Article Posted on : - May 27, 2011

Manoora, one of the Royal Australian Navy’s Amphibious Troop Transport Ships, was decommissioned in a ceremony held at Garden Island Friday. RAN photo

SYDNEY (BNS): After 17 years of dedicated service, the Royal Australian Navy’s amphibious transport ship, HMAS Manoora, was decommissioned at her homeport of Garden Island on Friday.

Following a time honoured tradition, the Australian White Ensign was lowered for the last time and handed to Commanding Officer, Commander Stephen Dryden, RAN said in a statement.

The Amphibious Landing Platform, originally purchased from the US Navy as the USS Fairfax County, was home to more than three-and-a-half thousand crew members during her RAN career, including permanently embarked army personnel.

During the past decade Manoora made a strong contribution to border protection activities in Australia’s Northern waters, and she acted as ‘guard ship’ for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. She has been deployed to the Solomon Islands, East Timor, and the Middle East.

Next to come online in 2012 will be the Largs Bay, a Bay Class Landing Ship purchased from the UK which will bolster the fleets’ heavy sea-lift capacity.

In 2014, the first of the highly anticipated Canberra Class LHD’s (Helicopter Landing Dock) will join into the Australian fleet, significantly strengthening the RAN’s amphibious capabilities.