Britain's Royal Navy continued to support the RAN and provide additional blue-water defence capability in the Pacific up to the early years of World War II. Then, rapid wartime expansion saw the acquisition of large surface vessels and the building of many smaller warships. In the decade following the war, the RAN acquired a small number of aircraft carriers, the last of these paying off in 1982.
Today, the RAN consists of 53 vessels and over 16,000 personnel. The navy is one of the largest and most sophisticated naval forces in the Pacific region , with a significant presence in the Indian Ocean and worldwide operations in support of military campaigns and peacekeeping missions. The current Chief of Navy is Vice Admiral Ray Griggs.
History
The Commonwealth Naval Forces were established on 1 March 1901, two months after the federation of Australia. On 10 July 1911, King George V granted the title of 'Royal Australian Navy'.During World War I, the RAN was initially responsible for capturing many of Germany's South Pacific colonies and protecting Australian shipping from the German East Asia Squadron. Later in the war, most of the RAN's major ships operated as part of Royal Navy forces in the Mediterranean and North Seas.
During the 1920s and early 1930s, the RAN was drastically reduced in size. As international tensions increased, however, the RAN was modernised and expanded. Early in World War II, RAN ships again operated as part of the Royal Navy, many serving with distinction in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the West African coast, the Persian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean. Following the outbreak of the Pacific War and the virtual destruction of the Royal Navy force in Asia, the RAN operated more independently, or as part of United States Navy forces. By war's end, the RAN was the fifth-largest navy in the world.
After World War II, the size of the RAN was again reduced, but it gained new capabilities with the delivery of two aircraft carriers. The RAN saw action in many Cold War-era conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region and operated alongside the Royal Navy and United States Navy off Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam. Since the end of the Cold War, the RAN has been part of Coalition forces in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean and has become a critical element in Australian operations in East Timor and the Solomon Islands.
RAN today
Command structure
he strategic command structure of the RAN was overhauled during the New Generation Navy changes. The RAN is commanded through Naval Headquarters (NHQ) in Canberra. The professional head is the Chief of Navy (CN), who holds the rank of Vice-Admiral. NHQ is responsible for implementing policy decisions handed down from the Department of Defence and for overseeing tactical and operational issues that are the purview of the subordinate commands.Beneath NHQ are two subordinate commands:
- Fleet Command – fleet command is led by Commander Australian Fleet (COMAUSFLT). COMAUSFLT holds the rank of Rear Admiral ; previously, this post was Flag Officer Commanding HM's Australian Fleet (FOCAF), created in 1911,[3] but the title was changed in 1988 to the Maritime Commander Australia. On 1 February 2007, the title changed again, becoming Commander Australian Fleet. The nominated at-sea commander is Commodore Flotillas (COMFLOT), a one-star deployable task group commander. Fleet command has responsibility to CN for the full command of assigned assets, and to Joint Operations command for the provision of operationally ready forces.
- Navy Strategic Command – the administrative element overseeing the RAN's training, engineering and logistical support needs. Instituted in 2000, the Systems Commander was appointed at the rank of Commodore; in June 2008, the position was upgraded to the rank of Rear Admiral .
- Surface Force, covering the RAN's surface combatants (generally ships of frigate size or larger)
- Submarine Force, operating the Collins class submarines
- Mine Warfare, Hydrographic and Patrol Boat Force, an amalgamation of the previous Patrol Boat, Hydrographic, and Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Forces, operating what are collectively termed the RAN's "minor war vessels"
- Fleet Air Arm, responsible for the navy's aviation assets
Fleet
As of December 2011, the RAN fleet consisted of 54 vessels, including frigates, submarines, patrol boats and auxiliary ships. Ships commissioned into the RAN are given the prefix HMAS (His/Her Majesty's Australian Ship).The RAN has two primary bases for its fleet:
- Fleet Base East, located at HMAS Kuttabul, Sydney; and
- Fleet Base West, located at HMAS Stirling, near Perth.
- HMAS Coonawarra, at Darwin;
- HMAS Cairns, at Cairns; and
- HMAS Waterhen, at Sydney.
Fleet Air Arm
The Australian Navy Aviation Group (known informally as the Fleet Air Arm) provides the RAN's aviation capability. As of 2011, the FAA consists of three active squadrons, operating four helicopter types in the anti-submarine warfare and maritime support roles. The Fleet Air Arm is based at HMAS Albatross in Nowra, New South Wales , and operates from the RAN's frigates, large amphibious warfare vessels, and large support ships.Clearance Diving Teams
The RAN has two Clearance Diving Teams that serve as parent units for naval clearance divers:- Clearance Diving Team 1 (AUSCDT ONE), based at HMAS Waterhen in New South Wales ; and
- Clearance Diving Team 4 (AUSCDT FOUR), based at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia.
The CDTs have two primary roles:
- Mine counter-measures (MCM) and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD); and
- Maritime tactical operations.
Future
There are currently several major projects underway that will see upgrades to RAN capabilities:- Project AIR 9000 Phase 8 is a project to replace the RAN's Seahawk (and canceled Seasprite) helicopters with 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters.
- Project JP 2048 Phases 4A and 4B is a project to build two Canberra-class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) amphibious ships (based on the Spanish Buque de Proyección Estratégica). These will be the largest RAN warships ever commissioned and will replace HMAS Tobruk and a Kanimbla class vessel. The project is on schedule for the vessels to be accepted in January 2014 (HMAS Canberra) and August 2015 (HMAS Adelaide).
- Project JP 2048 Phase 3 will provide six Heavy Landing Craft to replace the RAN's Balikpapan-class vessels. The project is planned to deliver capability in 2014–2016.
- Project SEA 1390 Phase 2.1 will see the upgrading of four Adelaide-class guided missile frigates with enhanced weapons and electronics.
- Project SEA 1429 will upgrade the Collins-class submarines with state-of-the-art heavyweight torpedoes.
- Project SEA 1439 Phase 4A will equip the Collins-class submarines with a new tactical combat system.
- Project SEA 1654 Phase 3 is a project to acquire a Sea Logistic Support and Replenishment Support vessel to replace the supply ship HMAS Success.
- Project SEA 4000, under which the RAN will acquire three Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyers , built around the United States Navy Aegis air and surface combat management system . The vessels are be based on the Spanish Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate. The project is on schedule to deliver the first ship, HMAS Hobart , in December 2014. HMAS Brisbane and HMAS Sydney are due to be delivered in March 2016 and June 2017 respectively.[10]
The RAN needs 2,000 recruits, including 700 apprentices, to crew the next generation of warships, such as air warfare destroyers, which enter service next decade.
Future procurement plans include:
- twelve Future Submarines , under Project SEA 1000, to replace the Collins-class (up to 4,000 tons, equipped with cruise missiles and minisubs);
- eight Future Frigates to replace the Anzac-class frigates (possibly up to 7,000 tons and equipped with cruise missiles);
- twenty Offshore Combatant Vessels , under Project SEA 1180, to replace the Armidale, Huon, Leeuwin, and Paluma classes (up to 2000 tons); and
- one Strategic Sealift Vessel to replace the second Kanimbla-class ship (~15,000 tons, similar to the Spanish Galicia-class landing platform dock).
Current operations
The RAN currently has forces deployed on three major operations:- Operation Anode – Australia's contribution to the Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands.
- Operation Slipper – Australia's commitment to the International Coalition forces in Afghanistan and against Terrorism (ICAT). The RAN's contribution is normally one ship in the Persian Gulf .
- Operation Resolute – the ADF's contribution to patrolling Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone . The RAN's contribution to Resolute is at least seven Armidale class patrol boats, plus a large surface combatant on standby.
