The Navy Vol_60_Part1 1998 - Navy League of Australia
The Navy Vol_60_Part1 1998 - Navy League of Australia The Navy Vol_60_Part1 1998 - Navy League of Australia
ill IK i ! V - I III I 111 Icarried out by the ship's helo to transfer the wounded seamanto HMAS LEEUWIN at Fremantle Just over four years later,MORESBY evacuated a sailor from the yacht SELTRUSTENDEAVOUR 1985 saw MORESBY'S helo rescue two shelldivers near EsperanceChampagne corks popped in Fremantle in June, 1978when the 17 officers onboard MORESBY learnt that they hadwon the Si00.000 second prize in a million dollar lotteryMarch. 1982 saw MORESBY in a different role when shewas ordered to observe a splashdown and recovery of aRussian space vehicle some 300 nautical miles south of theCocos Islands The ship also shadowed units of the none-tofriendlySoviet Navy, using the ship's helicopter to flyphotographic and surveillance sorties daily The splashdownand recovery was observed by the aircraft crew and theoperation described a complete success, with a well done'from CNSMORESBY'S other diverse activities have includedembarking members of the WA Maritime Museum m anattempt to find the missing World War II cruiser HMASSYDNEY, assisting with her helo during anti-US demonstrationsat the HAROLD FHOLT Communications Station, andarresting an illegal Indonesian fishing vesselDarwin was MORESBY'S final port before her return toFleet Base West to decommission It was MORESBY'S 82nd visitto Darwin during her long career.IssLstiny refugees /i»»m 11 it nam.MORESBY was also the first RAN vessel to be slipped in theyards of Australian Shipbuilding Industries at Henderson, WA,for a bi-annual refitThe ship's RAS tune, the theme from "The Pink Panther",which was fittingly played by the WA Naval Band at the ship'sdecommissioning, originated when the ship was operating inthe Port Hedland area in the 1970s A dust storm turned thefreshly painted MORESBY into a dusky shade of pink, earningit the affectionate nickname of "The Pink Panther" MORESBYhas also been known as "The Love Boat", a reference to hergraceful lines and livery being similar to P8iOs cruise shipsThe departure of MORESBY from the Fleet marks the endof an era All future survey ships will be based at HMASCAIRNS in northern Queensland, thus ending a 38 yearassociation between the Hydrographic branch and WesternAustralia with HMA ships DIAMANTINA and MORESBY writingthemselves into local maritime folkloreAfter the decommissioning MORESBY was turned over tothe Department of Asset Services for sale by public tender withbids closing on 10 December Who knows where the gracefulold lady will end her days?Perhaps joining the former RAN units STALWART andCOOK in the Greek Islands as a ferry, or being fitted out as aresearch ship, private yacht or as a fisheries mother ship Therehas been no lack of interest in the ship and time will tell whereshe will finally go 011 MAS MORESBY. IfUHi. Th, shi/> Ls acnmpanted by three olhersurvey motor launches. The ship's helicopter deck Ls vLsilth aft.Kesplentleni in her hydmqmphlc while colours. MORESBY returns to her Beneath overcast skies the Australian While Ensign Ls lowered alumnihi tmefturt at HMAS STIRLING after a survey of theArafuru Sea. If MAS MORESBY for the last lime on lit November. I'.HIT.(I"h
\nslraliji's SiinKiiiiI'olioPriority FocusTogether, the enhanced militarycapabilities I have outlined - and therigorous set of priorities against whichthey have been developed - will give usthe most modern, capable force in ourimmediate regionThis force relies on highly-skilledpersonnel using high technology andmodern equipment to achieve mobility,hitting power and flexibility, exploitinginformation technology to attainmaximum effect from relatively smallforcesThese initiatives will bring acomprehensive enhancement of themilitary capabilities of the ADF over thecoming decade, enabling the force tomeet the key benchmarks I mentionedearlierWe will upgrade all our majorcombat ships and aircraft, restructureand re-equip the land force and investheavily in technology to promote theknowledge edgeOf course, such capabilities don'tcome cheaply Over recent years, wehave spent some $2.2 billion annuallyon investment in new equipmentThe Defence Reform Program will,over the next three years, realise a oneoffsaving of $500 million and matureannual savngs of between $900 and$1000 millionCurrent defence spending levels willallow us - with the savings from theReform Program - to substantiallymodernise our existing defenceplatforms like the surface fleet, toacquire airborne early-warning aircraftand to give the Army greater mobilityHowever, the current budget doesnot make it possible for us in themedium term to contemplatedeveloping major new capabilities in theform of new fighter aircraft, or a newsurface combatant should governmentdecide that such acquisitions wereneededAnti-Ship Missile Self-DefenceUpgrades for Guided MissileFrigates (FFGs)The six Adelaide class guided missilefrigates (FFGs) acquired in the early1980s will remain amongst our mostcapable and flexible surface fightingships to around 2015FFGs can strike other ships withHarpoon anti-ship missiles, used inconjunction with surveillance andtargeting information from Seahawkhelicopters They can aiso protectmilitary and commercial shippingagainst attack by aircraft andsubmarines Each FFG can embark twohelicopters, not necessarily Seahawks,adding to the flexibility these ships offerto a maritime forceTo harness the full potential ofthese ships the core combat systems areto be upgraded Radars and commandsystems with improved capability todetect missiles will be fitted and a newdefensive missile system, optimised toengage anti-ship missiles, will also beinstalled. Crew habitability and selfdefenceagainst torpedoes and mineswill be upgraded and the ships' ageingmachinery systems will be made morereliable.HMAS ADELAIDEBased on earlier design studies theAustralian companies ADI Limited andTenix Defence Systems are competingfor a contract to upgrade all six FFGsThe ships will be upgraded in Australiam the first half of the next decadeMissiles for ANZAC ShipHelicoptersEight ANZAC frigate^ are beingbuilt by Tenix Defence Systems The firsthas entered service and the remainderwill be delivered over the next severalyears.Initially the ships will be fitted witha basic suite of equipment, allowing formore advanced equipment in the futurewith minimal disruption. A series ofupgrades are already in progressincluding capability to fire Harpoon antishipmissiles, acquisition of SuperSeasprite helicopters to embark on theships, and additional self-defencecapabilitiesAs a key element in this progressiveupgrade. Penguin anti-ship missiles willbe purchased for the Super Seaspritehelicopters These missiles will provide apotent strike capability, particularly incoastal waters, and will allow strikesagainst other ships while the ANZACfrigate remains safely out of range of aresponse Penguin will complement theopen ocean longer-ranged Harpoonmissile which is carried by other ADFships, aircraft and submarines.The Penguin missiles will enterservice early next decade in conjunctionwith the introduction of Super Seaspritehelicopters. 0Fighters and the Defence BudgetI ill Navy LeaguerF-IIIC. taxiing at Tlndal. June 177A significant defence budgetingproblem looms.The plan had been to modernisethe RAAF's Hornets with new radars andhas a substantially longer radius ofaction than the F/A-18A/ Due to theAlthough their airframe and combat systems under project Air 5376 withdrawal of F-111 type aircraft fromengines are only half way through theirnormal life of time, the RAAF's 71Hornets F/A-18A/B strike fighters havebeen found obsolescent in one of theirrolesThe Australian Hornets have tworoles Firstly, they are strike aircraft withthe ability to attack hostile surface craftin the sea/air gap around Australia'scoast and ground forces. In this theirprimary role in Australia's defence, theHornets are still very effective with theirHarpoon missiles and will be more soafter new air to surface missiles areprovided under Project Air 5398. Thisproject is to provide the RAAF with anew general purpose stand off weapon,an anti radiation weapon, a weapon toattack area and semi-hardened targetsand a multi-purpose stand off weapon.However, in their air superiorityfighter role the RAAF's Hornets werefound deficient in exercises with theRoyal Malaysian Air Forces MiG-29sarmed with a new type of Russian madeair to air missile. The RAAF plans toWith Projects Air 5398 and Air 5400, itwas concluded that the RAAF Hornetswould be brought up to the full combatcapability to keep them in service untilabout 2015However, it is now being arguedthat it may be more cost effective toreplace the Hornets in 2005. This wouldinvolve bringing forward by some tenyears the most costly Australian defenceequipment project ever undertaken. Thefunds to do this could only be found byincreasing the defence budget or bycancelling or postponing by up to adecade one or more other defenceprojects.An alternative to is to acquire onesquadron of new aircraft as soon aspossible, deploy this squadron in thesensitive air superiority role and upgradethe remaining F/A-18A// for deploymentin the strike role.Into consideration with the strikefighter problem must be taken thequestion of successors for the strikereconnaissance group's 17 strike F-US service, difficulties are foreseen inobtaining spare parts etc for the RAAF'saircraft.Looking ahead, no new aircraft willbe available to succeed the F-111s inRAAF service Therefore, it is proposedto replace both the F/A-18 strike fightersand the F-111 strike and reconnaissanceaircraft with one type of aircraft On aone for one replacement basis, some110 to 120 aircraft would be requiredA further factor is the new types ofaircraft available by 2005.There are the Eurofighter 2000(Western Europe's new air superiorityfighter with some strike capacity),France's Rafale, Sweden's Gripen andthe US Navy's F/A-18E/F All these are inthe later stages of developmentFurther ahead, the US led multinationalJoint Strike Fighter and the USF-22, an air superiority fighter which hasjust started flight trials. The JSF willcome in several versions - land basedfighter, land based strike, conventionalaircraft carrier based strike fighter andprovide its Hornets with new air to air 111Cs, 15 strike F-HIGs and 4 short take off and landing strike fightersmissiles under project Air 5400reconnaissance RF-111Cs. The F-111 for the US Marine Corps and some USAFThe Savy. .lanuary-Mimh lUftHThe Savy. January-March HHtH 7
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ill IK i ! V - I III I 111 Icarried out by the ship's helo to transfer the wounded seamanto HMAS LEEUWIN at Fremantle Just over four years later,MORESBY evacuated a sailor from the yacht SELTRUSTENDEAVOUR 1985 saw MORESBY'S helo rescue two shelldivers near EsperanceChampagne corks popped in Fremantle in June, 1978when the 17 <strong>of</strong>ficers onboard MORESBY learnt that they hadwon the Si00.000 second prize in a million dollar lotteryMarch. 1982 saw MORESBY in a different role when shewas ordered to observe a splashdown and recovery <strong>of</strong> aRussian space vehicle some 300 nautical miles south <strong>of</strong> theCocos Islands <strong>The</strong> ship also shadowed units <strong>of</strong> the none-t<strong>of</strong>riendlySoviet <strong>Navy</strong>, using the ship's helicopter to flyphotographic and surveillance sorties daily <strong>The</strong> splashdownand recovery was observed by the aircraft crew and theoperation described a complete success, with a well done'from CNSMORESBY'S other diverse activities have includedembarking members <strong>of</strong> the WA Maritime Museum m anattempt to find the missing World War II cruiser HMASSYDNEY, assisting with her helo during anti-US demonstrationsat the HAROLD FHOLT Communications Station, andarresting an illegal Indonesian fishing vesselDarwin was MORESBY'S final port before her return toFleet Base West to decommission It was MORESBY'S 82nd visitto Darwin during her long career.IssLstiny refugees /i»»m 11 it nam.MORESBY was also the first RAN vessel to be slipped in theyards <strong>of</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>n Shipbuilding Industries at Henderson, WA,for a bi-annual refit<strong>The</strong> ship's RAS tune, the theme from "<strong>The</strong> Pink Panther",which was fittingly played by the WA Naval Band at the ship'sdecommissioning, originated when the ship was operating inthe Port Hedland area in the 1970s A dust storm turned thefreshly painted MORESBY into a dusky shade <strong>of</strong> pink, earningit the affectionate nickname <strong>of</strong> "<strong>The</strong> Pink Panther" MORESBYhas also been known as "<strong>The</strong> Love Boat", a reference to hergraceful lines and livery being similar to P8iOs cruise ships<strong>The</strong> departure <strong>of</strong> MORESBY from the Fleet marks the end<strong>of</strong> an era All future survey ships will be based at HMASCAIRNS in northern Queensland, thus ending a 38 yearassociation between the Hydrographic branch and Western<strong>Australia</strong> with HMA ships DIAMANTINA and MORESBY writingthemselves into local maritime folkloreAfter the decommissioning MORESBY was turned over tothe Department <strong>of</strong> Asset Services for sale by public tender withbids closing on 10 December Who knows where the gracefulold lady will end her days?Perhaps joining the former RAN units STALWART andCOOK in the Greek Islands as a ferry, or being fitted out as aresearch ship, private yacht or as a fisheries mother ship <strong>The</strong>rehas been no lack <strong>of</strong> interest in the ship and time will tell whereshe will finally go 011 MAS MORESBY. IfUHi. Th, shi/> Ls acnmpanted by three olhersurvey motor launches. <strong>The</strong> ship's helicopter deck Ls vLsilth aft.Kesplentleni in her hydmqmphlc while colours. MORESBY returns to her Beneath overcast skies the <strong>Australia</strong>n While Ensign Ls lowered alumnihi tmefturt at HMAS STIRLING after a survey <strong>of</strong> theArafuru Sea. If MAS MORESBY for the last lime on lit November. I'.HIT.(I"h
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