Home to the Olympic city ... HMAS MANOORA moves up Sydney Harbour to FBE completing a seven-week eployment. Pic: LSPH Kevin Bristow.

The RAN's new amphibious ship HMAS MANOORA has returned home after completing her first major long-term deployment.

"She has had a good shakedown and there was a bigger plus in exercising with two helicopters," Commanding Officer, CMDR Chris Frost, said at Fleet Base East after the ship arrived in Sydney having completed a seven-week deployment which saw her visit Townsville, Dili, Darwin and Vila.

Where MANOORA has a core ship's company of just under 200 personnel, the deployment saw her carry 350, including 55 ADFA cadets just nine weeks into their planned naval careers.

Also taken was a group of sailors from MANOORA's sister ship HMAS KANIMBLA.

On leaving Sydney in April MANOORA accepted a Navy Sea King and an Army Blackhawk which were then flown from the ship's stern helicopter pads to hone the skills of pilots, landing parties and maintainers.

"We had good flying experience," CMDR Frost said.

He said the ship trialled her new 70 tonne capacity crane by loading and unloading and LCM8.

"We trained at the roll-on/roll-off facility in Darwin and we had 300 attend an ANZAC ceremony in Darwin," CMDR Frost said.

MANOORA spent just six days in Sydney before sailing again for exercises off the coast.

by Graham Davis