Australia sends its largest ship HMAS Canberra to the South China Sea
HMAS Canberra (L02), one of the two largest warships of the Royal Australian Navy, is participating in Alon along with the United States and the Philippines. The event takes place in the South China Sea.
The People’s Liberation Army of China regularly sends its ships, fighters, and bombers to patrol the disputed territories. In response, the United States and its allies are organizing exercises in the region.
The ship of the Royal Australian Navy is called HMAS Canberra (L02). Several ships, more than 2,000 military personnel from the Philippines and Australia, and approximately 150 U.S. Marines are participating in the Alon exercise. This week, the United States, Japan, and Australia will also conduct joint naval exercises off the coast of the Philippines.
HMAS Canberra (L02) is Australia’s first Canberra-class amphibious assault ship. It was launched in February 2011 and commissioned in more than 3.5 years.
It is worth noting that HMAS Canberra (L02) is the largest ship of the Royal Australian Navy. It has a displacement of over 27,830 tons and a length of 230.8 meters. The second place goes to HMAS Adelaide (pictured below) of the same class, which is almost 1 meter shorter and has a displacement of 27,800 tons.
HMAS Canberra (L02) can reach speeds of up to 37 km/h. There is room for a maximum of 18 helicopters on board. To protect against enemies, the ship is equipped with six 12.7 mm automatic machine guns and the Rafael Typhoon system.
