HMAS Kanimbla ( L 51 ) HMAS " Kanimbla " ( L 51 ) ( formerly ) was the lead ship of the " Kanimbla " class Landing Platform Amphibious ships . Laid down in 1969 for the United States Navy ( USN ) as " Newport " class tank landing ship USS " Saginaw " , the ship was acquired by the Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) in 1994 for conversion into an amphibious warfare transport ship . Since entering RAN service in 1999 , " Kanimbla " participated in numerous worldwide deployments , including the Iraq War , 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 have been 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 , and the ship was decommissioned in 2011 . " Kanimbla " was sold for breaking in 2013 . Design and construction . The ship was laid down by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company at San Diego , California for the USN on 24 May 1969 as " Newport " class tank landing ship . 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 . She was named after the city of Saginaw , Michigan . Transfer and conversion . In the early 1990s , the RAN initiated a procurement project to replace with a dedicated training and helicopter support ship . Meeting the vague specifications of the project required a purpose built vessel at an approximate cost of A $ 500 million . The high cost of the project led to its cancellation by the Minister for Defence in 1993 , with the instructions to find a cheaper alternative . In 1994 , the RAN was able to acquire the surplus " Saginaw " and her sister ship " Fairfax County " for the combined price of A $ 61 million ( US $ 40 million ) . " Saginaw " was to be renamed " Kanimbla " . Prior to " Saginaw " s 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 " Newport " s 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 . " Kanimbla " sailed to Australia in October , after training and maintenance checks were completed . " Kanimbla " and " Manoora " were docked at Forgacs Dockyard in Newcastle , New South Wales , where they underwent conversion from tank landing ships to amphibious warfare transports . 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 deck forward of the superstructure was converted to carry two LCM - 8 landing craft , which are launched and recovered by a single 70 ton crane . When the LCM - 8s are deployed , the area functions as a third helicopter landing spot . Accommodation was provided for up to 450 soldiers , while improved medical facilities and an upgraded galley were also installed . 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 refit cost for the two ships increased A $ 400 million , with half of the funding taken from repair and refit allocations for other ships . During " Kanimbla " s conversion , a small fire started aboard , when a cigarette butt was dropped on piping insulation . The fire , which occurred on 8 February 1999 , was extinguished quickly , and only caused superficial damage . RAN operational history . 1995 – 2003 . During 1995 , personnel from " Kanimbla " participated in celebrations for the 50th anniversaries of Victory in Europe Day and Victory in the Pacific Day . 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 , " Manoora " 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 . 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 . The ship returned to the Gulf on 13 February 2003 . During this deployment , which concluded on 14 June , she was involved in the US 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 . The ship received a Meritorious Unit Citation on 27 November 2003 for her service during this deployment . Somewhere between April 1998 and August 2003 , " Kanimbla " operated in support of the Peace Monitoring Group in Bougainville . 2004 – 2006 . 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 . On 2 April , a Sea King helicopter operating from " Kanimbla " crashed on the island of Nias , killing nine of the eleven personnel aboard ; the single deadliest incident in the Australian Defence Force since 1996 . Operations did not conclude until 13 April . In May 2006 , " Kanimbla " was deployed to East Timor as part of Operation Astute , the Australian response to the 2006 East Timorese crisis . 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 . The three vessels were to be used in the event of an evacuation of Australian citizens and nationals , but not as a military force . 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 . 2007 – 2010 . 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 . On the morning of 13 March 2009 , " Kanimbla " was one of seventeen warships involved in a ceremonial fleet entry and fleet review in Sydney Harbour , the largest collection of RAN ships since the Australian Bicentenary in 1988 . " 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 muntinational exercise . Decommissioning . On 21 September 2010 , " Kanimbla " was entering Sydney Harbour when a fire broke out onboard 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 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 problems have been attributed to the ship ' s high operational tempo , delays in maintenance , and the age of the ships . " Manoora " was marked for decommissioning in early 2011 , but the intention at that time was to repair " Kanimbla " and return her to active service by mid - 2012 . However , the predicted timeframe and cost of the repairs ( 18 months and over $ 35 million ) , and the successful acquisition of the British landing ship dock ( to enter RAN service at the end of 2011 as HMAS " Choules " ) prompted the Australian government to announce plans on 18 August 2011 to decommission " Kanimbla " . The decommissioning occurred on 25 November 2011 . The ship ' s capability will initially be replaced by " Largs Bay " / " Choules " , until the " Canberra " class amphibious warfare ships enter service . In June 2012 , the federal government offered " Kanimbla " and " Manoora " to the Queensland state government for scuttling as dive wreck s 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 " is to be broken up , with an estimated scrap metal value of $ 2 . 5 million . Because the two vessels were originally owned by the United States of America and were sold to Australia , their disposal had to receive US government approval and comply with International Traffic in Arms Regulations . Tendering for the disposal of the vessels began in June 2012 , with the contract awarded to Southern Recycling LLC on 20 May 2013 .