Navy ship HMAS Bundaberg goes up in flames in Brisbane's east

 

A large navy ship fire east of Brisbane has been brought under control after three hours.

 

Firefighters in breathing apparatus remain at a commercial boat shed on Barku Court in Hemmant, about 11 kilometres east of the CBD. Earlier, about 50 firefighers and 16 fire trucks were called to the scene.

 

Authorities have confirmed the ship on fire is the HMAS Bundaberg, a navy vessel that was in Brisbane for routine maintenance.

 

Fire crews were called to the shipyards on the Brisbane River at 11.52am after an automated alarm went off.

Initial reports were that a 70-foot boat was ablaze, however the HMAS Bundaberg is much larger.

The Armidale-class patrol boat is about 56 metres long and was commissioned in 2007.

According to the Navy website, the HMAS Bundaberg (II) and 13 sister vessels are used for fisheries protection, immigration, customs and drug law enforcement operations

"Defence understands that at least two civilian contractors suffered smoke inhalation and were treated at the scene," A Defence spokesman said in a statement.

"No members of the Navy crew were injured in the incident. 

 

"The cause of the fire is not known at this time

"An assessment of damage and an investigation into the cause of the fire will be undertaken once it is safe to do so."

Then-Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on board the HMAS Bundaberg in 2012

 

 

Fire destroys brand new North Sea Boats 63m Stealth Fast Missile Patrol Vessel

A fire destroyed the Indonesian Navy's KRI Klewang-625 at the naval port in Banyuwangi, East Java on Friday just weeks after its official launch ceremony. The Fast Missile Patrol Vessel (FMPV) was officialy launched on Friday 31st August, 2012 at PT Lundin’s shipyard facility in Banyuwangi, East Java.

                         

A fire destroyed the Indonesian Navy's KRI Klewang-625 at the naval port in Banyuwangi, East Java on Friday just weeks after its official launch ceremony. The Fast Missile Patrol Vessel (FMPV) was officialy launched on Friday 31st August, 2012 at PT Lundin’s shipyard facility in Banyuwangi, East Java. 

No casualties have been reported but the brand new vessel worth $12 million USD appears to be lost. The incident reportedly happened during maintenance. Indonesian Navy already announced that they would deploy a team to investigate the exact cause of the fire which lead to the loss of the trimaran vessel.

                         

A fire destroyed the Indonesian Navy's KRI Klewang-625 at the naval port in Banyuwangi, East Java on Friday just weeks after its official launch ceremony. The Fast Missile Patrol Vessel (FMPV) was officialy launched on Friday 31st August, 2012 at PT Lundin’s shipyard facility in Banyuwangi, East Java.

Launched on Friday 31st August, 2012 at PT Lundin’s shipyard facility in Banyuwangi, East Java, the Fast Missile Patrol Vessel (FMPV) employs a modern “Wave Piercing” trimaran design. This allows the vessel to cut-through waves rather than rise up and over them, and the increased beam provides inherent stability. This combination of features reduces both pitching and rolling, creating a stable weapons platform, and enabling the vessel to comfortably and safely maintain higher average speeds in adverse conditions. 

The FMPV has “Stealth” design characteristics, and incorporate features that minimise detection by reducing Radar, Infra-Red, Acoustic and Magnetic signatures. Stealth properties are further improved as there are no reverse-angle bow overhangs to reflect radar signals, as seen on conventional hull forms. Weaponry, including missiles and naval guns, and the ships 11 m high-speed RHIB, are discreetly concealed or shaped to meld into the superstructure profile.

PT Lundin will issue an official statement relating to the incident on Monday.

Maine shipyard investigates small fire outside nuclear submarine damaged in blaze last month

A Maine shipyard is investigating what caused a small fire outside a nuclear-powered submarine that was severely damaged by another blaze last month.

The fire was reported about 7 p.m. Saturday in the dry dock where the USS Miami is located, The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard said.

A shipyard employee doused the fire with a portable extinguisher before the shipyard’s fire department arrived, and the ship’s reactor was never in danger, officials said. No one was hurt. The shipyard did not release additional information.

The latest fire was reported less than four weeks after a May 23 fire heavily damaged the submarine while it was in dry dock for an overhaul. That fire damaged the torpedo room, crew quarters, and command and control areas in the front of the submarine, but the nuclear propulsion components at the back of the sub were spared.

The Navy has estimated repair costs at $400 million. The fire started when an industrial vacuum cleaner sucked up a heat source that ignited debris inside the vacuum, officials say.

In the aftermath of the fire, the Navy directed all public shipyards to empty their industrial vacuum cleaners after each shift or remove them from ships.

The Naval Sea Systems Command is reviewing all models of vacuum cleaners now used aboard ships and will issue a directive by the end of June on which models are authorized for use.

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Fire Department responded to a report of another potential blaze aboard the USS Miami submarine on June 6, but it turned out to be a false alarm.

Navy official sees small immediate impact from USS Miami fire

Decision still has not been made on submarine’s fate

In the near term at least, the loss of the USS Miami will not greatly impact the Navy’s overall strategy, Under Secretary of the Navy Robert O. Work said Wednesday in a phone interview with The Day.

Down the road, if the submarine is scrapped or still out of service for repairs from the May 23 fire, the deployment schedules for other submarines may change, Work added.

“We have a requirement for 48 attack boats, and we have more than that right now,” he said.

The under secretary did not name a deadline for when a decision will be reached on the sub’s fate. The engineers and investigators were told to take the time they need, Work said.

“We will never, ever put sailors at risk,” he said.

The Miami (SSN 755) was in a dry dock at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for maintenance and upgrades when a fire started in a vacuum cleaner at 5:41 p.m. May 23. The fire on board burned until 3:30 a.m. the next day and caused an estimated $440 million in damages to the Groton-based sub.

“Right now, the going assumption is, we’ll repair the boat,” Work said. “But we’re right in the early stages of the damage assessment.”

Navy engineers are analyzing the hull to see if the fire compromised its integrity. Work said the exhaustive engineering assessment will ensure the Navy knows everything the fire did to the hull. The boat needs to be cleaned out, he said, “then we’ll make a detailed cost estimate and work with Congress to determine the best way forward.”

All of these issues, Work said, will be debated over the course of the next year. The Navy’s senior leaders will make a recommendation to the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.

Work was in the area Wednesday to host a two-day forum on global trends at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I., the capstone academic event for the college’s students, who graduate Friday. The keynote speakers and panelists from the military, academia and industry discussed decisions on national policy, strategy and resource allocation in the context of current global trends.