The Navy Vol_37_Part1 (Feb-Mar-Apr, May-June-July 1975)

Brooke Marine LimitedESTABLISHED 1874SHIPBUILDERSENGINEERS AND CONSULTING NAVAL ARCHITECTSAL NEJAH Fast Patrol Craft for the Sultanate of Oman[y^IDA DOWSETT COMPANYLowestoft • Suffolk • EnglandTELEPHONE: LOWESTOFT 66221 • TELEX 97145 • CABLES BROOKCRAFT LOWESTOFT.Pag* Six THE NAVY May/June/July, 1*79units and a continuing flow of submarines.The Indian building plan is impressivein its scope. It includes seven toten frigates with the British Leanderand French A 69 classes amongthem. The Indians may now have sixFoxtrot submarines. This is, ofcourse, in addition to the existingorder of battle which includes acarrier, two cruisers, and some 16destroyers and frigates. India has. ofcourse, joined the ranks of thenations which have exploded anuclear device.For some ten years the Indonesiannavy was allowed to run down withfew replacements. It is now intendedto re-equip the navy and replacemany of its aging vessels. There havebeen recent report? that theIndonesians are going to order fourmodern destroyer escorts.It is in tha context of tha region ofwhich Australia is a part that herdefence situation and her defenceforces must be judged. It is a backgroundof change and instabilitywhere H would be unwise to try toforecast the trend of events morethan three or five years ahead. It is aregion where all tha significantnations ara expanding or reequlpingtheir armed forces.What then is the position of Australia'smaritime forces. In thereview of Australia's maritimedefence, referred to at the beginningof this paper, they were set out asfollows:"1 aircraft carrier (Skyhawkattack bomber aircraft, TrackerA/S aircraft and A/S helicopters).3 guided missiledestroyers. 2 gun-platformdestroyers (plus 1 demilitarisedas a training ship), 6destroyer escorts. 4 submarines(plus 2 on order), 1 fleet oiler, 1destroyer tender. 6 minecountermeasurescraft. 8 smalllanding craft. 15 small patrolboats (less 2 to be given toIndonesia). 23 long range maritimepatrol (LRMP) aircraft. 24Fill aircraft."This list, drawn up more than ayear ago. could be repeated as thepresent order of battle. (CycloneTracy has reduced our patrol boatforce by one).There are at present no combat,ships on order for the RoyalAustralian Navy (RAN) or LRMP aircraftfor the Royal Australian AirForce (RAAF). Although there hasbeen talk of the American PatrolHMAS YARRA, a River class frigate similar in design to the BritishType 12 class.Frigates the fact is that no ordershave been placed IOptions are held in respect of twoships and they may be exercised in1978. If the options are exercised theRAN can expect to receive the twoPatrol Frigates in about 1981 bywhich time four of the Type 12frigates and all three Daring classdestroyers will be 20 to 25 years old.So far no orders have been placedfor LRMP aircraft to succeed theaging Neptunes.Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Peek hasboth in "The Navy" magazine and inthe press set out in some detail whatwill be the result for the RAN if noreplacement programme is implementedin the near future. He hasclearly demonstrated that in the1980s the RAN. without replacement.will consist very largely ofaging ships.Having regard to the long leadtimes required in the production ofmodern warships, to providereplacements for the ships whichwill reach the end of their useful livesin the period 1980-1985. decisionsmust be taken in the next 12 months.To not implement such a programmesimply means to take agamble that all will be well and thatno threat will materialise betweennow and the early 1980's. The twoPatrol Frigates, assuming theoptions are taken up. cannot ofthemselves be considered anadequate replacement programme.It can be reasonably argued thatAustralia is in a period of greateconomic difficulty. This is nodoubt true. But to order ships (andLRMP aircraft) for delivery in theperiod 1980-1985 would involve verylittle expenditure for several years.It is, perhaps, worth observingthat if no orders are placed before1980 (except for the Patrol Frigates)then the RAN is unlikely to receiveany deliveries before 1986 or 1987.This means that if replacement warshipswere needed in a hurry theywould have to be bought "off theshelf" from overseas — almostcertainly second-hand and unlikelyto meet Australian requirementswithout modification.Good planning should ensure thatnew ships and aircraft comeforward in time to replace thosereaching the end of their useful lives.Failure to do so necessarily resultsin a decline in the strength of themaritime forces. The Navy Leaguehas previously called for a plan toenable the timely replacement ofHMAS Melbourne, the moth balledHMAS Sydnay, and the destroyerforce. Such a programme, togetherwith the purchase of LRMP aircraft,is essential if Australia is to avoid agap in her maritime defences in the1980sMay/June/July, 1979 THE NAVY Paga Seven