The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) fleet is made up of 28 commissioned warships and 17 non-commissioned as of April 2024 [update] , using the Prefix of ADV (Australian Defence Vessel).
The main strength is the seven frigates and three destroyers of the surface combatant force: seven Anzac class frigates and three Hobart class destroyers. Six Collins-class boats make up the submarine service, although due to the maintenance cycle not all submarines are active at any time. Issues present early in the service life of the submarines have now been fixed and five submarines are mission capable. Amphibious warfare assets include two Canberra-class landing helicopter dock ships and the landing ship HMAS Choules. Four Armidale-class patrol boats perform coastal and economic exclusion zone patrols, and Two Huon-class vessels are used for minehunting and clearance (4 have been decommissioned). Replenishment at sea is provided by two Supply-class replenishment oilers, while the two Leeuwin-class perform survey and charting duties.
In addition to the commissioned warships, the RAN operates the sail training ship Young Endeavour, eight Cape-class patrol boats and seven ships making up the National Support Squadron. Other auxiliaries and small craft are not operated by the RAN, but by DMS Maritime, who are contracted to provide support services. [1]
The majority of the RAN fleet is divided between Fleet Base East (HMAS Kuttabul, in Sydney) and Fleet Base West (HMAS Stirling, near Perth) including CD Team 3. Naval Mine Warfare (NMW) and Clearance Diver (CD) Team 1, assets are located at HMAS Waterhen (also in Sydney), while HMAS Cairns in Cairns and HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin host the navy's Boarder Patrol and Hydrographic Survey vessels.
For over 30 years, the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia has been the main supplier of 'Tier 1 combatant' vessels to the RAN, having constructed the entire Collins-class submarine fleet and Hobart-class destroyer fleet. Osborne will further supply the navy with the currently under-construction Hunter-class frigate vessels, as well as SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered attack submarines and Hobart class guided-missile destroyer replacements. The Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia will supply the RAN with smaller 'Tier 2 surface combatant' vessels. These include Australian general purpose frigate's, Large Optionally-Crewed Surface Vessel's (LOSV), and Cape class and Arafura class patrol boats.
Australia operates a single class of diesel-electric submarines, the six Collins-class boats which began entering service in 1993. The Collins was designed by the Swedish submarine builder Kockums as the Type 471 specifically to meet Australian requirements, many of which were derived from Australia's need for great range without utilizing a nuclear propulsion system. The boats themselves were built in Australia by the Australian Submarine Corporation in Adelaide. The submarines are classified by the RAN as guided missile submarines (SSG), but are often referred to as hunter-killer submarines (SSK) in the international press. While these vessels represented a major increase in capability for the RAN, they have found themselves mired in numerous technical and operational problems. Meanwhile, the RAN has struggled to sufficiently crew their submarine fleet, with at times no more than two qualified crews available. [2]
The Collins was to be replaced by twelve Shortfin Barracudas a conventionally-powered design of the Barracuda-class nuclear submarine by French shipbuilder Naval Group that had been selected in 2016 and named the Attack-class. [3] In September 2021, in a joint announcement, it was announced that the Attack-class contract had been cancelled, and that Australia would acquire up to eight nuclear-powered submarines with US and UK support through a new trilateral security partnership between Australia, the UK and the US named AUKUS. [4] [5] In March 2023, AUKUS announced that Australia will buy three Virginia class submarines from the US, with the option to buy two more, with the first boat planned to be delivered to Australia in the early 2030s. [6] [7] AUKUS also announced that Australia and the UK will commence construction of a new nuclear-powered submarine class known as the SSN-AUKUS with the first Australian built SSN-AUKUS boat to be delivered by the early 2040s. [8] [7] Australia will reportedly build five SSN-AUKUS boats. [9] The entire Collins-class fleet will now receive a Life-of-Type Extension. [5]
Size | Performance | Armament | Other features |
---|---|---|---|
Displacement: 3051 t surfaced 3353 t submerged Length:77.4 metres (254 ft) Complement: 58 | Submerged speed: 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) Surfaced speed: 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) Surfaced range: 11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km; 13,000 mi) Submerged range: 480 nautical miles (890 km; 550 mi) | 6 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, firing: Mark 48 Mod 7 CBASS torpedoes, UGM-84C Sub-Harpoon anti-ship missiles, or Stonefish Mark III mines | Sonars: Scylla, SHORT-TAS Radar: Type 1007 Periscope: CK043, CH093 |
Name | Pennant number | Commissioned | Homeport | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
HMAS Collins | SSG 73 | 27 July 1996 | Fleet Base West | |
HMAS Farncomb | SSG 74 | 31 January 1998 | Fleet Base West | |
HMAS Waller | SSG 75 | 10 July 1999 | Fleet Base West | |
HMAS Dechaineux | SSG 76 | 23 February 2001 | Fleet Base West | |
HMAS Sheean | SSG 77 | 23 February 2001 | Fleet Base West | |
HMAS Rankin | SSG 78 | 29 March 2003 | Fleet Base West |
The Canberra class are landing helicopter dock ships based on the design of Spanish ship Juan Carlos I. The hull of each ship was built by the designer, Navantia, then was transported to Australia by heavy lift ship for internal fitout and installation of the superstructure by BAE Systems Australia. Designed to transport and land an amphibious force of up to 1,600 soldiers by landing craft and helicopter, the Canberras are the largest ships ever operated by the RAN. Lead ship HMAS Canberra was commissioned into the RAN in late 2014. The second ship of the class, Adelaide, was commissioned at the end of 2015.
Size | Performance | Armament | Other features |
---|---|---|---|
Displacement: 27,500 t full load Length: 230.82 metres (757.3 ft) Complement: 358 personnel (293 RAN, 62 Army, 3 RAAF) 1,046–1,600 troops | Maximum speed: Over 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) Range: 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) | 4 × Rafael Typhoon 25 mm 6 × 12.7 mm machine guns | Aviation: 6-spot helicopter deck 8 × helicopters (standard load) Boats carried: 4 × LLC in well deck Vehicle deck: Up to 110 vehicles |
Name | Pennant number | Commissioned | Homeport | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
HMAS Canberra | L02 | 28 November 2014 | Fleet Base East | RAN Flagship [10] |
HMAS Adelaide | L01 | 4 December 2015 | Fleet Base East |
The Bay-class landing ship dock HMAS Choules was acquired by the RAN in 2011. The ship was originally built by Swan Hunter for the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and entered British service in 2006 as RFA Largs Bay. She was made redundant in the 2011 Strategic Defence and Security Review and sold to Australia. Choules represents a major increase in sealift capability for the RAN, particularly after mechanical issues in 2010 and 2011 forced the early retirement of the navy's two Kanimbla-class vessels, and put HMAS Tobruk in dock for an extensive refit.
Size | Performance | Armament | Other features |
---|---|---|---|
Displacement: 16,190 t full load Length: 176.6 metres (579 ft) Complement: 158 personnel 356–700 troops | Maximum speed: 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) Range: 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) | 1 × Phalanx CIWS [11] | Aviation: Helicopter deck, no permanent hangar; temporary hangar can be fitted Boats carried: 1 × LCU, 1 × LCM-8, or 2 × LCVP in well deck 2 × Mexeflotes on flanks Vehicle deck: 32 tanks or 150 trucks |
Name | Pennant number | Commissioned | Homeport | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
HMAS Choules | L100 | 13 December 2011 | Fleet Base East | In Royal Fleet Auxiliary service 2006–2011 |
Australia operates a single class of air warfare destroyers (AWD). The Hobart-class AWD are based on the Spanish Navantia F100 frigate and incorporate an Aegis Combat System with an AN/SPY-1D(V)phased array radar. These combined with the SM-2 missile provide an advanced air defence system capable of engaging enemy aircraft and missiles at ranges in excess of 150 km (93 mi).
Size | Performance | Armament | Other features |
---|---|---|---|
Displacement: 7,000 t full load Length: 147.2 metres (483 ft) Complement: 186 + 16 aircrew | Maximum speed: 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) Range: 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) | 48-cell Mark 41 Vertical Launch System 2 × 4-canister Harpoon missile launchers 1 × Mark 45 Mod 4 5-inch gun 2 × Mark 32 Mod 9 two-tube torpedo launchers 1 × Phalanx CIWS 2 × 25mm M242 Bushmaster autocannons in Typhoon mounts | Aviation: 1 × MH-60R Seahawk Radar: Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1D(V) S-band radar Sonar: Ultra Electronics Sonar Systems' Integrated Sonar System |
Name | Pennant number | Commissioned | Homeport | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
HMAS Hobart | DDG 39 | 23 September 2017 | Fleet Base East | |
HMAS Brisbane | DDG 41 | 27 October 2018 | Fleet Base East | |
HMAS Sydney | DDG 42 | 19 May 2020 | Fleet Base East |
There are seven frigates of the Anzac class (the lead ship of the class has been retired). These were commissioned from 1996 to 2006 as part of a joint program with New Zealand, whose navy operates an additional two examples. Derived from Blohm + Voss' MEKO modular ship family and designated the MEKO 200 ANZ by that company, the ships were built in Australia by Tenix in Williamstown, Victoria. They are designated as helicopter frigates (FFH) by the RAN, and are designed to be capable of both mid-level patrol and blue water operations. In 2010, these vessels began to receive upgrades to their anti-ship missile defence (ASMD) capabilities.
Size | Performance | Armament | Other features |
---|---|---|---|
Displacement: 3600 t full load Length: 118 metres (387 ft) Complement: 22 officers + 141 sailors | Maximum speed: 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) Range: 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) | 5-inch/54 Mk 45 DP gun 8-cell Mk 41 VLS 8 × Harpoon Block II 2 × 3-tube Mk 32 torpedo tubes | Aviation: 1 × MH-60R Seahawk Radar: CEAFAR radar system incorporating CEAFAR-S S-band multi-function radar, CEAFAR-L L-band long range search radar and CEAMOUNT X-band target illuminator (part of AMCAP upgrade being rolled out across the class) Sonar: Spherion B |
Name | Pennant number | Commissioned | Homeport | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
HMAS Arunta | FFH 151 | 12 December 1998 | Fleet Base East | |
HMAS Warramunga | FFH 152 | 31 March 2001 | Fleet Base East | |
HMAS Stuart | FFH 153 | 17 August 2002 | Fleet Base West | |
HMAS Parramatta | FFH 154 | 4 October 2003 | Fleet Base West | |
HMAS Ballarat | FFH 155 | 26 June 2004 | Fleet Base West | |
HMAS Toowoomba | FFH 156 | 8 October 2005 | Fleet Base West | |
HMAS Perth | FFH 157 | 26 August 2006 | Fleet Base West | |
One ship ( Anzac ) decommissioned. Two additional ships built for and operated by the Royal New Zealand Navy |
For patrol of Australia's vast coastline, territorial waters, and offshore territories, the RAN operates four Armidale-class patrol boats. These replaced the Fremantle class from 2005 as the navy's primary asset for border protection, fisheries patrols, and interception of unauthorised arrivals by sea. Based on the Bay-class customs vessels, the Armidale's are significantly enlarged to allow for better range and seakeeping ability. Originally, twelve boats were to be built by Austal, but the establishment of a dedicated patrol force for the North West Shelf Venture saw another two ordered. HMAS Bundaberg was decommissioned in December 2014 after being extensively damaged by an onboard fire. [12] Ongoing problems with the patrol boats, including wear from high operational use and structural issues, prompted the RAN to acquire two Cape-class patrol boats from the Australian Border Force. [13]
Size [14] [15] | Performance [14] [15] | Armament [14] [15] | Other features [14] [15] |
---|---|---|---|
Displacement: 270 t Length: 56.8 metres (186 ft) Complement: 21 | Maximum speed: 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) Range: 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) | 1 × 25 mm M242 Bushmaster 2 × 12.7 mm machine guns | 2 × Zodiac 7.2 m (24 ft) RHIBs |
Name | Pennant number | Commissioned | Homeport | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
HMAS Bathurst | ACPB 85 | 10 February 2006 | HMAS Coonawarra | |
HMAS Albany | ACPB 86 | 15 July 2006 | HMAS Coonawarra | |
HMAS Childers | ACPB 93 | 7 July 2007 | HMAS Coonawarra | |
Ten boats (Armidale, Pirie, Maitland, Ararat, Glenelg, Launceston, Larrakia, Maryborough, Wollongong and Broome) decommissioned and another (Bundaberg) destroyed by fire |
Mine countermeasures at sea are handled by the Huon-class minehunters, which began to enter RAN service from 1999. The class was based on the Italian Navy's Gaeta-class minehunter developed by Intermarine. Development was undertaken in partnership between Intermarine and Australian Defence Industries (ADI). The first hull was built in Italy, with fitting out the first and construction of the remaining five vessels of the class done by ADI in Newcastle, replacing the problematic Bay-class minehunters. In addition to the mine warfare role, they have been deployed on multiple occasions to support Northern Australian patrol and border protection operations. Three vessels operate out of HMAS Waterhen, in Sydney. The others has been decommissioned and either sold ( Norman and Hawkesbury) or awaiting further options (Huon and soon Gascoyne).
Size | Performance | Armament | Other features |
---|---|---|---|
Displacement: 720 t full load Length: 52.5 metres (172 ft) Complement: 6 officers + 33 sailors | Maximum speed: 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) Range: 1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) | 1 × 30 mm DS30B autocannon 2 × 12.7 mm machine guns | 2 × Double Eagle mine disposal vehicles Type 1007 navigational radar Type 2093M minehunting sonar Type 133 PRISM radar warning 2 × Wallop Super Barricade decoy launchers |
Name | Pennant number | Commissioned | Homeport | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
HMAS Gascoyne | M 85 | 2 June 2001 | HMAS Waterhen | Decommissioning5Dec 2024 | |
HMAS Diamantina | M 86 | 4 May 2002 | HMAS Waterhen | ||
HMAS Yarra | M 87 | 1 March 2003 | HMAS Waterhen | ||
Hawkesbury and Norman were both placed into Extended Readiness, reserve in 2011 and subsequently fully decommissioned in 2018 and sold. Huon an Gascoyne have been decommissioned in 2024, Huon's ceremony was earlier in the year and Gascoynes will be on Thursday, 5 Dec 2024 . |
Two Supply-class replenishment ships were ordered in 2016, the ships are based on Spanish Navantia's design AOR Cantabria, these ships replaced the RAN's ageing replenishment vessels HMAS Success and HMAS Sirius. The ships are designed to provide fuel, food, ammunition, and other stores to RAN vessels operating well beyond friendly ports. The two vessels were built at Navantia's shipyard in Ferrol.
Size | Performance | Armament | Other features |
---|---|---|---|
Displacement: 19,500 t full load Length: 173.9 metres (571 ft) Complement: 122 | Maximum speed: 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) Range: 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) | 1 × Phalanx CIWS 2 × 25mm M242 Bushmaster autocannons in Typhoon mounts | 1,450 cubic metres of JP5 jet fuel 8,200 cubic metres of marine diesel fuel 1,400 cubic metres of fresh water 270 tonnes of ammunition 470 tonnes of provisions Aviation: 1 MRH-90 helicopter |
Name | Pennant number | Commissioned | Homeport | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
HMAS Supply | A195 | 10 April 2021 | Fleet Base East | |
HMAS Stalwart | A304 | 13 November 2021 | Fleet Base West |
Only one of the two Leeuwin-class survey ships is still active as of 3 November 2024. They were built for the RAN by NQEA of Cairns. Ordered in 1996, the ships were commissioned in a joint ceremony in 2000. They are capable of charting waters up to 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) deep, and carry three Fantome-class survey boats for shallow-water work. In addition to hydrographic surveying duties, since 2001 both vessels have also operated in support of the RAN patrol force.
Size | Performance | Armament | Other features |
---|---|---|---|
Displacement: 2,170 t Length: 71.2 metres (234 ft) Complement: 10 officers + 46 sailors | Maximum speed: 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) Range: 18,000 nautical miles (33,000 km; 21,000 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) | 2 × × 12.7 mm machine guns | Sonars: C-Tech CMAS 36/39 hull mounted high frequency active sonar Atlas Fansweep-20 multibeam echo sounder Atlas Hydrographic Deso single-beam echo sounder Klein 2000 towed sidescan sonar array Radar STN Atlas 9600 ARPA navigation radar Aviation: Helicopter deck, no hangar |
Name | Pennant number | Commissioned | Homeport | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
HMAS Leeuwin | A 245 | 27 May 2000 | HMAS Cairns | |
HMAS Melville has been decommissioned. |
The sail training ship Young Endeavour was built as a gift from the United Kingdom to Australia for the latter's 1988 bicentenary of colonisation. Built by British shipbuilder Brooke Marine, the brigantine rig vessel is operated by the RAN, but is used to facilitate the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme; a sail training program for Australian youth aged between 16 and 23. A 10-strong RAN crew is supplemented by 24–30 youth on ten-day voyages, with 500 applicants selected every year through two ballots.
Name | Pennant number | In service | Homeport | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Young Endeavour | – | 25 January 1988 | HMAS Waterhen |
Eight Cape-class patrol boats were built for the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (now the Australian Border Force) by Austal between 2012 and 2015, as replacements for the Bay class. [16] [17] Following the loss of HMAS Bundaberg and hull issues with the Armidale class requiring an intense remedial maintenance program, two Cape-class patrol boats were leased to the RAN from late 2015 until the end of 2016. [13] The patrol boats operate from HMAS Cairns and HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin. These vessles are identified with the Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) prefix, ADV Cape Fourcroy and ADV Cape Inscription retain the blue-and-red customs colour scheme whilst the Evolved Cape-class ships have a gray colour scheme. [18] Two new boats were ordered on 2017 and the two leased were returned to the ABF.
Size [19] | Performance [19] [20] | Armament [19] [20] | Other features [19] [20] |
---|---|---|---|
Length: 57.8 metres (190 ft) Complement: 18 | Maximum speed: 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) Range: 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) | 2 × .50 calibre machine guns | 2 × 7.3 m (24 ft) Gemini RHIBs |
Name | Pennant Number | In service [18] | Homeport [18] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
ADV Cape Fourcroy | 310 | 2017 | HMAS Cairns | |
ADV Cape Inscription | 320 | 2017 | HMAS Cairns | |
ADV Cape Otway | 314 | 23 March 2022 | HMAS Cairns | Evolved Cape class |
ADV Cape Peron | 315 | 5 August 2022 | HMAS Cairns | Evolved Cape class |
ADV Cape Naturaliste | 316 | 4 November 2022 | HMAS Coonawarra | Evolved Cape class |
ADV Cape Capricorn | 317 | 13 February 2023 | HMAS Coonawarra | Evolved Cape class |
ADV Cape Woolamai | 318 | 22 June 2023 | HMAS Coonawarra | Evolved Cape class |
ADV Cape Pillar | 319 | 13 October 2023 | HMAS Coonawarra | Evolved Cape class |
ADV Cape Solander | 312 | 1 August 2024 | Evolved Cape class | |
ADV Cape Schanck | 313 | 1 November 2024 | Evolved Cape class | |
Eight additional ships built for and operated by the Australian Border Force |
In addition to commissioned ships, the RAN is supported by the National Support Squadron which is made up of vessels operated by Teekay Shipping Australia and crewed mainly by civilian mariners. The force comprises: [21]
Class | On order | Origin | Picture | Type | Builder | Ship | No. | Planned Comm. | Status | Displacement / length | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Submarines (8) | |||||||||||
Virginia class | 2 (Mk.IV) 1 (Mk.VI) | United States | Nuclear attack submarine | General Dynamics Electric Boat | – | – | 2032 | AUKUS treaty signed | 7,900 tonnes (block IV) 10,200 tonnes (block VI) | Second hand submarines from US Navy. [23] [24] | |
– | – | 2035 | |||||||||
– | – | 2037 | |||||||||
SSN-AUKUSclass | 5 | United Kingdom | Artist impression | Nuclear attack submarine | BAE Systems Submarines | – | – | Late 2030 – early 2040 | AUKUS treaty signed, under development | > 10,000 tonnes (submerged) | [25] [26] |
– | – | ||||||||||
– | – | ||||||||||
– | – | ||||||||||
– | – | ||||||||||
Amphibious fleet (20 landing crafts) | |||||||||||
Landing Craft – Heavy class Damen LST100 | 8 | Netherlands (design) Australia (construction) | – | LCU (landing craft utility) | Damen Group(design)Austal (construction) | – | – | From 2026 | Construction | 3,900 tonnes | [27] |
Landing Craft – Medium class "LC-M" | 18 | Australia (design) Australia (construction) | – | LCU (landing craft utility) | Birdon Group(design)Austal (construction) | – | – | From 2026 | Construction | – | Project Land 8710 Phase 1. [28] [29] |
Landing Craft Lights type "LCL" | 2 | Australia | – | LCVP (Landing craft vehicle personnel) | Whiskey Project Group | – | – | – | On order | – | Vessels to equip the ADV Reliant [30] |
Frigates (3) | |||||||||||
Hunter class | 3 (+ 3 planned) | United Kingdom (design) Australia (construction) | Frigate | BAE Systems Maritime Australia | Hunter | – | 2034 | Under contract | 8,800 tonnes | Succeeding to the Anzac class, "Project SEA 5000 Phase 1" [31] | |
Flinders | – | 2030s | |||||||||
Tasman | – | 2030s | |||||||||
Patrol vessels (6) | |||||||||||
Arafura class "PV 80" | 6 | Australia | MCM "mine countermeasures vessel" | Luerssen Australia | Arafura | OPV 203 | 2024 | Under contract | 1,640 tonnes | Project SEA 1180 Phase 1 [32] | |
Eyre | OPV 204 | – | |||||||||
Pilbara | OPV 205 | – | |||||||||
Gippsland | OPV 206 | – | |||||||||
Illawarra | OPV 207 | – | |||||||||
Carpentaria | OPV 208 | – | |||||||||
Training vessels | |||||||||||
STS Young Endeavour II | 1 | Australia | – | Sail training ship | Birdon Group Dykstra Naval Architects | STS Young Endeavour II | – | – | Under construction | – | [33] [34] |
Programme | Class | Planned | Origin | Builder | Picture | Type | Ship | No. | Planned Comm. | Status | Displacement / length | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Submarines (3) | ||||||||||||
AUKUS | Virginia class | 3 | United States | General Dynamics Electric Boat | Nuclear attack submarine | – | – | 2032 | Potential purchases | 3,700 tonnes (submerged) 3,300 tonnes (surfaced) | [35] | |
– | – | 2035 | ||||||||||
– | – | 2038 | ||||||||||
Frigates (14) | ||||||||||||
Project SEA 5000 Phase 2 | Hunter class | 3 | United Kingdom (design) Australia (construction) | BAE Systems Maritime Australia | Frigate | – | – | Late 2030 | Planned purchases | 8,800 tonnes | Succeeding to the Anzac class, [31] | |
– | – | |||||||||||
– | – | |||||||||||
Project Sea 3000 | MEKO A-200 class | 11 | Germany | Blohm + Voss | General-purpose frigates | – | – | – | Bid ongoing | 2,800 tonnes | [36] Henderson to build 8 of the ships in Australia. | |
Mogami class "30FFM" | Japan | MHI | – | – | – |
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond. The Chief of Navy is also jointly responsible to the Minister for Defence (MINDEF) and the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF). The Department of Defence, which is a part of the Australian Public Service, administers the ADF, and ergo, the Royal Australian Navy. In 2023, the Surface Fleet Review was introduced to outline the future of the Navy.
The Armidale class is a class of patrol boats built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Planning for a class of vessels to replace the fifteen Fremantle-class patrol boats began in 1993 as a joint project with the Royal Malaysian Navy, but was cancelled when Malaysia pulled out of the process. The project was reopened in 1999 under the designation SEA 1444, with the RAN as the sole participant. Of the seven proposals tendered, the Austal/Defence Maritime Services (DMS) proposal for twelve vessels based on an enlarged Bay-class patrol boat was selected. Two additional boats were ordered in 2005 to provide a dedicated patrol force for the North West Shelf Venture.
HMAS Stirling is a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) base that is part of Fleet Base West situated on the west coast of Australia, on the Indian Ocean. The base is located on Garden Island in the state of Western Australia, near the city of Perth. Garden Island also has its own military airport on the island. HMAS Stirling is currently under the command of Captain Ken Burleigh, RAN
The Royal Australian Navy, although a significant force in the Asia-Pacific region, is nonetheless classed as a medium-sized navy. Its fleet is based around two main types of surface combatant, with limited global deployment and air power capability. However, in 2009, a white paper, Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030, was produced by the Australian government which set out a programme of defence spending that will see significant improvements to the RAN's fleet and capabilities. In recent times, Australia released its Surface Fleet Review in 2024, which analyses the future of the RAN and shows what the Government will procure.
HMAS Coonawarra is a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) base located in Darwin, Northern Territory, and is home to seven fleet units of the RAN. The current commander is Captain Moses Raudino, ADC, RAN.
HMAS Cairns is a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) base located adjacent to the Trinity Inlet on the shore of Trinity Bay in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Although used regularly as a port-of-call since before World War II, a permanent RAN presence was not established until 1971, when a maintenance and support base for patrol boats was set up. The base was formally commissioned in 1971 as a minor war vessel base. The current commander of the base is Commander David Hannah, RAN.
HMAS Waterhen is a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) base located in Waverton on Sydney's lower north shore, within Sydney Harbour, in New South Wales, Australia. Constructed on the site of a quarry used to expand Garden Island in the 1930s, the location was used during World War II as a boom net maintenance and storage area. In 1962, the area was commissioned as a base of the RAN, and became home to the RAN's mine warfare forces. Waterhen was the first small-ship base established by the RAN, and from 1969 to 1979 was also responsible for the RAN's patrol boat forces.
The Australian Patrol Boat Group is a Force Element Group (FEG) of the Royal Australian Navy. It manages the Navy's patrol boats.
PBAT Sentinel, formerly HMAS Maitland, named for the city of Maitland, New South Wales, is an Armidale-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
The Arafura class is a class of offshore patrol vessels being built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Initially proposed in the 2009 Defence White Paper and marked as procurement project SEA 1180, it was originally planned that 20 Offshore Combatant Vessels (OCV) would replace 26 vessels across four separate ship classes: the Armidale-class patrol boats, the Huon-class minehunters, the Leeuwin-class survey vessels, and the Paluma-class survey motor launches. Although having a common design, the ships would use a modular mission payload system to fulfill specific roles; primarily border patrol, mine warfare, and hydrographic survey. The 2013 Defence White Paper committed to the OCV project as a long-term goal, but opted in the short term for an accelerated procurement of an existing design to replace the Armidales, and life-extension refits for the other types. This resulted in the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) project and the number of vessels reduced to 12. However, this was further increased to 14 when 2 further Mine Counter Measures variants were proposed under SEA 1905.
The Cape class is a ship class of 22 large patrol boats operated by the Marine Unit of the Australian Border Force, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard. Ordered in 2011, the vessels were built by Austal to replace Customs' Bay-class patrol boats, and entered service from 2013 onwards. Following availability issues with the Armidale class, two vessels were chartered by the RAN from mid-2015 to late 2016. A further two vessels were ordered at the end of 2015 by the National Australia Bank, who will charter the patrol boats to the Department of Defence from completion in 2017. 2 vessels were ordered by Trinidad and Tobago for their coast guard in 2018 with the vessels delivered in 2021. The RAN placed an order for six 'Evolved' Cape-class vessels in 2020, a second order in 2022 for an additional two vessels, and a third order in 2023 for a further two vessels.
Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Cape Peron, named after Cape Peron in Western Australia, is an evolved Cape-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Cape Otway, named after Cape Otway, is an evolved Cape-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Cape Naturaliste, named after Cape Naturaliste in Western Australia, is an evolved Cape-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Cape Capricorn, named after Cape Capricorn in Queensland, is an evolved Cape-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Cape Woolamai, named after Cape Woolamai in Victoria, is an evolved Cape-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Cape Pillar, named after Cape Pillar in Tasmania, is an evolved Cape-class patrol boat under construction for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Cape Inscription, named after Cape Inscription in Western Australia, is a Cape-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Cape Fourcroy, named after Cape Fourcroy in the Northern Territory, is a Cape-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
The Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Review was a 2024 independent review of the surface fleet of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), that was authorised as a result of the larger Defence Strategic Review. It considered and recommended actions the RAN needed to take to solidify Australia's war-fighting capabilities on the maritime front. The review aims to counteract China and 'Chinese coercion' in the region. It was announced by Deputy-Prime Minister Richard Marles and Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy on 20 February 2024.
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