THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY Defence: Protecting Australia THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY 1 ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY The Royal Australian Navy is playing a vital role Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, THE ROLE OF THE ROYAL in meeting our nation’s current and future the Royal Australian A ir Force and a tri-Service AUSTRALIAN NAVY defence needs. This requires appropriate and headquarters known as HQADF. effective technology as well as highly trained Royal Australian Navy (RAN) capabilities are professional personnel. called upon in every aspect of defence in depth. DEFENCE IN DEPTH The effective defence of Australia requires that Australia's policy of defence self-reliance is our sea and air approaches to the north remain set out in the 1987 White Paper on Defence. Australia's self-reliant defence policy is pursued secure and our ports and coastal shipping lanes Defence self-reliance gives priority to the ability to through the strategy of 'defence in depth’. This are protected. defend ourselves independently with our own demands that we have an Australian Defence resources. It has three main elements: Force capable of meeting an adversary with a Effective intelligence and surveillance comprehensive range of military capabilities, both requires that we closely monitor developments in — the maintenance and development of offensive and defensive. Defence in depth also our area of interest. Elements of the Fleet play a capabilities for the defence of Australia and emphasises maritime operations and the pursuit major role in surveillance through patrols in our its interests; of materiel programs to ensure maritime sea approaches and are well equipped for anti­ — the maintenance of alliance links with the capabilities remain appropriate. submarine surveillance. The entry into service of United States; and new Seahawk helicopters considerably enhances The Defence Force capabilities which we are the surveillance capabilities of the surface fleet. FRONT LINE SHIPS — the promotion of strategic stability and developing for the independent defence of These helicopters are highly advanced and security in our region through associations Australia are also well suited to cooperation with operate from the guided missile frigates. They are The first level of highly capable ships is made up and alliances. the United States and neighbouring countries in flexible enough to be able to perform a variety of of the guided missile destroyers (DDGs) and the joint defence exercises and other activities, within tasks including surveillance, anti-submarine guided missile frigates (FFGs). They are the front AUSTRALIA’S STRATEGIC SITUATION the framework of our alliances and regional warfare and weapons targeting. line surface combatants of the RAN and are associations. equipped with sophisticated sensors and No country in our region presently has the Strike and interdiction calls for capabilities to weapons. Two additional guided missile frigates capability or the motivation to carry out and Essentially, defence in depth requires that intercept and defeat an adversary in our sea and are presently being built at Williamstown sustain a major attack on Australia since none the ADF continues to develop capabilities for: air approaches. Our ten frigates and destroyers dockyard in Melbourne. These ships, to be has the necessary large-scale, appropriately — intelligence and surveillance; and our six submarines make up a formidable named Melbourne and Newcastle respectively, trained and equipped military forces. Even if force in regional terms. Projects presently will join our existing fleet of four guided missile intentions were to change, a long period of — strike and interdiction (interception and underway will add more advanced submarines frigates in the early 1990s. preparation would be necessary and this could destruction of hostile forces) in our sea and and surface ships to our fleet. not be done in secret. air approaches; and SECOND LEVEL SHIPS The new submarine project will give This does not, however, remove the — land and inshore defence. Australia a fleet of six of the world’s most Light patrol frigates, known as ANZAC ships will responsibility to provide an appropriate level of advanced diesel electric submarines which will form the second level of the RAN surface fleet. defence for Australia. There is the capability provide the nation with a force which is unique in The ANZAC ship project, presently under way in within our region to carry out ‘low level’ actions. the region. These vessels are based on a Swedish collaboration with New Zealand will expand the These include intrusion of our sea and air space design and are being built at Port Adelaide with RAN’s surface fleet from 12 to 16 or 17 vessels. and harassment of aircraft and shipping, large scale involvement by Australian industry. It These ships will be able to operate alone, or with harassment of remote settlements and offshore is expected that the first of the submarines will the DDGs and the FFGs in more intensive resource areas and attacks on northern enter service in the mid 1990s and the existing operations. During the period of construction the installations and infrastructure. fleet of six Oberon Class submarines will be remaining destroyer escorts are being phased out. gradually phased out. These sorts of threats are most unlikely The RAN’s surface fleet is being expanded THIRD LEVEL SHIPS given Australia’s good relations with to contain three broad levels of surface ship each neighbouring countries, but they could develop At the third level are the Navy’s patrol boats intended for specific tasks. quickly if our presently favourable strategic which are suitable for coastal operations. They situation were to deteriorate. can undertake tasks such as the patrol of Australia’s fisheries and law enforcement and Because the capability to launch them exists, the ability to counter them is and must be continuously maintained in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The ADF comprises the 2 can also play a role in coastal, port and harbour THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY AS A defence in a defence emergency. The present Fremantle class patrol boats will receive a life PROVIDER OF SKILLS extension to cover replacement by new offshore Today’s RAN uses some of the most advanced patrol vessels (OPVs) early next century. equipment in the nation and the training of the Four new coastal minehunters will be people who use it has a very high priority, both acquired as a matter of priority; two current mine on joining and throughout their careers. The hunter catamarans will be equipped with an range of careers open to women in the Navy has effective sonar system; and the craft of widened considerably in recent years and the opportunity auxiliary minesweeper concept percentage of women serving in the RAN has which uses trawlers will be developed to ‘proof of risen from 10.4 per cent in 1988 to 12.3 per cent concept’. in June 1991. The RAN’s fleet also presently includes six The RAN’s main basic training amphibious vessels — a heavy landing ship and THE ORGANISATION OF THE establishment is HMAS Cerberus at Westemport five heavy landing craft. These vessels provide ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY in Victoria. Trade specialists go on from Cerberus sea transport for the Australian Defence Force. to gain their skills at HMAS Nirimba, which is The fleet’s capabilities have been further The professional head of the Royal Australian also the apprentice training establishment at enhanced by the acquisition of HMAS Westralia, Navy is the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS). The CNS Quaker’s Hill west of Sydney. One of Nirimba s which along with HMAS Success, will provide heads a full time permanent force of 15950 functions is the training of general duties sailors under-way replenishment. The RAN is also people and a further 4790 in the Naval Reserve. who serve an initial two years, after which they responsible for charting one eighth of the earth’s In addition there are 4900 civilian personnel can apply to transfer to a specialist branch and ocean area on hydrographic surveys as well as employed by Navy. receive more training to serve for a longer period. playing an important role in oceanography and The CNS administers the RAN through Navy maritime support for the other Services. Officers receive their tertiary education at the A BRIEF HISTORY Office in Canberra. Navy Office is organised into Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra, three divisions, one headed by the Deputy Chief The Navy’s ability to operate in our northern their naval training at HMAS Creswell at Jervis The Colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, of Naval Staff and two headed by Assistant Chiefs and north western coastal waters as well as the Bay and then as their careers progress, attend Queensland and South Australia raised Naval of Naval Staff. Each is responsible to the CNS for Indian Ocean is being enhanced with the courses to develop specialised skills. Many of Forces which operated for four decades prior to different aspects of RAN activities, from personnel s development of HMAS Stirling near Perth as these are conducted at HMAS Watson in Sydney. 1901. management to acquisition of capital equipment. home port for half the fleet of the RAN. Already a Located here are the RAN Surface Warfare Some senior Naval officers also have number of destroyers, patrol boats and a School and the Submarine Warfare System Concerns about defence were a driving force responsibilities in other parts of the Defence submarine are based there. School. The courses which are