Royal Australian Navy

History Military History of Australia Ships List of ships Anzac class frigate Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate Collins class submarine Fremantle class patrol boat Armidale class patrol boat Other Clearance Diving Team Navy memorial

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN} is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Established in 1909, the RAN was formed out of the Commonwealth Naval Forces, the small navy of Australia after federation, which consisted of the colonial navies of the new Australian states. The Royal Navy continued to provide blue water defence in the Pacific until World War Two, when expansion of the RAN saw the acquisition of aircraft carriers, and other large surface vessels. The source for an SVG image of the Royal Australian Navy Ensign can be found at User:David Newton/SVG Graphics/Royal Australian Navy Ensign. ... Jump to: navigation, search // The New Zealand Wars 1861-1864 Taranaki War In 1861 the Victorian Colonial ship the HMVS Victoria went to help the New Zealand Colonial government against another Maori rebellion. ... Ships of the Royal Australian Navy, past and present: Name Type Class Dates Notes HMAS Acute Patrol boat Attack class 1968–1983 to Indonesia HMAS Adelaide Light cruiser Town class 1922–1946 Adelaide Frigate Oliver Hazard Perry class 1980–current HMAS Adroit Patrol boat Attack class 1968–1994 HMAS Advance... Jump to: navigation, search Based on a modified German MEKO 200 design, the ten Anzac class frigates are the major surface units of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). ... The USS McInerney (FFG 8), an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate. ... Collins Class submarines are a class of submarine built in Australia for the Royal Australian Navy. ... The Fremantle-class patrol boats have been the Royal Australian Navys coastal patrol vessels since 1979. ... Armidale class patrol boat are a new class of patrol boats in construction for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to replace the Fremantle class patrol boats. ... The Royal Australian Navy Memorial on ANZAC Parade in Canberra, the national capital of Australia, honours the sailors who have served to protect the nation. ... U.S. Navy supercarrier USS Nimitz on November 3, 2003. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Australian Defence Force numbers about 53,000 active duty personnel. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... Categories: Geographical term stubs ...

Today the RAN is one of the largest naval forces in the Pacific region, and has undertaken operations in support of military campaigns and peacekeeping missions worldwide.

History

See also: Military history of Australia Jump to: navigation, search // The New Zealand Wars 1861-1864 Taranaki War In 1861 the Victorian Colonial ship the HMVS Victoria went to help the New Zealand Colonial government against another Maori rebellion. ...

Formation

Prior to the formation of the Commonwealth of Australia, each self-governing colony in Australia retained its own naval force. These usually consisted of naval gunboats for coastal defence of harbours and rivers. The Royal Navy continued to provide blue water defence of Australia, as it had since 1788. After federation of Australia in 1901, the Commonwealth Naval Forces was formed. The Commonwealth government paid for the Royal Navy to continue providing blue water defence. Jump to: navigation, search The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia federated on 1 January 1901, to form the Commonwealth of Australia, of which they became component states. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

A growing number of people, among them Captain William Rooke Creswell, the director of the Commonwealth Naval Forces, demanded an autonomous Australian navy, financed and controlled by Australia. In 1909 Creswell represented Australia at the Imperial Conferences, convened to settle the question of naval defences, and won his campaign for an Australian Navy. His name lives on as the name of base, HMAS Creswell, the site of the Royal Australian Naval College at Jervis Bay. 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Jervis Bay can refer to: Jervis Bay Territory, New South Wales, is an Australian territory which includes the naval base HMAS Creswell. ...

The first Australian warship, the destroyer HMAS Parramatta, was launched at Govan in Scotland on Wednesday 9 February 1910 and its sister ship HMAS Yarra, was launched at Dumbarton in Scotland on Saturday 9 April 1910. Both ships were commissioned into the Royal Navy on Monday 19 September 1910 and sailed for Australia. They arrived at Port Phillip on Saturday December 10, 1910 and, as they passed through The Rip, Engineer Lieutenant Commander W. Robertson, RN, was washed overboard from Parramatta and drowned. Jump to: navigation, search USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and... Four ships of the Royal Australian Navy have borne the name HMAS Parramatta. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Timeline of Scottish history Caledonia List of not fully sovereign nations Subdivisions of Scotland National parks (Scotland) Traditional music of Scotland Flower of Scotland Wars of Scottish Independence National Trust for Scotland Historic houses in Scotland Castles in Scotland Museums in Scotland Abbeys and priories in Scotland Gardens in Scotland... Jump to: navigation, search February 9 is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Four ships of the Royal Australian Navy have been named for the Yarra River in Victoria. ... Dumbarton is a town in Scotland, lying on the north bank of the River Clyde. ... April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search Port Phillip seen from Frankston on the eastern shore of the bay. ... Jump to: navigation, search December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Rip is a dangerous piece of water connecting Port Phillip in Victoria to Bass Strait - the water between southern Victoria and the island state of Tasmania in Australia. ...

In October 1911 King George V fixed his signature to the approval for the Royal Australian Navy and the ships now officially received the prefix "His Majesty's Australian Ship" (HMAS). The manpower of the fleet stood at four hundred officers and men and, for the next two years, ships were built for the fledgling navy. On Saturday 4 October 1913 the first fleet review of the Royal Australian Navy took place, the battle cruiser HMAS Australia, the cruisers HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Sydney, the protected cruiser HMAS Encounter and the torpedo boat destroyers HMAS Parramatta, HMAS Yarra and HMAS Warrego, entered Sydney Harbour. Jump to: navigation, search 1911 was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert Windsor, (3 June 1865–20 January 1936) was the last British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, changing the name to the House of Windsor in 1917. ... Jump to: navigation, search October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in Leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... HMS Invincible, one of Britains first battlecruisers Battlecruisers were large warships of the early 20th century. ... One ship of the Royal Navy and two ships of the Royal Australian Navy have borne the name Australia: The first, HMS Australia, (a Royal Navy ship styled HMS as the Royal Australian Navy had not yet been formed) was an Orlando class cruiser completed in 1888 and scrapped in... Three ships of the Royal Australian Navy have been named HMAS Melbourne after Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria and second largest city in Australia. ... Four ships of the Royal Australian Navy have been named HMAS Sydney after Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales. ... HMAS Encounter was a second-class protected cruiser laid down for the Royal Navy by HM Dockyard at Devonport in Plymouth 28 January 1901, launched on 18 June 1902, completed 21 November 1905 and transferred to the Royal Australian Navy 27 July 1915. ... Two ships of the Royal Australian Navy have borne the name Warrego. ... Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge located on Port Jackson Port Jackson is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia, also known as Sydney Harbour and is the largest natural harbour in the world. ...

World War One

In 1914, the United Kingdom declared war on Germany, bringing the whole British Empire into war, including Australia. The war was greeted with enthusiasm in Australia, and over 200,000 troops were deployed to Africa for campaigns in Gallipoli. RAN ships helped provide naval cover for the ambitious landings on the Turkish beaches. The RAN also contributed, under the command of the Royal Navy in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The first RAN victory of the war occurred when the battle cruiser, HMAS Sydney sank the German light cruiser, Emden off the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean. RAN ships also played a part in capturing German colonies in the Pacific. Jump to: navigation, search 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Jump to: navigation, search Gallipoli, called Gelibolu in modern Turkish, is a town in northwestern Turkey. ... The Town class was a class of light cruisers built for the Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and were good long-range cruisers, perfect for the vast Empire that the RN had to patrol . ... The first HMAS Sydney was a Chatham class light cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy. ... The cruise of the German light cruiser SMS Emden was among the most romanticised and notable incidents of World War I. In the latter half of 1914 Emden raided Allied shipping in the Indian Ocean, sinking or capturing thirty Allied merchant vessels and warships before being run aground by its...

World War II

Australia declared war on Nazi Germany, days after the United Kingdom's declaration of war in September 1939. At the onset of war in 1939, the RAN numbered two heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, five destroyers, three sloops and a variety of support and ancillary craft. Initially, the RAN was deployed in the Mediterranean against the Italians, with the light cruiser HMAS Sydney sinking the Italian cruiser, Bartolomeo Colleoni and helping sink, Espero. The Sydney would later be sunk herself to much controversy after a battle with the Kormoran, a German cruiser. The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... The Leander class was a class of eight (including modified Australian Leanders) light cruisers built for the Royal Navy (RN), named after the character from Greek mythology. ... Jump to: navigation, search The second HMAS Sydney was a modified Leander-class light cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy. ... Jump to: navigation, search The German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran (HSK-8, Schiff 41, Raider G) was a warship used in World War II. It was built by Germaniawerft of Kiel and originally launched on September 15, 1938 as the merchant ship Steiermark of the Hamburg-America Line. ...

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the RAN redeployed to home waters to protect British colonies in the Pacific, as well as the Australian mainland from Japanese attack. The RAN took part in the Battles at Java Sea, Sunda Strait, Coral Sea, Savo Island and Lingayen Gulf. Overall over 30 ships were lost in the war, the costliest in RAN history. Jump to: navigation, search Satellite image of Pearl Harbor. ...

Aircraft carriers

HMAS Sydney during the Vietnam War

Following World War II, the RAN reduced its surface fleet but continued to expand in other ways, acquiring two Royal Navy Majestic class aircraft carriers then under construction (HMS Majestic and HMS Terrible) to build up a fleet air arm division. The first to be commissioned into the RAN in 1948 was Terrible, taking the name of the RAN's two most famous ships, HMAS Sydney. Sydney saw action in the Korean War, and later in a converted role as a transport ship in Vietnam, affectionately known at the time as "The Vung Tau Ferry". Majestic, although the name ship of the class, was not as near completion at the end of the war as Terrible and the RAN decided to have her construction completed with the latest Royal Navy carrier innovations of the time - the angled flight deck and a mirror landing aid. Commissioned as HMAS Melbourne she entered into RAN service in 1956, and provided fixed-wing capability to the fleet until her decommissioning in 1982. Melbourne was sold to China for scrap and broken up in Shanghai. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... HMAS Terrible (R93) was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier laid down by HM Devonport Dockyard at Plymouth in England 19 April 1943, launched 30 September 1944. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Korean War (Korean: 한국전쟁/韓國戰爭), from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, was a conflict between North Korea and South Korea. ... HMS Majestic (R77) was the lead ship of her class of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy. ...

Roles in post-war conflicts

With the retreat of British forces west of the Suez Canal in the 1960s, the RAN began to take a more defensive role, and in co-operation with the United States, allied though the ANZUS treaty. The RAN saw service in many of the world's post war conflicts including Korea, Vietnam, and the Indonesian Confrontation. RAN ships also served in the first Gulf War, and later in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Jump to: navigation, search 1881 drawing of the Suez Canal The Suez Canal (Arabic, Qanā al-Suways), west of the Sinai Peninsula, is a 163-km maritime canal in Egypt between Port Said (Būr Saīd) on the Mediterranean Sea and Suez (al-Suways) on the Red Sea. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty The Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS or ANZUS Treaty) is the military alliance which binds Australia and the United States, and separately Australia and New Zealand to cooperate on defence matters in... Jump to: navigation, search The Korean War (Korean: 한국전쟁/韓國戰爭), from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, was a conflict between North Korea and South Korea. ... The Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation was an intermittent war over the future of the island of Borneo, between British-backed Malaysia and Indonesia in 1962-1966. ... Jump to: navigation, search C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The 1991 Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations mandated by the United Nations and led by the United States. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article covers invasion specifics. ...

Today's fleet

The badge of the Royal Australian Navy

Today's fleet consists of around 70 vessels including frigates, submarines, patrol boats and auxillary ships. The RAN today is one of the most modern in the Pacific, tasked with the ability to defend the home waters, and undertake operations in farout locations. Current deployments of the navy include: contributions to the multinational force in Iraq; support for the United Nations mission in East Timor; and a "regional assistance mission" with New Zealand in the Solomon Islands. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Jump to: navigation, search The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945. ...

Ships of the Royal Australian Navy

See also:List of ships of the Royal Australian Navy Ships of the Royal Australian Navy, past and present: Name Type Class Dates Notes HMAS Acute Patrol boat Attack class 1968–1983 to Indonesia HMAS Adelaide Light cruiser Town class 1922–1946 Adelaide Frigate Oliver Hazard Perry class 1980–current HMAS Adroit Patrol boat Attack class 1968–1994 HMAS Advance...

RAN has 5 main classes of vessels in the fleet:

HMAS Anzac Jump to: navigation, search Based on a modified German MEKO 200 design, the ten Anzac class frigates are the major surface units of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). ... Frigate is a name which has been used for several distinct types of warships at different times. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Kaman SH-2G Seasprite is a United States Navy ship-based helicopter with anti-submarine, anti-surface threat capability, including over-the-horizon targeting. ... The USS McInerney (FFG 8), an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate. ... Frigate is a name which has been used for several distinct types of warships at different times. ... The Fremantle-class patrol boats have been the Royal Australian Navys coastal patrol vessels since 1979. ... Armidale class patrol boat are a new class of patrol boats in construction for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to replace the Fremantle class patrol boats. ... Collins Class submarines are a class of submarine built in Australia for the Royal Australian Navy. ... Jump to: navigation, search Royal Navy Vanguard class submarine USS Los Angeles A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. ... A number of vehicles use a diesel-electric powerplant for providing locomotion. ... Jump to: navigation, search Image File history File links HMAS_Anzac_F-150. ... Jump to: navigation, search HMAS Anzac operating in support of Operation Enduring Freedom The third and present HMAS Anzac (FFH 150) is the lead ship of the Anzac class frigates, laid down by Tenix Defence Systems at Williamstown in Victoria on 5 November 1993, launched on 16 September 1994 and...

HMAS Stuart Jump to: navigation, search The third HMAS Stuart (FFH-153) is an Anzac class frigate, laid down by Tenix Defence Systems at Williamstown in Victoria on 25 July 1998, launched on 17 April 1999 by Mrs. ...

HMAS Canberra Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x1186, 193 KB)050530-N-5781F-060 Pacific Ocean (30 May 30, 2005) - Royal Australian Navy Frigate HMAS Canberra (FFG02). ... HMAS Canberra (FFG 02) HMAS Canberra (FFG 02) is an Adelaide class guided missile armed frigate of the Royal Australian Navy laid down by Todd Shipyards at Seattle in Washington on 1 March 1978, launched on 1 December 1978 and commissioned on 21 March 1981. ...

HMAS Sheean

Future

The RAN has initiated the Sea 4000 Project, under which it has agreed to acquire three vessels based upon the U.S. Navy Aegis air and surface combat management system. Permission for the RAN to use this technology had to be obtained from the US Congress. The Australian Government has awarded the contract to the Australian Submarine Corporation (builders of the Collins clas submarines) which will build the ships in Adelaide, SA. There is currently a shortlist of about three models to base the ships on; the project is expected to exceed AUS$8 billion. The most recent announcement is that the RAN has commissioned ship designer Gibbs & Cox to lead the design project. The Sea 4000 project instituted by the the Australian Department of Defence intends to aquire three Air Warfare Destroyers for introduction into service starting in 2013. ... Jump to: navigation, search The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The Aegis combat system, named for the mythological aegis shield, is a United States Navy weapons system. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... Jump to: navigation, search Adelaide is the capital city of the Australian state of South Australia. ... Jump to: navigation, search Motto: United for the Common Wealth Nickname: Festival State Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Government Governor Premier Const. ... The Australian dollar, AUD or A$, is the official currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including the Australian Antarctic Territory, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu. ...

The RAN also has a project to build two large (25000+ tonne Displacement) multi-purpose ships that would have amphibious assault, transport and command centre roles. In August 1994 Australia announced plans to evaluate the Mistral [NTCD]and Buque de Proyección Estratégica for possible purchase of a pair of units. These ships all have a displacement of roughly 20,000 tons. The ships are planned to operate a number of helicopters and the Defence Department has stated that there is a possibility that they may extend the proposed order of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for the RAAF to include STOVL versions for the RAN to use on the new ships. This would give the RAN a fixed wing combat capability that it has not had since the decommissioning of HMAS Melbourne in 1982. Amphibious Assault is an electronic music project by Fallon Bowman. ... The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is a fighter plane currently in early development by Lockheed Martin (with partners Northrop Grumman and BAE SYSTEMS.) The primary customers are the United States armed forces and the United Kingdom (RN and RAF), but the Netherlands... The RAAF Roundel is based on that of the British Royal Air Force, with the central circle replaced by a Kangaroo, a symbol of Australia. ... STOVL is an acronym for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing. ... HMS Majestic (R77) was the lead ship of her class of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1982 (MCMLXXXII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Royal Australian Navy home page
• 'Virtual Fleet' - on-line computer based 'tour' of ships and aircraft
• Maritimequest Royal Australian Navy photo gallery
• Official Biographies:
  • Chief of Navy
  • Maritime Commander
  • Naval Support Commander

Australian Defence Force
Australian Army | Royal Australian Navy | Royal Australian Air Force