CANBERRA’s Hull Piggy Backed to Melbourne - the hull of the first of the Royal Australian Navy’s new Amphibious Ships, built at Navantia shipyard, Ferrol (northern Spain), will be transported to Melbourne, onboard the Heavy Lift Ship, BLUE MARLIN.   The trip is expected to take approximately seven weeks, depending on weather conditions,

The “Canberra Class” are bigger than Australia’s last aircraft carrier MELBOURNE and when completed they will be more than 230 metres long x 27.5 metres high.   The two ship class, the be named CANBERRA and ADELAIDE will see each ship carry a combined arms battle group of more than 1,100 personnel, 100 armoured vehicles and twelve (12) helicopters and features a forty (40) bed hospital.   The ships will be fitted out at the Williamstown Dockyard with the first vessel is scheduled to be delivered in early 2014.