See main article: Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy. The eight-vessel Balikpapan class was ordered as a locally manufactured replacement for the Australian Army's LSM-1-class landing ship medium and ALC 50 landing craft.[1] They are long, with a beam of, and a draught of .[2] The landing craft have a standard displacement of 316 tons, with a full load displacement of 503 tons.[2] They are propelled by two G.M. Detroit 6-71 diesel motors, providing 675 brake horsepower to the two propeller shafts, allowing the vessels to reach .[2] The standard ship's company is 13-strong.[2] The Balikpapans are equipped with a Decca RM 916 navigational radar, and fitted with two machine guns for self-defence.[2]
The LCHs have a maximum payload of 180 tons; equivalent to 3 Leopard 1 tanks, 13 M113 armored personnel carriers 23 quarter-tonne trucks, or four LARC-V amphibious cargo vehicles.[2] [3] As a troop transport, a Balikpapan-class vessel can transport up to 400 soldiers between a larger amphibious ship and the shore, or embark 60 soldiers in six-berth caravans for longer voyages.[3] [4] The vessel's payload affects the range: at 175 tons of cargo, each vessel has a range of, which increases to with a 150-ton payload, and when unladen.[2] The flat, box-like keel causes the ships to roll considerably in other-than-calm conditions, limiting their ability to make long voyages.[3]
Salamaua was laid down Walkers Limited at Maryborough, Queensland on 29 May 1972, launched on 27 July 1972, and commissioned into the RAN on 19 October 1973.[5]
Salamaua was transferred to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force on 14 November 1974.[3] She was in active service as of 2013.[6] She was retired on June 19, 2020.
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