Australia’s first Landing Helicopter Dock visits Sydney
Navy’s first Landing Helicopter Dock, NUSHIP Canberra, will enter Sydney Heads today and will be visible on the harbour.
NUSHIP Canberra is undergoing contractor sea test and trial activities, which have been conducted in coastal waters and harbours between Port Phillip Bay in Victoria and Sydney Harbour.
Having completed this first phase of contractor sea trials, the ship will now berth at its future home port of Garden Island prior to dry docking.
NUSHIP Canberra has been in the water at the Williamstown Shipyard since late 2012. The dry docking provides an opportunity for the hull of the ship to be cleaned, painted and inspected.
The sea trials are focused on tuning the navigation and propulsion system and testing and trialling the vessel’s hull, mechanical and electrical systems.
Once dry dock works are complete, NUSHIP Canberra will depart Sydney and conduct a set of propulsion, speed and endurance trials on its way back to the BAE Systems’ Williamstown Dockyard in Melbourne.
