HMBS Lawrence Major
The HMBS Lawrence Major is a support vessel operated by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.[1][2] She was built in the Netherlands by The Damen Group, to an adaptation to its Damen Stan Lander 5612 design.
The vessel is named after the first commander of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Lawrence Whitfield Major.[1]
The vessel is 56 metres (184 ft) long, and 12 metres (39 ft) wide.[1][2] She has a landing craft style forward ramp, allowing vehicles to roll on and roll off, for amphibious delivery. She is equipped with a 25-ton crane. She is also designed to securely carry mission modules the size of standard shipping containers, allowing a mix of missions. The modules include emergency kitchens, and hospital modules, for responding to disasters. Stan Lander 5612 vessels can carry up to 42 containers, in the deckspace that would otherwise be available to carry vehicles.[3]
She was delivered to the Bahamas on March 18, 2016, together with three smaller patrol vessels.[1]
Operational history
On April 22 the Lawrence Major transported a fire engine to Crooked Island.[4][5][6]
References
- ^ a b c d "Defence Force Bolsters Fleet With Three New Vessels, Mobile Base". Bahamas Tribune. 2016-03-18. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
- ^ "Damen construye ocho buques Stan Lander 5612 para la Armada venezolana" [Damen Stan Lander eight ship built for the Venezuelan Navy 5612]. Infodensa. 2015-06-18. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
- ^ "HMBS Lawrence Major transports firefighting equipment to Crooked Island". Nassau Guardian. 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
- ^ "HMBS Lawrence Major Transports Firefighting Equipment to Crooked Island". Coral Harbour: Bahama's Weekly. 2016-04-21. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
- ^
"HMBS Lawrence Major Transports Firefighting Equipment to Crooked Island". Bahamas Local. 2016-04-21. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
HMBS Lawrence Major, one of the nine vessels purchased under the Sandy Bottom Project, was procured to be used primarily in efforts like these, providing sustenance and relief to our far flung islands during disasters.