HMAS Choules

HMAS Choules at Fleet Base East Sydney Harbour, Australia in August 2014
History
United Kingdom
Name	Largs Bay
Namesake	Largs Bay
Ordered	18 December 2000
Builder	Swan Hunter, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear
Laid down	28 January 2002
Launched	18 July 2003
In service	28 November 2006
Out of service	April 2011
Identification	IMO number: 9240756 MMSI number: 232653000 Callsign: GCIA Pennant number: L3006
Fate	Decommissioned under SDSR, sold to Australia
Australia
Name	Choules
Namesake	Chief Petty Officer Claude Choules
Acquired	6 April 2011
Commissioned	13 December 2011
Homeport	Fleet Base East
Identification	IMO number: 9240756 MMSI number: 503688000 Callsign: VKJC Pennant number: L100
Motto	"Face Difficulty With Zeal"
Status	Active as of 2022
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Bay-class landing ship dock
Displacement	16,160 t (15,905 long tons) full load (RFA) 16,190 t (15,934 long tons) (RAN)
Length	579.4 ft (176.6 m)
Beam	86.6 ft (26.4 m)
Draught	19 ft (5.8 m)
Propulsion	2 × Wärtsilä 8L26 generators, 6,000 hp (4.5 MW) 2 × Wärtsilä 12V26 generators, 9,000 hp (6.7 MW) 2 × propulsion pods 1 × bow thruster
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range	8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	1 LCU Mark 10, 1 LCM-8, or 2 LCVPs (Royal Marines version or RAN version) 2 Mexeflote powered rafts
Capacity	1,150 linear metres of vehicles (up to 24 Challenger 2 tanks, 32 M1A1 Abrams tanks, or 150 light trucks) Cargo capacity of 200 tons ammunition or 24 TEU containers
Troops	356 standard or 700 overload
Complement	RFA: 60-70 core, increased for operational deployments RAN - 158 fully crewed
Sensors and processing systems	RAN service: EID ICCS integrated communications control system CEAFAR-S multi-function radar
Armament	RFA service Fit to receive: Phalanx CIWS 30 mm DS30B cannon RAN service: 1 Phalanx CIWS[1] AN/SLQ-25 Nixie[2]
Aircraft carried	Blackhawk and Seahawk helicopters frequently embarked;[3] flight deck can operate helicopters up to Chinook size
Aviation facilities	No permanent hangar; temporary hangar can be fitted.

HMAS Choules (L100) is a Bay-class landing ship that served with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) from 2006 to 2011, before being purchased by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The vessel was built as RFA Largs Bay by Swan Hunter in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear. She was named after Largs Bay in Ayrshire, Scotland, and entered service in November 2006. During her career with the RFA, Largs Bay served as the British ship assigned to patrol the Falkland Islands in 2008, and delivered relief supplies following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

At the end of 2010, Largs Bay was marked as one of the vessels to be removed from service under the Strategic Defence and Security Review. She was offered for sale, with the RAN announced as the successful bidder in April 2011. After modifications to make her more suited for Australian operating conditions, the vessel was commissioned in December 2011 as HMAS Choules, named after Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy Chief Petty Officer Claude Choules. A propulsion transformer failure kept the ship out of service between July 2012 and April 2013.