JAN-MAR 2011 VOL 73 No1 UK DEFENCE CUTS THE RAJPUT CLASS DESTROYER 2010 CRESWELL ORATION THE RAN: FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE ORGANIC AIR DEFENCE & STRIKE CAPABILITY FOR NAVY LE TRIOMPHANT WW II SUPER DESTROYER $5.95 AUSTRALIA’S LEADING NAVAL MAGAZINE SINCE 1938 INCL. GST INTERNATIONAL MARITIME EXPOSITION SYDNEY CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE 31 JANUARY - 3 FEBRUARY 2012 PACIFIC MEANS BUSINESS THE COMMERCIAL MARITIME AND NAVAL DEFENCE SHOWCASE FOR THE ASIA PACIFIC PACIFIC2012 International Maritime and Naval Exposition will be a unique marketing, promotional and networking forum. PACIFIC2012 will be a comprehensive showcase of the latest developments in naval, underwater and commercial maritime technology. PACIFIC2012 will also feature a number of timely and highly informative industry conferences and seminars. PACIFIC2012 will be the most comprehensive industry event of its type ever staged in the Asia Pacific region and will provide a focused and informed business environment. www.pacific2012.com.au AUSTRALIAN SALES TEAM Bob Wouda T: +61 (0) 3 5282 0538 M: +61 (0) 418 143 290 E: [email protected] Penny Haines T: +61 (0) 3 5282 0535 M: +61 (0) 407 824 400 E: [email protected] Nandini Rego T: +61 (0) 3 5282 0519 M: +61 (0) 417 011 982 E: [email protected] MARITIME AUSTRALIA LIMITED PO Box 4095, Geelong VIC 3220, Australia T: +61 (0)3 5282 0500 E: [email protected] Volume 73 No.1 THE MAGAZINE OF THE NAVY LEAGUE OF AUSTRALIA FFEDERALEDERAL CCOUNCILOUNCIL SSOUTHOUTH AAUSTRALIANUSTRALIAN DDIVISIONIVISION Patron in Chief: Her Excellency, Patron: His Excellency, The Governor General. The Governor of South Australia. President: Graham M Harris, RFD. President: Dean Watson, RFD. Vice-Presidents: Rear Admiral A.J. Hon. Secretary: Miss J E Gill, 06 DANGEROUS RN CUTS TODAY FOR Robertson, AO, DSC, RAN (Rtd); Rear PO Box 3008, Unley, SA 5061. Admiral DG Holthouse, AO, RAN (Rtd): Telephone: (08) 8272 6435 BIG CARRIERS TOMORROW Roger Blythman, Matt Rowe TTASMANIANASMANIAN DDIVISIONIVISION Hon. Secretary: Philip Corboy, Patron: Mr Tony Lee. By Iain Ballantyne PO Box 128, Clayfield, Qld 4011. Telephone: 1300 739 681, President: Mr Tudor Hardy, Mob: 0421 280 481, 4 Illawarra Road, Perth, Tas 7300. 08 THE RAJPUT CLASS DESTROYERS Fax: 1300 739 682 Hon. Secretary: Mrs Christene Hardy, Email: [email protected] 4 Illawarra Road, Perth, Tas 7300. FEAR AND RESPECTED NNEWEW SSOUTHOUTH WWALESALES DDIVISIONIVISION State Branch: By Ian Johnson Patron: Her Excellency, Launceston: Mr Tudor Hardy, The Governor of New South Wales. 4 Illawarra Road, Perth, Tas. 7300 Mrs L Cottrell, 5 Anchorage Street, President: R O Albert, AO, RFD, RD. Clarence Point, Tas. 7280. 12 2010 CRESWELL ORATION Hon. Secretary: Elizabeth Sykes, GPO Box 1719, Sydney, NSW 2001 WWESTERNESTERN AAUSTRALIANUSTRALIAN DDIVISIONIVISION THE RAN: FOUNDATIONS Telephone: (02) 9232 2144, Patron: His Excellency, Fax: (02) 9232 8383 The Governor of Western Australia. TO FUTURE President: Mason Hayman, VVICTORIAICTORIA DDIVISIONIVISION 33 Keane Street By VADM Russ Crane Patron: His Excellency, Peppermint Grove, WA 6011. The Governor of Victoria. Telephone: (08) 9384 5794, President: CMDR John M Wilkins, RFD*. Mob: 0404 949 282 24 ORGANIC AIR DEFENCE & Hon. Secretary: Ray Gill JP Hon. Secretary: Trevor Vincent, STRIKE CAPABILITY FOR NAVY Membership Secretary: Ron Lyon 3 Prosser Way, Myaree, WA 6154 Correspondence: Telephone: (08) 9330 5129, LEUT Andrew McMeil RANR PO Box 1303, Box Hill Vic 3128 Mob: 0417 933 780, Email: [email protected] Fax: (08) 9330 5129 Web: www.netspace.net.au/~navyleag Email: [email protected] 28 LE TRIOMPHANT, WHY WAS A FFEDERALEDERAL AADVISORYDVISORY CCOUNCILOUNCIL QQUEENSLANDUEENSLAND DDIVISIONIVISION Chairman: Vice Admiral Chris Ritchie SUPER-DESTROYER IN AUSTRALIA Patron: Her Excellency, AO, RAN (Rtd) The Governor of Queensland. Members: Mr Neil Baird, Chairman, DURING 1941-1943? President: Harvey Greenfield. Baird Publications, Rear Admiral Simon By Peter Ingram Hon. Secretary: Mary Lacey. Harrington RAN (Rtd), Vice Admiral GPO Box 1481, Brisbane QLD 4001 David Leach AC, CBE, LVO, RAN (Rtd), Telephone: (07) 3236 9884 Vice Admiral Russ Shalders AO, CSC, (h); (07) 3233 4420 RAN (Rtd), Mr John Strang, Chairman, (w); 0424 729 258 (mob) Strang International Pty Ltd REGULAR FEATURES Email: [email protected] State Branches: CCORPORATEORPORATE MMEMBERSEMBERS 02 From the Crow’s Nest Cairns: A Cunneen, The Australian Shipowners’ Association 03 From Our Reader’s PO Box 1009, Cairns, Qld 4870. Hawker De Haviland Limited Telephone: (07) 4054 1195 Strang International Pty Ltd 04 The President’s Page Townsville: I McDougall, PO Box 1478, Townsville, Qld 4810. 16 Product Review Telephone: (07) 4772 4588 Bundaberg: I Lohse, PO Box 5141, 17 Flash Traffic Bundaberg West, Qld 4670. League Policy Statement Telephone: (07) 4151 2210 32 All letters and contributions to: The Office of The Editor THE NAVY Navy League of Australia GPO Box 1719 The opinions or assertions expressed in THE NAVY are those of the authors and Sydney, NSW 2001 not necessarily those of the Federal Council of the Navy League of Australia, the E-mail to: [email protected] Editor of THE NAVY, the RAN or the Department of Defence. The Editor welcomes correspondence, photographs and contributions and will assume that by making All Subscriptions, Membership and Advertising enquiries to: submissions, contributors agree that all material may be used free of charge, edited and amended at the Editor’s discretion. No part of this publication may be The Hon Secretary reproduced without the permission of the Editor. Navy League of Australia, NSW Division GPO Box 1719, Sydney NSW 2001 Front cover: The Rajput (Kashin II) Class Destroyer INS RANVIR. (USN) Deadline for next edition 10 February 2011 FROM THE CROW’S NEST Themistocles THE UK SDSR AND JP 2048 PHASE 4C – A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY On 19 October the British Government tabled it’s much dreaded Strategic On this topic the 2009 Defence White Paper said Defence and Security Review (SDSR). Given the incredible financial debt “(Para 9.24) The Government has decided to ...acquire a large strategic left to the new Government by the outgoing Labour Government under sealift ship to move stores, equipment and personnel. Based on a proven Gordon Brown, deep and devastating cuts to Britain’s defence forces design, the new ship will have a displacement of 10,000 - 15,000 were expected. As you will see the paper certainly delivered, but there is tonnes, with landing spots for a number of helicopters and an ability to potential for Australia to reap benefit from the Review. land vehicles and other cargo without requiring port infrastructure. The As background, both the UK’s Conservative Party and the Liberal new ship will provide ongoing sustainment support for deployed forces, Democrats committed to undertaking a strategic defence review should allowing the LHD ships to remain in areas of operations in direct support they form the next Government. Both parties had openly criticised the of the land force ashore.” length of time that had passed since the Strategic Defence Review in The Bay class are based on the Royal Schelde Enforcer design, similar 1998, particularly the implications of that delay for the robustness of the to Dutch HNLMS ROTTERDAM (L800) and Spanish SPS GALICIA (L51) foreign policy baseline against which the defence planning assumptions LPDs. They were at first classified as Alternative Landing Ship Logistics had been established; the pressure on existing force structures and (ALSL), to replace the Round Table class Landing Ship (Logistics). equipment requirements; and the ability to keep Service personnel within However, they have been reclassified as Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary) established harmony guidelines. The need to address a potential shortfall (LSD(A)), as they developed into a form very much more like a USN LSD, in the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) budget of approximately £37bn with a large flight deck aft and a floodable docking well in the stern over the next 10 years amid severe financial constraints on government capable of operating a British LCU Mk 10, or Spanish LCM-1E that is spending, merely added fuel to Conservative and Liberal Democrat calls being acquired for the Canberra class LHDs. The large flight deck can for a radical re-evaluation of the UK’s defence and foreign policies. accommodate two Sea King or Chinook helicopters. The military lift For the Royal Navy the “radical re-evaluation” included the following: includes the capacity to load and transport up to 32 main battle tanks 1. The RN flagship aircraft carrier HMS ARK ROYAL will be like the Army’s M-1A1 Abrams tanks, or 150 light trucks. The Bay class decommissioned “almost immediately” rather than in 2014. The can carry a normal load of 356 troops, or 500 in overload mode. They Joint Force Harrier GR9 aircraft will be withdrawn and retired are designed to operate over the horizon using helicopters and landing during 2011. Both of these measures are designed to save money craft, to get men and equipment ashore. for the purchase of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. 2. One of the Albion class landing platform dock (LPD) will be placed at extended readiness. 3. Either HMS OCEAN or HMS ILLUSTRIOUS will be decommissioned, whichever is least capable as a helicopter carrier. 4. One of the Bay class landing ship dock (LSD) would be decommissioned. 5. Replacement of the UK’s nuclear deterrent based on RN Vanguard class submarines (SSBNs) will be delayed by four years, deferring £500 million in spending. Changes to the numbers of the missile tubes will save £250 million. 6. Seven Astute class SSN submarines will be built as previously planned. 7. The surface fleet of frigates and destroyers will be reduced to 19 ships comprising the current 13 Type 23 frigates, three active Type 45 destroyers and three Type 45 destroyers currently under construction with all remaining Type 22 frigates and Type 42 destroyers disposed of.