NAVY 1996/97Guided Missile Destroyers

Guided Missile Frigates

Destroyer Escort

Frigates

Submarines

Patrol Boats

Coastal Minehunters

Inshore Minehunters

Auxiliary Minesweepers Amphibious Transports

Landing Ship Heavy

Landing Craft Heavy Fleet Air Arm

Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment

Underway Replenishment Ship Hydrographic Survey Ships

Survey Motor Launches

Trials and Safety Ship

Navigation Training Vessel

Sail Training Ship

GUIDED MISSILE

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uDESTROYERS (DDG) The Perth Class gu ided missile

destroyers (DDG) are regarded

as am ong the m ost ba lanced fleet units currently in RAN

service.

Although the main task of the DDGs is air defence, they

also posse ss significant surface gunnery capabilities.

The air defence system is b a sed on the S tandard missile

and its associated high definition radars, with the missile

launcher located near the stern. Supporting the sh ip ’s

onboard missile system are two five inch (127 mm)

automatic rapid fire guns, machine guns, two se ts of anti­

subm arine homing to rp e d o e s and for self defence, a pair

of Vulcan Phalanx close-in w eapon systems.

During the 1970s the th ree DDGs received weapon

system s u p d a te s including m odern da ta links and com­

pu te r ised da ta systems. AH have subsequen tly u n d e r ­

gone further m odernisation in recen t years to en ab le

them to remain in frontline service until th e e n d of the

century. The m odernisation featured a new RAN

d esigned communication system, fitting of a chaff decoy

system to confuse incoming missiles, an im proved Naval

C om bat Data System, upg raded gunnery and radars and

a capability to launch the Harpoon anti-ship missile.

The DDGs all p o sse ss com prehensive com m and and

control facilities.

All th ree ships saw service in the Vietnam conflict, with

HMAS BRISBANE also undertaking du ties in suppo r t of

UN opera tions against Iraq in the Persian Gulf.

No3839 41

NamePERTHHOBARTBRISBANE

BuilderDisplacementLengthBeamArmament

MachinerySpeed

Laid Down 21 Sep 62 26 Oct 62 15 Feb 65

Launched 26 Sep 63 9 Jan 64 5 M ay 66

Commissioned17 Jul 6518 Dec 65 16 Dec 67

Defoe Shipbuilding Co, USA 4 ,7 2 0 tonnes 1 3 3 .2 metres 1 4 .3 metresTwo 5 inch Mk 42 Mod 10 automatic rapid fire gunsStandard anti-a ir missile systemHarpoon anti-ship missile systemTwo 20 m m Phalanx M K 15 close-in w eapon systemsFour 0 .5 0 inch machine gunsTwo sets tr iple-mounted anti-submarine torpedo tubesTwo GE geared steam turbines driving two shaftsMore than 30 knots

Ship's Company 3 33 (normal)

2

GUIDED MISSILE FRIGATESuQ

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(FFG) The RAN opera te s

six A delaide Class

gu ided missile frigates (FFG)

b a se d on the US Navy Oliver

Hazard Perry design. The first

four sh ips of the class were built

in the USA with su b se q u e n t

modifications undertaken in

Australia. The last two were

constructed in Australia with all

modifications incorporated.

Each FFG is a long-range escort

ship ab le to undertake air

defence, anti-submarine warfare,

surveillance, interdiction and

reconnaissance. They are the first

RAN ships to b e pow ered by gas

tu rb ines for the main propulsion.

This, com bined with a modern

repair-by-replacem ent policy,

has allowed both a reduced com­

p lem en t and a high availability

for the sea. The FFG can be

underway from cold in less than

30 minutes. In addition, two

forward m ounted , retractable

auxiliary propulsion units provide

a secondary m eans of propulsion

plus excellent manoeuvrability

in confined waters.

The FFGs were th e first escort

sh ips e q u ip p e d with a helicopter,

as well as being the first RAN

sh ips to b e fitted with the Phal­

anx close-in w eapon system and

the Harpoon anti-ship missile.

No Name Laid Down Launched Commissioned01 ADELAIDE 29 Apr 77 21 Jun 78 15 Nov 8002 CANBERRA 1 M a r 78 1 Dec 78 21 M a r 8103 SYDNEY 16 Jan 80 26 Sep 80 29 Jan 8304 DARWIN 3 Jul 81 26 M ar 82 21 Jul 8405 MELBOURNE 12 Jul 85 5 May 89 15 Feb 9206 NEWCASTLE 21 Jul 89 21 Feb 92 11 Dec 93

Builders Todd Pacific Shipyard Corporation,S eattle , USA (0 1 -0 4 )Transfield Shipbuilding Pty Ltd,W il l ia m s tow n . Victoria (0 5 -0 6 )

Displacement 4 ,1 0 0 tonnes Length 1 38 metresBeam 1 3 .7 metres (1 4 .3 metres for 0 5 -0 6 )Arm am ent Harpoon anti-ship missiles

Standard anti-a ir missiles M k 97 fire control system One 76 m m Mk 75 gun One 20 m m Phalanx Mk 15 close-in w eapon system Two Mk 32 triple anti-subm arine torpedo tubes

M achinery Two General Electric L M 2 5 0 0 gas turbines geared to one controllable pitch propeller

Speed 30 knotsAircraft Two helicopters (Two S -70B-2 Seahawk

or one Seahawk and one AS350B Squirrel) Ship's Company 210

3

DESTROYERESCORT

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(DE) HMAS TORRENS is

an Australian built

River Class des troyer escort (DE). Its p eace t im e role is to

undertake the following opera tions in Australia's area of

strategic interest, e i ther independen tly , or in conjunction

with o ther ADF maritime forces:

• Patrol and surveillance to exercise sovereignty of law

enforcement,

• Escort du ties in ocean and coastal waters,

• Comm and and control of maritime forces, including

patrol boats and land b a sed aircraft,

• Navigation and seam ansh ip training.

TORRENS is capab le of dealing with air and surface

threats via a twin 4.5 inch (114.3 mm) gun, linked to a dig­

ital fire control computer. To dea l with the anti-submarine

threat, th e ship is fitted with the Australian des igned and

built Mulloka sonar and two se ts of to rp ed o tubes.

Based at HMAS STIRLING in Western Australia,

TORRENS regularly conducts opera tions around the

Australian coastline as well as d ep loym en ts to South

East Asia.

No Name 53 TORRENS

BuilderDisplacementLengthBeamArmament

Machinery Speed Ship's Company 207

Laid Down Launched Commissioned 18 Aug 65 28 Sep 68 19 Jan 71

Cockatoo Island Dockyard, New South Wales 2 ,7 5 0 tonnes 1 1 2 .8 metres 1 2 .5 metresTwo 4 .5 inch M k 6 automatic rapid fire guns in one twin turret,Two Mk 32 tr iple-mounted anti-submarine torpedo tubes Two geared steam turbines driving two shafts More than 30 knots

4

Eight Anzac Class frigates are be ing constructed in

Australia as part of the overall plan to upgrade the Royal

Australian Navy in the 1990s and as rep lacem en ts for the

remaining River Class

FRIGATES d estroyer escorts.

A further two ships of

(FFH) the class are being built for the Royal New

Zealand Navy.

^ Se lec ted in 1989, the Anzac ship is b a se d on the German

Meko 200 frigate design. M odular construction m e thods

N are em p loyed with sections for the ships fabricated in

th ree locations - Williamstown in Victoria, Newcastle in

2 New South Wales and Whangarei in New Zealand - prior

to final assem bly at Williamstown, Victoria.

<HMAS ANZAC, the lead ship, e n te red service in 1996

with follow-on vesse ls to b e de l ivered at the rate of

approximately one p e r year. A "com bined d iesel or gas"

(CODOG) propulsion plant en ab les the ship to sustain

sp e e d s of 27 knots and allows an operational range in

excess of 6,000 nautical miles.

Each Anzac frigate is fitted with an advanced package

of air surveillance radars, omni-directional hull m ounted

sonar and electronic suppor t system s which interface

with a state-of-the-art com bat data system.

The ships ' main a rm am ent com prises one five inch (127

mm) gun capab le of firing 20 rounds p e r minute, ship

launched to rp ed o es and a Mk 41 vertical launch system

for the Sea Sparrow poin t defence missile.

A helicop ter is em barked to enhance an ti-subm arine and

anti-surface warfare capabilities. Initially an S-70B-2

Seahawk will b e carried by ANZAC, however this will b e

replaced in d u e course by a new type of in term ed ia te

helicopter e q u ip p e d for surveillance and maritime strike.

No Nam e Laid Down Launched Commissioned150 ANZAC Nov 93 16 Sep 94 18 M ay 96151 ARUNTA Jul 95 28 Jun 96 Nov 97152 W ARRAMUNGA M ar 97 Jan 98 Nov 99153 STUART Jan 98 Nov 98 Nov 200 0154 PARRAMATTA Nov 98 Sep 99 Nov 2001155 BALLARAT Sep 99 J u l 2000 Nov 2002156 TOOWOOMBA Jul 2000 May 2001 Nov 2003157 PERTH May 2001 M a r 2002 Nov 2004

BuilderDisplacementLengthBeamArm am ent

Machinery

SpeedAircraftShip's Company

Transfield Shipbuilding Pty Ltd. W i l l ia m s tow n . Victoria 3 ,6 0 0 tonnes 118 metres 1 4 .8 metresOne 5 inch M k 45 Mod 2 automatic rapid fire gunSea Sparrow an ti-a ir missile systemTwo Mk 32 tr iple-mounted anti-subm arine torpedo tubesTwo 0 .5 0 inch machine gunsOne General Electric LM 2500 gas turbineTwo M TU 12V 116 3 diesels driving two controllable pitchpropellersMore than 27 knotsOne in term ediate sized helicopter (to be selected)164

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(SSG) Three Oberon Class

subm arines currently

form part of the Royal Australian

Navy Subm arine Squadron, p rovid ­

ing the Flee t with m odern offensive

and reconnaissance capabilities.

Two are b a sed at HMAS PLATYPUS

in Sydney while the third, ORION,

is laid up in reserve at HMAS STIR­

LING.

The Oberon boats are very qu ie t

and boast long endurance which is

vital in Australia's a rea of interest.

Each crew undergoes specialist

training to dev e lo p the skills n e e d ­

ed for this dem and ing service. The

training is primarily self-sufficient

with m ain tenance and suppor t of

com bat system software all being

conducted in Australia.

Each of the Oberon Class subm ar­

ines is a tu b e of steel, 8.1 m e tres in

d iam ete r and 89.1 m etres long.

Within each tu b e is:

Living quarters for 64 men; W eapons

consisting of to rpedoes , Harpoon

missiles and mines; The equivalen t

of 94,000 car batteries; Two road

tankers of lubricating oil; Two g ene r ­

ators with the capacity to power a

m ed ium size town; A kitchen capa ­

b le of cooking cordon bleu m eals

for 64 m en for several weeks; A

superm arke t of food; Storage for 30

to n n e s of fresh w ater and 10 tonnes

of d istilled water; The air condition ­

ing plant of a large city building;

and Seven masts ta ller than te le ­

graph poles.

The crew are accom m odated in four

small, bu t w e ll-equ ipped m esses.

Power for each b oa t is supp lied

by two large storage batteries,

weighing 150 tonnes a piece, which

are recharged by two 16 cylinder

generators. Everything from b read

toasters to the propulsion system

draws its pow er from the subm arine’s

main batteries.

A dvanced passive sonar system s

enhance the subm arine’s ability to

de tec t and track enem y surface ships

and subm arines a t long range.

No Name60 ONSLOW61 ORION62 0TAM A

BuilderDisplacementLengthBeamArm am ent

Machinery

SpeedShip's Company

Laid Down Launched Commissioned26 M ay 67 3 Dec 68 22 Dec 696 Oct 72 16 Sep 74 1 5 J u n 7 728 May 73 3 Dec 75 27 Apr 78

Scott's Shipbuilding, Greenock, UK 2 ,0 7 0 tonnes 8 9 .9 metres 8.1 metresSix bow w eapon tubes capable of launching torpedoes or missiles Two English Electric main propulsion motors, with two Admiralty standard range diesel generators Submerged speed more than 15 knots 64

6

CO

The Collins Class

subm arines are 's ta te

of the art' with innova­

tive features and

adap ta tions to

suit Australia's

un ique circum­

stances - specifically

ta ilored to m e e t the

Royal Australian Navy's

requ irem en ts into the

next century. Six boats,

each nam ed for a d is ­

tinguished former RAN

member, will en te r

service, progressively

replacing the o lder

Oberon Class su b ­

marines.

With a te a r d rop hull

shape , the Collins

Class are des igned for

qu ie t opera tions and

fuel efficiency, the ir X

ru d d e r arrangem ent

giving them increased

manoeuvrability over

the O berons. The

design relies heavily

on com puterised sys­

tem s for course,

sp e e d , d e p th and trim

- all controlled from

one console.

(SSG)x2 M

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Armed with six weapon

tu b e s ab le to discharge to rpedoes , m ines and the

Harpoon anti-ship missile, the boats have a sophisticated

com bat system which gathers intelligence from its

sensors, com putes the input, then launches and directs

weapons. The com puterised system is des igned to

remain operational in the even t of b a ttle damage.

An installed sh ip ’s information system will result in an

alm ost pape rle ss subm arine. Each cabin has a maximum

of six bunks, all with six channel audio outlet. A single

galley is centrally located to provide food services to all

m esses . Meals for the officers and senior sailors are trans­

po rted to the respective m esses via a food service lift.

No Name Laid Down Launched Commissioned73 COLLINS 14 Feb 90 28 Aug 93 27 Jut 9674 FARNC0MB 1 M a r 91 15 Dec 95 M a r 9775 WALLER 7 Feb 92 96 9776 DECHAINEUX 19 M a r 92 97 9877 SHEEAN 17 Feb 94 97 9878 RANKIN M a r 95 98 99

BuilderDisplacem entLengthBeamArm am ent

Machinery

SpeedShip's Company

Australian Submarine Corporation, Adela ide , South Australia 3 ,3 5 0 tonnes 77 metres 8 metresSix bow w eapon tubes capable of launching torpedoes or missilesOne Jeaum ont Schneider 5 .4 m egaw att main motor,Three Hedem ora 18 cylinder four stroke turbo charged diesels and Three Jeaum ont Schneider generators Submerged speed more than 20 knots 42

7

PATROL

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BOATS (FCPB) Fremantle Class patrol boats

perform one of the more

visible of the Navy's tasks -

patrolling Australia's extensive Exclusive Economic Zone.

HMAS FREMANTLE, the first of the class, was built in

the UK, while the o the r 14 were built in Cairns by North

Q ueensland Engineers and Agents (NQEA).

The vesse ls are well p rep a red for the ir patrol du ties as

well as for any o the r operational requ irem ents . Each is

e q u ip p e d with high definition navigation radar, a

com prehensive range of communications equ ipm ent,

gyro com passes and echo sounder. In addition they are

e q u ip p e d with a satellite navigation system which

en ab le s the sh ip ’s position to b e de te rm in ed with great

accuracy.

D eployed to b a se s around Australia's coastline, patrol

boa ts are hom e po r ted to Sydney, Cairns, Darwin and

HMAS STIRLING near Rockingham in Western Australia.

O ptions for the even tual rep lacem en t of the Fremantle

Class are now being considered by the RAN.

No Name Laid Down Launched Commissioned203 FREMANTLE 11 Nov 77 16 Feb 79 17 M a r 80204 WARRNAMBOOL 30 Sep 78 25 Oct 80 14 M a r 81205 TOWNSVILLE 5 M a r 79 16 May 81 1 8 Jul 81206 WOLLONGONG Sep 79 17 Oct 81 28 Nov 81207 LAUNCESTON Nov 79 23 Jan 81 6 M a r 82208 WHYALLA Jun 80 22 M ay 82 3 Jul 82209 IPSWICH 20 Oct 80 23 Sep 82 13 Nov 82210 CESSN0CK Feb 81 15 Jan 83 5 M ar 83211 BENDIGO Jul 81 9 Apr 83 28 M ay 83212 GAWLER 18 Jan 82 9 Jul 83 27 Aug 83213 GERALDTON M a r 82 22 Oct 83 10 Dec 83214 DUBB0 9 Aug 82 21 Jan 84 10 M a r 84215 GEELONG 15 Nov 82 14 Apr 84 2 Jun 84216 GLADSTONE Jul 83 28 Jul 84 8 Sep 84217 BUNBURY 13 Jun 83 3 Nov 84 15 Dec 84

Builders

DisplacementLengthBeamArm am ent

M achinery

SpeedShip's Company

Brooke M arin e . Lowestoft, UK (203)NQEA Australia, Cairns, Queensland (2 0 4 -2 1 7 )220 tonnes 42 metres 7 .1 5 metres40 m m Bofors general purpose gun 81 m m mortarTwo 0 .5 0 in Browning machine gunsTwo MTU 538 series 16 cylinder main propulsionenginesOne Dorman 12 cyl inder auxiliary propulsion engine 30 knots3 officers, 19 sailors

COASTAL MINEHUNTERS

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(MHC) In 1998, the Royal

Australian Navy will

accep t delivery of

the first of six Huon Class mine

hunters coastal (MHCs) for service

in the Australian Fleet. The princi­

pal task of th e MHCs will b e to keep

the nation's focal points for trade,

the harbours and ports, free from

the th rea t of mines.

Originally des igned in Italy as the

G aeta Class for the Italian Navy,

the RAN Huon Class will b e m od i­

fied to suit Australian conditions,

including im proved accom modation

and minehunting capabilities.

The Huon Class, with the ir unique

hull design will feature ou ts tanding

shock resistance and inherently

low magnetic signature, allowing

the ships to op e ra te in hostile mine

environments. Each of the Huon

Class will carry a pair of rem otely

o p e ra ted Bofors Underwater Sys­

tem s Double Eagle mine d isposal

vehicles (MDVs). To control the

Double Eagle, com m ands will be

re layed via a fibre optic link inside

the vehicle's te th e r and also relay

senso r images for d isp lay on the

ship 's multifunction console, located

in the opera tions room. To counter

hostile mines, each D ouble Eagle

vehicle will b e ab le to carry a d is ­

posal charge, slung b e n e a th or b e

fitted with explosive or mechanical

cutters to sever the wire rope or

chain holding m oored mines.

O ther mine d isposal capabilities

will include the use of em barked

mine clearance divers, ab le to

op e ra te to d ep th s of 90 m etres

and in conditions of poor visibility.

The MHC will b e ab le to dep loy the

Australian d e v e lo p e d mechanical

m inesw eeping system, similar to

tha t d ep lo y ed onb o ard the RAN’s

auxiliary m inesw eepers.

No Nam e Launched Commissioned82 HUON 199 8 199883 HAWKESBURY 199 9 199984 NORMAN 200 0 200085 GASCOYNE 200 0 200086 DIAMANTINA 2001 200187 YARRA 2 0 0 2 2002

Builder Australian Defence Industries,Newcastle , New South W ale s

Displacem ent 7 20 tonnes Length 5 2 .5 metresBeam 9 .9 metresArm am ent One 30 m m DS30B gun

Two SUTEC Double Eagle mine disposal vehicles

M achinery One Fincantieri GMT d iesel driving one controllable pitch propeller Three Riva Calzoni auxiliary propulsion units

Speed 14 knots (m ain engine)6 knots (auxiliary propulsion units)

Ship's Company 36

9

TRANSPORTS (LPA)

Built as m em b ers of the 20 strong

Newport Class am phib ious ships,

KANIMBLA and MANOORA original­

ly se rved with the United States

Navy as USS SAGINAW and USS

FAIRFAX COUNTY. The two ships

were acquired by the RAN in 1994

for conversion to the am phib ious

transport (LPA) and training roles.

It is in ten d ed each ship will receive

a he licopter hangar am idships,

capable of housing up to four Sea-

hawk/Blackhawk size helicopters or

th ree of th e larger Sea Kings plus

an enlarged helicop ter platform aft.

Two Seahawks or Blackhawks will

op e ra te simultaneously aft with a

third helicop ter from the forward

space.

To ensu re enough space is p rovided

for the forward opera ting helicopter

or the carriage of two Army LCM8

landing craft, bo th ships will b e

m odified with the removal of the

34m bow ram ps and horns, originally

fitted for the 'over the beach '

am phib ious role. A 70 to nne crane

will b e installed forward of the

bridge to ‘lift-on/lift-off the LCM8s.

Accessed through the stern gate,

810 square m e tres of storage is

available on the tank deck for the

stowage of Army vehicles.

MANOORA will also b e p rov ided

with a medical facility to handle

initial wound surgery and intensive

care support. Triage will b e p e r ­

formed in the helicop ter hangar with

a 40 b e d hospital estab lished .

To conform to m odern environm en­

tal s tandards a biological septic

system will b e installed in each of

the ships, along with a solid waste

m anagem ent system.

In the training role, the ships will

undertake junior officer seam ansh ip

and navigation training, as well as

initial training cruises for junior

sailors. Most importantly, KANIM­

BLA and MANOORA will provide

cost effective platforms for the exer­

cising of Navy helicop ter pilots in

sh ipborne operations.

No Nam e Laid Down Launched Commissioned51 KANIMBLA 24 May 69 7 Feb 70 29 Aug 9452 MANOORA 28 M a r 70 19 Dec 70 25 Nov 94

Builder National Steel and Shipbuilding Co,San Diego, California, USA

Displacem ent 8450 tons Length 1590 metresBeam 2 1 .2 metresArm am ent One 20 m m Phalanx Mk 15 Close in

Weapon System M achinery Six ALC0 16-251 diesel engines driving

two shafts, variable pitch propellers Speed More than 20 knotsLanding Craft Two LCM8s as deck cargo Aircraft Four Seahawk/B lackhawk or three

Sea King helicopters Ship ’s Company 178 RAN plus 18 Ship's Army Detachment Troops 450

12

LANDING SHIP HEAVY

The u p p e r deck is

also des igned to serve

as a vehicle or landing

craft stowage area,

with the necessary lift

being prov ided by

two 8.5 to n n e cranes

fi tted forward and a

twin derrick (70 tonne

lift) before the bridge

superstructure. The

derrick is capab le of

lifting a 68 tonne

(LSH)Constructed by Carrington Slipways

Pty Ltd at Tomago, near Newcastle,

HMAS TOBRUK provides the

Australian Defence Force with a

heavy lift capability not available in

any o the r Australian-owned vessel.

She is des igned to carry troops,

s to res and vehicles and pu t them

ashore with or without the aid of

port facilities.

E q u ip p ed with a roll-on roll-off hull

and a s t reng thened deck extending

the full length of the ship be tw een

the bow and stern ramps, HMAS

TOBRUK can carry up to 18 Leopard

tanks on this deck. An extending

bow ram p is fitted b eh ind the bow

doors which can b e hydraulically

lowered onto a beach or harbour

quay. A dual pu rp o se stern door is

p rov ided aft to allow ramp-to-ramp

opera tions with landing craft, as

well as the more

conventional roll­

on roll-off operations.

The u p p e r deck

forward of the bridge

and the after deck

are configured to

serve as helicopter

flight decks.

LCM8 landing craft, two of which can

b e stow ed on cradles im m ediate ly

forward of the bridge. In addition,

two Landing Craft Vehicle and

Personnel (LCVP) are secured by

davits on e i ther s ide of the su p e r ­

structure. Two 25 m etre pon toons

can also b e carried to bridge any

gap b e tw een the bow ram p and the

shore when the ship is em p loyed in

the beaching role.

carried by HMAS TOBRUK can vary

in size d e p e n d in g on the length of

tim e troops are em barked . A total

of 350 troops can live on board for

lengthy periods at ship 's com pany

s tandards, or a lternately up to 500

can b e em barked for short periods

u nder "overload" conditions.

For com bined Navy/Army o p e ra ­

tions an opera tions room is avail­

ab le aboard HMAS TOBRUK with

facilities for both an Amphibious

Group C om m ander and for a Land­

ing Force Commander. A com pre ­

hensive array of communications

e q u ip m e n t is fitted to suppo r t joint

operations, and the communications

centre is staffed by bo th Navy and

Army personnel. The landing force

No Nam e Laid Down Launched Commissioned L50 TOBRUK 7 Feb 79 1 M a r 80 23 Apr 81

Builder

Displacem entLengthBeamA rm am entMachinery

SpeedAircraft

Landing Craft

Carrington Slipways, Newcastle, New South W ales 5 ,8 0 0 tonnes 126 metres 18 metresTwo 4 0 m m Bofors gunsTwo M irr lee s Blackstone K Majordiesels17 knotsUp to three helicopters in support ofamphibious operationsTwo LCVP on davits, two LCM 8s asdeck cargo130Up to 500

Sh ip ’s Company Troops

13

WESTLAND SEA KINGO pera ted by HS817 Squadron, the

W estland Sea King MK50 en te red

RAN service in 1976. Although a US

design, the aircraft was p roduced

00 by W estland Helicopters, UK. It is

pow ered by two Rolls Royce Gnome

H I400-1 eng ines each producing

1,600 shaft horsepow er and crewed

3C by two pilots, one observer (tactical

co-ordinator/navigator) and one air-

crewman.

The primary role of the Sea King

is to provide a m edium lift utility

he licopter to the fleet. O ther roles

include anti-surface warfare (over

the horizon targeting), search and

rescue and army support. A Sea

King can lift 3 tonnes externally and

can carry up to 23 arm ed troops in

its army su p p o r t role. The aircraft is

also capab le of carrying and launch­

ing an ti-subm arine w eapons.

Sea Kings are often called on to aid

the civil com munity such as during

the Nyngan Floods, the 1994 NSW

bush fires and the rescue of offshore

racers during the 1994 Sydney to

H obart Yacht Race. The versatility

of the aircraft en ab le s the crew to

carry ou t the ir mission in any w eath ­

er, day or night, thus making it a

valuable a s s e t to the Royal Austral­

ian Navy. One Sea King is normally

em b arked in the rep len ishm en t

ship HMAS SUCCESS for cargo trans­

fer and o the r fleet utility duties.

Regular d e tachm en ts are also m ade

to HMAS TOBRUK.

The seven RAN Sea Kings have

recently undergone a life of type

extension program which will s ee the

aircraft in service until a t least 2015.

Length Overall Height Width Engines

Max all up weight M ax Speed M ax Range Crew Weapons

22.1 metres (with rotors spread)5.1 metres18 .9 metres (with rotors spread) Two Rolls Royce Gnome H1400-1 gas turbines2 1 .0 0 0 lb (9 ,525kg)1 38 knots (250km /h )1 .0 0 0 nautical m iles (1 .850k m )42 x M k 46 torpedoes or 2 x Mk 11 depth charges

16

SQUADRON

HC723 Squadron is a multi-role

squadron opera ting AS350B Squirrel

and Bell 206B-I Kiowa helicopters

plus two HS748 fixed wing aircraft.

The Squadron received th ree Bell

206B-I Kiowa helicopters in 1973 for

the survey, suppor t and utility roles.

Two Hawker S iddley HS748 fixed

wing aircraft were a d d e d in 1984 for

electronic warfare training, as were

six AS350B Squirrel he licopters for

aircrew training and utility duties.

AS350B's op e ra ted from all heli­

cop te r capab le RAN ships during

the 199 1 Gulf War.

Sporting a new grey camouflage

paint schem e they were fitted with

u p d a te d avionics

and a door m ounted

machine gun.

Employm ent included

shipping surveillance, top cover for

helicopter boardings, mine searches

and light logistics support.

Today the Squad ron ’s du ties include

search and rescue, medivac, fleet

support, communications, electronic

warfare training and the provision

of ships' flights. Squirrels regularly

op e ra te from the Navy's gu ided

missile frigates, while Kiowa heli­

copters are used to suppo r t survey

opera tions from HMAS MORESBY.

The two HS748 fixed wing aircraft

provide electronic warfare training

suppor t to the Australian Defence

Force and VIP transport for the RAN.

HS748 AS350-B BELL 206B-1

Engine

CrewCruise Speed M ax Speed Range

2 Rolls Royce Dart Turbo Prop3-72 10 knots (3 90 km/h) 2 60 knots (4 80 km/h)

Aerospatia le Turbomeca Arriel 1B 21 10 knots (2 03 km/h) 147 knots (2 72 km/h)

1 ,0 0 0 n m (1 ,8 5 0 km) 3 30 nm (6 10 km)M ax Weight 4 4 ,4 9 5 lb (2 0 .1 8 3 kg) 4 .6 2 0 lbs (2 .1 0 0 kg)

Allison 250 -C20

90 knots (1 66 km/h) 120 knots (222 km/h) 3 60 nm (660 km) 3 .6 0 0 lbs (1 .6 9 0 kg)

17

TRIALS AND SAFETY SHIP

(ASR) HMAS PROTECTOR

was built for the now

defunct National

Safety Council of Australia (Victoria)

as the BLUE NABILLA. The ship was

purchased by the RAN in 1990.

Originally des igned as an offshore

suppo r t vessel, PROTECTOR'S major

roles include:

• To act as the subm arine escort

and safety vessel during the

trials for the new Collins Class

subm arines,

• To suppo r t minewarfare trials,

including the survey, laying and

recovery of practice minefields,

• To conduct all facets of Navy

diving in suppo r t of trials and safety

activites, and

• To conduct environm ental data

gathering for the minewarfare and

subm arine trials.

The ship is fitted with a stern

m o un ted ‘A’ frame to en ab le heavy

lifting from the sea b e d as well as

the launching of her ship 's boats.

Two Phantom rem otely o pe ra ted

vehicles (ROVs) are carried and

d ep lo y ed by the ship 's ten tonne

Effer crane. S ide scan sonar and

diving eq u ip m en t toge the r with

space below deck for a six man

recom pression chamber, com pletes

PROTECTOR'S com prehensive

e q u ip m e n t fit. A feature of the sh ip ’s

superstructure is sufficient deck

s torage area for two standard ISO

20-foot containers.

To maintain a p recise position at

sea while recovering and deploying

objects, PROTECTOR is fitted with

a LIPS dynam ic positioning system

and two controllable pitch p ro ­

pellers as well as two rudders and

four thrusters (two bow and two

stern). Her characteristics in this

area make her the most m anoeu ­

vrable of all RAN ships.

No. NameASR241 PROTECTORLaid Down Launched Commissioned1981 198 4 30 Oct 90

Builder Elder Prince Marine Service, Fremantle, Western Australia

Displacement 670 tonnesLength 4 2 .7 metresBeam 9 .5 metresMachinery Two Detroit 12V92TA enginesSpeed 1 0 .5 knotsShip’s Company 20

22

NAVIGATION TRAININGVESSEL (NTV)

D ecom m issioned in January 1994 following service as a

Naval Reserve m anned patrol boat, ARDENT returned to

duty on 18 July 1994 as a non-com m issioned navigation

training vesse l (NTV).

Based at HMAS WATERHEN in Sydney, the vesse l o p e r ­

a tes on Sydney H arbour and along the NSW coast. In

he r current role supporting navigation and seam ansh ip

training courses, ARDENT carries no armament. She is

the sole seagoing survivor (in RAN ownership) of a patrol

boa t class tha t once nu m b e red twenty.

A second Attack Class patrol boat, BAYONET, is currently

u sed for a longside training a t HMAS CERBERUS at

Western Port, Victoria.

No. Nam e Laid Down Launched CommissionedA243 ARDENT Oct 67 27 Apr 68 26 Oct 68

Builder Evans Deakin Ltd, Brisbane, QueenslandDisplacem ent 150 tonnesLength 3 2 .6 metresBeam 6.1 metresM achinery Two Paxman V 16 YJCM diesel enginesSpeed 24 knotsShip's Company 8

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