HMAS Choules

File:Largs Bay L3006.jpg
Career
Ordered:	19 December 2000
Laid down:	1 October 2001
Launched:	18 July 2003
Commissioned:	17 December 2006
Decommissioned:
Fate:	In service.
Struck:
General characteristics
Displacement:	16,190 tons full load
Length:	176.6 m
Beam:	26.4 m
Draught:	5.1 m
Propulsion:	2 x Wartsila 8L26 engines, 2 x Wartsila 12V26 engines.
Speed:	18 knots (33 km/h)
Range:	8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h).
Complement:	59
Military Lift:	356 troops; 1200 Linear metres of vehicles (e.g. 32 Challenger 2 MBT's or 150 light trucks); 12 × 40 TEU or 24 × 24 TEU containers, 2 Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel (LCVP) Mk.5 and 1 Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk 10; two Mexeflote powered rafts.
Armament:	FTR CIWS Phalanx 30mm single cannon
Aircraft:	Single spot flight deck with limited facilities to transport and operate Merlin, Chinook and V22 Osprey.
Motto:

RFA Largs Bay (L3006) is a Bay class landing ship dock of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), built by Swan Hunter in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear. She is named for Largs Bay in Ayrshire, Scotland. In November 2006 Largs Bay underwent sea trials.

The Largs Bay was dedicated on 17 December 2006, the latest addition to the RFA. Largs Bay joined RFA Mounts Bay as the second Bay-class vessel in the fleet. Largs Bay, with HMS Albion and HMS Ark Royal, was involved in training exercises called South West Scimitar between 26 February 2007 and 8 March 2007. In late November of 2007, Largs Bay left home waters for the Caribbean, the first time a Bay Class vessel has visited the Caribbean.

References

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