heavy vessels, including a package of extra parts, are given to the Philippines Government from the Australian Government.
The minister of Defense Mr. Andrews said that the former Royal Australian Navy vessels HMAS Tarakan and Brunei would be gifted to the Philippine Navy after being restored with new safety and navigation equipment.
The Landing Craft will be commissioned in the Philippines Navy and will provide additional intra-theatre sealift capability for its lack of sealift potential hampered efforts to assist Philippines’ coastal areas devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.
“The Landing Craft will greatly improve the Philippines’ ability to respond to natural disasters by enabling weighty equipment and large amounts of aid to be moved to affected areas. The Philippines Government is also considering whether to acquire the remaining Landing Craft Heavy’s. The former HMAS Wewak, Betano and Balikpapan.
