South Africa new \leko A2lMi corvette ai %ea and «»n her uav t»« South Africa t»> he titled out before her expected v<>mmi\Mnnini: in August I he new stealth ship IN one of three whuh will he armed with eight \l\1-40 lilock II ! \«vet anti-ship missiles an indigenous \ I S with H> cells tor the South African I mkhor.to anti-air missile J "HMM super raid gun torpedoes, a ;<nim gun and a Super I \n\ helicopter iBIohm*\ossi THE NAVY FEDERAL COUNCIL Patron in Chief: His Excellency. The Governor General President: Graham M Harris. RED Volume 66 No. 1 Vice-Presidents: RADM A J Robertson. AO. DSC. RAN (Rtd) John Binl. CDRE HJ P Adams. AM. RAN (Rtd) CAPT H A Josephs AM. RAN (Rtdl Hoa. Secretary: Ray Cocboy. PO Bos 309. Ml Wascrlcy. Vic >144 Cemento Telephone: (03) 9888 1977. Fax: 103) 9888 1083 NEW SOI TH WALES DIVISION THE RAN TODAY AND TOMORROW Patron: Her Excellency. The Governor of New South Wales By Ian Johnson & Tom Crown Page 3 President: R O Albert.'AO. RFD. RD Hon. Secretary: Elizabeth Svkcs. GPO Box 1719. Ssdnes. NSW 211(11 MPA's TAKE OFF Telephone: (02) 9232 2144. Fax. (02) 9232 8383. By George Kaplan Page 9 VICTORIA DIVISION Patron: His Excellency. The Governor of Victoria. BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE President: J M Wilkins. RFD Hon. Secretary: Ray Gill. PO Box 1303. Box Hill. Vic 3128 By Syd Goodman and Dennis Andrews Page 13 Telephone: (03) 9884 6237. Fax: (03) 9884 4482. Email: rgill I (ffoptusnctcom.au WHY THE ADF NEEDS SURFACE Membership Secretary: LCPR Tom Kilhum MBE. RFD. VRD COMBATANTS Page 26 Telephone: (03)9560 9927. PO Box 1303 Box Hi"l VIC 3128 QUEENSLAND DIVISION Patron: Her Excellency. The Governor ol Queensland Regular Feature!, President: I M Eraser. OAM lion. Secretary: Adrian Borwick. PO Box 13402. George Street Post Shop. From the Crow's Nest Page 2 Brisbane. Qld 4003. Telephone. (07) 3263 1319 Flash Traffic Page 17 State Branches: Observations Page 25 Cairns: A Cunneen. PO Box !009. Caims. Qld 4870 Telephone: (071 4054 1195 Hatch. Match and Dispatch Page 29 Townssille: I McDougall. PO Box 1478. Townsvillc. Qld 4810. Product Review Page 30 Telephone: (07) 4'»72 4588 Mackat: K Millward. PO Box 5527. Qld 4741 League Policy Statement Page 32 Telephone 107)4942 2965 Bundaberg: I Lohsc. PO Box 5>41. Bundaherg West. Qld 4670 Telephone: (07)4151 221(1. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DIVISION The opinion! or imrliont npntwd in THE V.4I T arc those of Patron: Her Excellency. The Gotcmor of South Australia thr authon and not iwcnurllt thou' of thr Federal Council of the President: Alan Prcskclt. RFD. 15 Sleeps Hill Drive. Panorama SA 5041 Nil) l eague of Australia. >he Editor or THE SAVY, the RAN Hon. Secretary: Miss i E Gill. GPO Box 1529. Adelaide. 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I I I ROM I Ml < ROW s MM THE EXAMINERS HAND IN THEIR stressed the need for the industry to be independent of "Government largesse" but at the same time pointed out the REPORTS need for Government support not least in the form of relief Three of four significant inquiries concerning security and from repressive laws and regulations. economic policies ended in the second half of 2003. the Defence Capability Review; The latest review fulfils the reports receiving varying degrees of public attention: in order Government's intention to review annually the capability of publication they were: proposals contained in the defence policy White Paper • The Defence Procurement Review 2003 - better Defence 20(H)• In that document the Government recognised known as the Kinnaird Review, named after the the importance of long-term planning if ever the Australian chairman of the reviewing team. Submitted in August. Defence Force was to attain the desired level of capability. It • The Independent Review of Australian Shipping - is to the Government's credit that despite all manner of "A Blueprint for Australian Shipping" Submitted in distinctions, in two annual reviews it has confirmed the basic- September capability plans outlined in Defence 2000. • The Defence Capability Review. Decisions announced So far as the Navy is concerned its people have reason to in November. be pleased. There are no major 'casualties' in equipment The findings and recommendations of the fourth enquiry, planning and the announced intention to retire two FFGs that of the Defence Sub-committee of Parliament's joint "from 2006" is reasonable when it is considered the first two Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs. Defence & Trade FFG s. ADELAIDE and CANBERRA, were launched (in into Australia's maritime strategy, was not available in mid- Seattle USA) in 1978 and have been worked hard by the November when this article was compiled; this might be RAN. Two of the six coastal mine hunters will also be laid up. thought surprising as the policy has been a major factor in presumably as part of the plan to overcome personnel defence capability for many years. shortages. The Kinnaird Review, commissioned by the The Government has said it would prefer the planned Government in late 2002 to examine defence procurement three air warfare destroyers and two amphibious ships to be The newest ship in ihe RAN. HMAS PARRAMATTA. (Tcnixl arrangements, not only criticised existing acquisition built in Australia rather than purchased overseas. While the arrangements but also queried the adequacy of advice given dimensions of the new ships is unknown (or have not been The Royal Australian Navy of 2003 is experiencing a very high 'tempo of operations' rate. It has been part of an to the Government concerning capability assessments and published) the equipment to be fitted to the destroyers and the international naval task force during Operation Falconer against Iraq. It is operating independently during Operation requirements. The recommendations of the Review, "largely purpose of the amphibious ships indicates fairly large vessels; Anode in the Solomon Islands and maintaining its Operation Relex duties intercepting illegal smuggling vessels. This accepted" by the Government would seem to have an this may cause some problems as Australia has not built large effort is quickly wearing out ships and crews far quicker than envisaged. Ian Johnson and lom Crown take a look at important bearing on the realisation of the acquisition ships for many years and building yards would almost the plans the RAN had for its future and ask if this is still the case given the recent DCR (Defence Capability Review ). objectives of the Government contained in the capability certainly need extensions, e.g. slipways. Also, some of the review. (Further comments on the Kinnaird Review may be Kinnaird recommendations could be applied and options such tound in 'Observations "). as off the shelf acquisition considered. These are not The RAN has changed considerably in the past twenty-five COLLINS Ihe Independent Rgvfcw of Australian Shipping insuperable problems and it would undoubtedly be in the years. In 1978 nearly all RAN ships were based on the east (IRAS) was commissioned by the Australian Shipowners country's long-term interests to maintain the shipbuilding coast and the aircraft carrier HMAS MELBOURNE was the Association about 12 months ago and carried out by Messrs. industry. fleet flagship. The Perth and Daring class destroyers and the Peter Morris and John Sharp, former Transport Ministers in River class destroyer escorts formed the backbone of the With the move from Sydney to HMAS STIRLING in 1999 Labor and Coalition ministries respectively: Their report Geoffrey Evans RAN.