Detroit 6-71 diesel motors, providing 675 brake horsepower to the two propeller shafts, allowing the vessels to reach 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph).

[2] The LCHs have a maximum payload of 180 tons; equivalent to 3 Leopard 1 tanks, 13 M113 armoured personnel carriers 23 quarter-tonne trucks, or four LARC-V amphibious cargo vehicles.

[2] The flat, box-like keel causes the ships to roll considerably in other-than-calm conditions, limiting their ability to make long voyages.

[3] Balikpapan was laid down by Walkers Limited at Maryborough, Queensland on 1 May 1971, launched on 15 August 1971, and assigned to the Australian Army Water Transport Squadron on 8 December 1971.

[9] During May and June 1984, Balikpapan completed a 5,400-nautical-mile (10,000 km; 6,200 mi) transit from Brisbane to Penang, transporting vehicles, equipment, and personnel to RAAF Butterworth.

[10] The landing craft returned via Singapore, Benoa, Darwin, and Cairns, and reached Brisbane on 7 August; the longest ocean voyage undertaken by a vessel of her class.

[5] Post-refit, Balikpapan returned to East Timor to operate in support of UNTAET: November to December 2000, February to March 2001, May to June 2001, and July to August 2001.

Balikpapan operated off Dundee Beach in the Northern Territory in concert with units from the Indonesian Navy and RAN Fleet Air Arm.