A ship of the same class as HMS Largs Bay, a troop and helicopter-carrying assault ship being considered as an emergency replacement for Australia's failed HMAS Manoora and Kanimbla assault vessels. Source: AdelaideNow
DEFENCE Minister Stephen Smith will travel to London in an attempt to lease a replacement assault ship.
Australia is involved in a four-way tussle with Brazil, Chile and India to obtain the mothballed 16,000-tonne Bay Class amphibious assault ship Largs Bay from the Royal Navy.
The British-built vessel would fill a major capability gap for the navy in the wake of the decommissioning of the amphibious assault ship HMAS Manoora and the 18-month docking of HMAS Kanimbla that has left it with virtually no heavy-lift or emergency-response capability.
Largs Bay can carry 350 fully equipped troops, two helicopters, up to 150 light trucks and three landing craft.
Australia's "special" relationship with Britain will feature strongly in the bidding process but it will not buy the Government any "mates' rates".
The hard-nosed British Defence Sales Authority is treating Australia the same as the other bidders as the process draws to a close on March 17. The winning bidder will be announced in mid-April.
The Largs Bay was commissioned in December 2006 and was due to be mothballed next month. It features ultra-modern propulsion and navigation systems that allow it to remain in the one spot on the ocean's surface indefinitely, regardless of wind or current.
The ship was built for about $300 million and would still be valued close to that now.
The British Treasury is keen to sell her outright, but the Ministry of Defence favours a lease deal to keep the option of putting it back into Royal Navy service in future.
