Just came back from the city, took a few shots.
Its early days, she's only been in the harbour less that 12 hours, give them time!!I'm still waiting for some journo to call it a "battleship"
if anything it would be done prior to being sent in "harms way" or being sent off somewhere ugly where there might not be suitable available escorts or support.
One would hope its for the longer term, but who knows what the Goverment's long term plans are!
I figure if the Aussie navy is pleased and happy with Choules as the third sealift ship, that the third, now fourth sealift ship will be dropped from the DCP. She isn't that old, only five years, and she could last another twenty five years easily, maybe more. She does fit the billing for the third sealift ship with the two LHDs. I suspect and wonder whether that third now fourth sealift ship that was planned could end up being a dry goods type ship supporting the amphibious fleet similar to a Mars class combat stores ship.
Hi gf in relation to the self protection kit that will eventually go on the choules will the nulka be installed or only the mini typhoons? Also just more out of curiousity is the nulka an expensive system to implement? Thanks in advance mate I watch this forum quite alot and I haven't really seen any discussion on the nulka.
Your link doesn't work (probably the stupidly long URLs generated by the photo library) but if it's file 20111220ran811596_029.jpg then yes, it's a Mexeflote. One element of optical confusion may come from the bow section being unlocked from the rest of the raft and lashed to the beach at an angle. Apart from that, the raft is hard up against the port side of the dock, there's probably a couple of feet clearance on the other side: look at the shadow. I can't remember for sure, but I think there is just enough room to walk/clamber beside a Mexe in the dock. The dock was designed to accept Mexeflote and LCU Mk10, so it's sized to be big enough for those, but no bigger.
Is there likely to be a reasonable number in a training contingent?
Perhaps, but if she ever grounds you can be assured the journos will call her a tanker in one of the first reports.I'm still waiting for some journo to call it a "battleship"
Thats just what our ships need, more racks for greenies to sleep in, and a day rack for all times outside of pipe down
The Mexeflote's are normally carried externally, if you look at the ship port and stbd at the flight deck you can see where they would normally attach, guessing they are in the dock just for the trip and to keep them out of the elements. You will also see that the mounting is actually on an angle, this will actually become level with the waterline once she has taken on ballast to flood the dock for amphib ops
Good greif i hate it when they do that. Wasn't there a time you were expected to Know what you were saying as a reporter on the national stage?
The Floats where undergoing final certification training at FBW when she was in. The cert got cancelled in the UK due to poor weather. I was onboard at around 04 deck when the whole ship lurched. I said "What the hell was that?" and the response from the Cheif Tiff was a causal "Oh That's just a Mexi". Must have a bit of weight in them to lurch a ship that size!. I dont have any photo's of the Mexi deployed but I have a couple of the APU's being offloaded. ImageShack Album - 26 images
