HMAS Paluma (A 01)

Last updated

History
Naval Ensign of Australia.svgAustralia
Namesake: Paluma, Queensland
Builder: Eglo Engineering, Adelaide
Laid down: 21 March 1988
Launched: 6 February 1989
Commissioned: 27 February 1989
Homeport: HMAS Cairns
Identification: IMO number:  8717295
Motto: "Search With Diligence"
Honours and
awards:
One inherited battle honour
Status: in active service
Badge: HMAS paluma crest.png
General characteristics
Class and type: Paluma-class survey motor launch
Displacement: 320 tonnes
Length: 36.6 m (120 ft) length overall
Beam: 13.7 m (45 ft)
Draught: 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in)
Propulsion: 2 Detroit V12 diesel engines
Speed: 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range: 1,800 nautical miles (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Endurance: 14 days
Complement: 3 officers, 11 sailors (plus accommodation for 4 additional)
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Radar:
  • Kelvin Hughes 1007 navigational radar
  • Sonars:
  • Thales Petrel three-dimensional forward looking active high frequency MBES
Armament: None fitted

HMAS Paluma (A 01) is the lead ship of the Paluma-class survey motor launches operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Lead ship first built of a series or class of ships

The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to military ships and larger civilian craft.

Royal Australian Navy naval warfare branch of the Australian Defence Force

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force, called the Commonwealth Naval Forces. Originally intended for local defence, the navy was granted the title of 'Royal Australian Navy' in 1911, and became increasingly responsible for defence of the region.

Contents

Design and construction

The Paluma-class vessels have a full load displacement of 320 tonnes. [1] They are 36.6 metres (120 ft) long overall and 36 metres (118 ft) long between perpendiculars, have a beam of 13.7 metres (45 ft), and a draught of 1.9 metres (6 ft 3 in). [1] Propulsion machinery consists of two General Motors Detroit Diesel 12V-92T engines, which supply 1,290 brake horsepower (960 kW) to the two propeller shafts. [1] Each vessel has a top speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), a maximum sustainable speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) (which gives a maximum range of 1,800 nautical miles (3,300 km; 2,100 mi)), and an endurance of 14 days. [1]

Length overall maximum length of a vessels hull measured parallel to the waterline

Length overall is the maximum length of a vessel's hull measured parallel to the waterline. This length is important while docking the ship. It is the most commonly used way of expressing the size of a ship, and is also used for calculating the cost of a marina berth.

The sensor suite of a Paluma-class launch consists of a Kelvin Hughes 1007 navigational radar and Thales Petrel three-dimensional forward looking active high frequency echosounders. [2] The vessels are unarmed. [1] The standard ship's company consists of three officers and eleven sailors, although another four personnel can be accommodated. [1] The catamarans were originally painted white, but were repainted naval grey in 2002. [1]

Paluma was laid down by Eglo Engineering on 21 March 1988, launched on 6 February 1989 and commissioned into the RAN on 27 February 1989. [1] The ship was named for Paluma, Queensland.

Paluma, Queensland Town in Queensland, Australia

Paluma is a town in the City of Townsville and a locality in the City of Townsville and the Charters Towers Region in Queensland, Australia. It is a township of around 28 permanent residents in the Mount Spec Ranges and is the southernmost point of Townsville's heritage-listed Wet Tropics.

Operational history

In January 2011, Paluma was one of three RAN vessels deployed to survey Moreton Bay and the Brisbane River for submerged debris as part of Operation Queensland Flood Assist, the Australian Defence Force response to the 2010–2011 Queensland floods. [3]

Moreton Bay bay in Queensland, Australia

The Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are used by commercial operators who provide seafood to market.

Brisbane River river in Australia

The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane in 1823. The penal colony of Moreton Bay later adopted the same name, eventually becoming the present city of Brisbane.

Operation Queensland Flood Assist

Operation Queensland Flood Assist is a complex, multi-Service activity by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as a contribution to the response to the 2010–2011 Queensland floods. Coordinated to aid civilian emergency response efforts, at Federal inter-departmental level it is managed by Emergency Management Australia. It comprises units and personnel from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operating as Joint Task Force 637. The operation was initially commanded by Colonel Luke Foster, based at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane. When the ADF commitment was increased, command was transferred to Brigadier Paul McLachlan, Commander of the 7th Brigade, also based in Brisbane.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Wertheim (ed.), The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, p. 28
  2. "HMAS Paluma (IV)". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  3. "Minesweeper joins search for river debris". ABC News. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2011.

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References

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