The Navy Vol_49_Part1 1987 - Navy League of Australia

The helicopter-landing deck onthe siern of HMAS STALWART, thedestroyer tender, which at presentserves as the flagship of the RAN,provided an appropriate venue inSydney on 20th January, 1987, forone of the most significant defenceannouncements of recent years,made by the Minister of Defence, MrKim Beazley.BE FOR F a gathering ol media representslives, and flanked by the Chief of NavalStaff Vic-,- Admiral Hudson and theFleet Commander with warships alongside, ensigns fluttering in the breeze the Ministei slatedthai the Government lias initiated the largestNaval shipbuilding programme in Australia'speacetime history by inviting companies fromaround the world to submit established designsfor a new class of eight light patrol frigates forthe Royal Australian NavyOf equal, if not greater significance was hisstatement that these new ships, costing around$3 '-> billion will dramatically increase the sizeand capability of the Navy's planned surfacefleet from 12 to 17 major warshipsMr Beazley went on to state that the hugeprojects reflects the Government's commitmentto the vital role of the Navy in our defence, andthe need to equip the Navy to meet that role, incon)unction with other elements of the Austral.an Defence Force with a sufficient numberof high quality ships to deal with possiblemilitary situations in separate locationssimultaneouslyAll eight ships will be built in Australia, maybein mote than one yard, and based on an eslablished ship design probably European, to bedeveloped to meet Aust.alias specific requirementsAn Australian company will be chosen as thepnme contractor and there will be maximumAustralia). -)u«try involvement in alt phases ofthe projectThe first ships will be delivered in the early tomtd-1990s — a timescale made possible byusing an established designTHE Minister stated that these ships willneed to meet the requirements identifiedby Navy and by the Dibb Revtew folarge numbers of fast, long range, capable shipsto operate throughout our region They wouldhave a desirable range of 6.000 nautical milesat 18 knots, a speed of at least 27 knots and ahangar and deck for the Navy's Seahawk hehcopterThe primary role of these vessels is to be"Patrol and surveillance in Australia's area ofmilitary interest.' and they are to have "baselinecapabilities'' including, in addition to thehelicopter, a medium calibre gun of 76 mm orlarger, radar and electronic detection systems, ashort range surface-to-air missile system, antisubmarinesystems, and a modern modulartypeCombat Data System to provide coordinationwithin the ship and with friendlyforcesOptions will also be considered for makingprovision for later fitting of ship-launched torpedoesand Harpoon missiles Information hasbeen sought for making allowance for the fittingof a close-in weapons system for defenceagainst anti-ship missiles, a towed-array sonarsystem, an active decoy system, and anenhanced air surveillance radar capability.MAJORNAVAL SHIPBUILDINGPROGRAMMEheduled for replacement River class destroyer escorts of the RANby ANDREW ROBERTSON, RAOM, RAN [Rtd]Vice President, Navy League ofthough it is not clear whether these are to befitted initially or notMr Beazley slated that the project offers goodpotential for increasing defence co operationwith New Zealand, as the New Zealand Navyhas a need for simitar shipsThe Minister indicated that the great ost ofthe programme could be covered within presentlevels of defence spending provided such levelswere maintained Present expenditure oncapital equipment was about $2 5 billion yearlyThis new buy would be spread out over 10years, and it could be accommodatedNAVY was offering salvation to Australianshipbuilding as this project would giveone or two yards effectively a decade ofHe expected the vessels would be ofAustraliaworkabout 2.500 to 3.000 tonnes displacementThe short list of contenders should be established by mid 1987The Minister agreed with a questioner thatthese ships would give the Navy a substantialincrease in capability to operate in the SouthWest PacificThe decision announced by the Ministerrepresents a milestone of great significance inthe development of the Australian DefenceFo'ce to meet the changing strategic circumstancesof the latter part of this decade and the1990s, and will provide future governmentswith somewhat wider options in meetingdevelopments in our general area of interestAn aspect which is likely to cause somedebate m defence circles and. if not altered,bedevil decisions on equipment to be fitted, isthe stated very limited role of "Patrol and surveillancein Australia's area of military interest"This seems very low key There is no mentionof sea control, including escort of shipping andother essential wartime tasks, foi which theseships will undoubtedly be used, for their verynumbers ensure that they will become the"maids of all work" of the navy Indeed thedefined role hardly seems to fit with MrBeazley s statement that Ihe project reflects theneed to equip the navy "to deal with possiblemilitary situations'WE are much more dependent onshipping than is generally realised Itdoesn't take an expert to imagine thechaos which would ensue in our industry, inpreparations for our defence, and in oureconomy >f. for instance, attacks on shippingwere to interrupt or stop tankers, nun ore bulkearners, bauxite earners and container shipsfrom interstate or overseas from arriving at ourcapital cities and such ports as Newcastle. PortKembla. Gladstone, and Cockburn Sound (letalone the other 60-odd ports) It is impracticalfor road and rail transport to replace interstateand intra state shipping in the carnage of bulkcargoes because of the great tonnages involvedIndeed, if distribution by sea tanket of fueloils and products were to cease, the trucks andtrains would also soon slop rolling, as refinerieswound down and petrol and diesel pumps driedupDefence of essential shipping is thus a vitalelement of our securityThe projected Light Patrol Frigates must havea role beyond mere "patrol and surveillance"Few naval commentators will argue againstthe 6.000 nautical mile range or the helicopterPage Four THE NAVY April-June, 1987requirements, both of which are highlydesirable for effective surveillance in our geographic environment of huge expanses ofocean and great distancesGiven the underwater speed of modern submarines,especially those which are nuclearpowered, (here seems however a case for asomewhat higher speed than the 27 knotsminimum top speed specified One regionalpower already has nuclear-powered submarinesand another is reported to be obtaining themI mi! other nations operate such vessels in theIndian and Pacific Oceans More could join theclub during the 30 odd year life of these LightPatrol FrigatesHILE it is early days in the projectand there are many decisions to beW made, it seems strange that theannounced baseline capabilities for these shipsare to be so rudimentary, and that later fitting ofsuch important armaments as Harpoon missilesand ship launched torpedoes should be considered as "an option' If these vessels commission without such types of weaponry, they (likeour Fremantle Class Patrol Boats) will be themost poorly equipped ships of their type in theIndian or Pacific oceans Indeed they will bemore like coastguard vessels than warshipscapable ol facing possible military situations"Of course, there are those who argue thatrequired systems can be fitted when the situation deteriorates, but Ihe practical scene is quitedifferent Time of rising crisis is precisely thetime when the ships cannot be spared, theneeded systems may not be available, the leadtime for acquisition is likely to be long,dockyard effort to fit them is not likely to be onhand, and the erews will not be trained Inpractice, as has almost always been the case.our ships will have to fight with what they havegotOne curious omission from the baseline capabilities,though included in possible additionalcapabilities, is a comprehensive anti-missile fitMost attacks on warships these days are likelyto end up as missile attacks, whether launchedfrom submarines, surface vessels or aircraft Wemust not send our sailors out on military roles inthe 1990s without such basic modern defenceequipment nor should we risk such valuableand expensive ships by nol equipping themwith effective sell defence systemsAnother surprising feature is the apparentacceptance of a gun of perhaps 76 mm sizeEvery war in which we have been eigagedsince the founding of the RAN has involved ourships in inshore warfare, particularly in theisland areas with which our region aboundsBombardment of shore targets and support ofthe army or naval landing parties have alwaysbeen prominent rotes and it is well proven thata gun of 76 mm sue is not only too small, but itsshort range exposes the ship to unacceptablerisk due to the necessity to gel too close to thetarget to ensure effectiveness Most army tanks*nd artillery could outrange such an illequippedvessel should it close an enemyoccupiedshoreMAYBE the stated role und the outline ofbaseline ship capabilities has been defined to suit New Zealand requirementswhich under their current political guidanceseem to favour coast-guard type vesselsThere has also been speculation that it is amove to placate left wing elements of our ownpolitical scene, who seem to desire a very lowprofile for our defence forceApril-June, 1987Be that as it may. we cannot put at risk oursailors and our ships must be well-armed (tornthe start They will have a tough enough timewith uncertain, or no. air-support, and It will benothing short of irresponsible to send them tosea without comprehensive armamentCommon sense must in the long run prevail, forif it doesn't we will be lucky to get the crews toman themWhile the importance of the decision, insofaras it increases the ship numbers in the navy,should not be underestimated, it is equallyimportant that the military significance ofindividual ships should not be overemphasisedF.ven if the frigates are finally equipped withall the "additional capabilities" the navy desires,they remain "frigates" — vessels at the lowerend of naval capability In the absence ofsupporting integrated air power (particularlylong range strike and fighter aircraft) in someform of aircraft-carrying ship they will remain atrisk in many naval situations, and limited inrolesIn naval terms, compared with some othertypes ol warships, their deterrent and "flagshowing"value is modest One has only to lookat the long-range arr and missile strike capabilityof a number of nations in the Indian and Pacificoceans to see that the RAN will remain outclassedby the navies of most regional powersThe scene improves somewhat when air covercan be provided by our FA 18s. bul only withinabout 400 nautical miles of established airbases And. of course, the projected new submarineswill in due course add considerably to•jur naval deterrent capability — but on presentplans there will only be six of them, goodthough they may be (China has over 100 andIndia and Japan are reported to be building upto 20 or more each)These aspects apart, and though the navyhas a long way to go before it again reaches thecapability appropriate to a nation in our geoTHE NAVYgraphic and trading situation, the Governmenthas taken a major step towards defence selfrelianceThe decision can be seen to involve threemajor moves extending well beyond the Navyitself:Firstly, it will be seen as a signal to our friendsand allies, and to others, that Australia will becapable of taking a somewhat larger role in thesecurity of not only Its own waters, but of thosein the South West Pacific and adjacent IndianOcean areas which are so important to our, andtheir, securitySecondly, it indicates a firm commitment tofollow up the now-recognised need for a twooceannavy with action to support that conceptAnd lastly, the decision, if pursued tofruition, could well be a water-shed for our shipbuildingindustry and for defence industry as awhole The construction of a minimum of eightships (mo;e if New Zealand joins in), which Isdouble the number of advanced warships everordered initially before, ensures reasonableproduction runs for local firms tendering forcontracts, and the size of the programme —spread over several years — gives someassurance of continuity in naval shipbuildingorders, for. by the time the project is finishedthere wilt almost certainly be a necessity toreplace other vessels, including the GuidedMissile Destroyers ol the "Perth" classTaken with the coming submarine construetion programme, the two Frigates now beingbuilt at 'Viltiamstown in Victoria, the 10 PactftcPatrol Boats building in Western Australia: andthe Mine-Counter-Measures Vessels being constructedat Newcastle. NSW, it is clear that thislatest major naval construction programme wilt,in due course, have a most important impact,not only on our capability for defence, but alsoon industry, employment, balance of paymentsand our International standing18V COUHTESV OF THE PACIFIC DEFENCEREPORTER)PaotFlv*