 HMAS Balikpapan in 2011
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia | |
| Namesake | Battle of Balikpapan (1945) |
| Builder | Walkers Limited |
| Laid down | 1 May 1971 |
| Launched | 15 August 1971 |
| Commissioned | 8 December 1971 (Army) |
| Recommissioned | 27 September 1974 (Navy) |
| Decommissioned | 12 December 2012 |
| Motto | "Bravely in Action" |
| Honours and awards |
|
| Status | Awaiting disposal |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy |
| Displacement | 316 tons |
| Length | 44.5 m (146 ft) |
| Beam | 10.1 m (33 ft) |
| Propulsion | Two Caterpillar diesels |
| Speed | 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Capacity | 180 tons of vehicle cargo or 400 soldiers |
| Complement | 13 |
| Armament | 2 × 0.50 inch machine guns |
HMAS Balikpapan (L 126) was the lead ship of the Balikpapan class of heavy landing craft (LCH). Ordered in 1969, Balikpapan entered service with the Australian Army Water Transport Squadron in late 1971. After this, the decision to place all seagoing Army vessels under the control of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) saw Balikpapan transferred and commissioned in 1974; the last of the eight-vessel class to enter RAN service. Balikpapan was placed in reserve in 1985, but was reactivated three years later. During late 1999 and early 2000, the vessel was part of the INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce, and made additional deployments to East Timor in 2001 and 2006. On 12 December 2012, Balikpapan was retired from RAN service.