 HMAS Darwin, the fourth ship in the Adelaide class |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Adelaide class Guided Missile Frigate |
| Builders: | Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle, Washington Australian Marine Engineering Consolidated |
| Operators: |  Royal Australian Navy |
| Preceded by: | Daring class destroyer |
| Succeeded by: | Hobart class destroyer |
| Built: | 21 June 1978 - 21 February 1992 |
| In service: | 15 November 1980 - present |
| In commission: | 15 November 1980 - present |
| Completed: | 6 |
| Active: | 4 |
| Retired: | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Modified Oliver Hazard Perry class guided missile frigate |
| Displacement: | 4,100 tons full load |
| Length: | 408 ft (124 m) at waterline 455 ft (139 m) overall |
| Beam: | 45 ft (14 m) |
| Draught: | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, each providing 20,500 horsepower (15,287 kW). Total 41,000 horsepower (30,574 kW) |
| Speed: | Over 29 knots (54 km/h) |
| Range: | 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h) |
| Complement: | 176 - 221 |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
AN/SPS-49 radar, Mk 92 fire control system, AN/SPS-55 radar, AN/SQS-56 sonar |
| Armament: | Mk 41 VLS for Evolved Sea Sparrow missile; Mk 13 launcher for Harpoon and SM-1 missiles; 1 × 3 in OTO Melara; 1 × 20 mm Mk 15 Vulcan Phalanx; 2 x triple 324 mm Mk 32 torpedo tubes |
| Aircraft carried: | 2 x S-70B Seahawk or 1 x Seahawk and 1 x AS350B Squirrel |
| Notes: | Mk 41 VLS and ESSM capability installed during the FFG Upgrade project |
The Adelaide class is a ship class of six guided missile frigates constructed in Australia and the United States of America for service in the Royal Australian Navy. The class is based on the United States Navy's Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates, but modified for Australian requirements. The first four vessels were built in the United States, while the other two were constructed in Australia.
The first ship entered service in November 1980, and four of the six ships are active as of 2009. Canberra and Adelaide were paid off in 2005 and 2008 respectively, and marked for conversion into dive wrecks: their decommissioning was to offset the cost of an AU$1 billion weapons and equipment upgrade to the remaining four ships.
Contents |
Construction and acquisition
The Australian Labor Party government headed by Gough Whitlam approved the purchase of two US-built Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates in 1974 after the Australian light destroyer project was cancelled in 1973.[1] The Liberal Party government led by Malcolm Fraser gave final approval to this purchase in 1976 and ordered a third ship the following year.[2] This decision was based on plans and projections, as lead ship USS Oliver Hazard Perry would not be completed until 1977, but the success of the USN's Charles F. Adams class destroyer (of which the RAN operated three ships as the Perth class) when compared to the equivalent British ships the RAN would have purchased, made the risk acceptable.[3] The order was later expanded with the order of a fourth unit.[4] These four ships were built by Todd Pacific Shipyards of Seattle, Washington, as part of the USN's shipbuilding program, and were assigned USN hull numbers during construction, which were replaced with RAN pennant numbers upon entering service.[5] The first, HMAS Adelaide (USN hull number FFG-17, RAN pennant number FFG 01) was built to the Flight I design, while Canberra (FFG-18/FFG 02) and Sydney (FFG-35/FFG 03) were the first and last ships of the Flight II design, respectively.[5] The final American-built ship was Darwin (FFG-44/FFG 04); constructed to the Flight III design.[5] In 1980, two more ships (Torrens and Newcastle were ordered, but were built in Australia by AMECON of Williamstown, Victoria, and did not receive USN numbers.[5][4] Prior to launch, Torrens was renamed Melbourne, as the aircraft carrier of the same name was still commissioned when the Adelaide class was ordered, but left service in 1982.
Armament
Since the withdrawal of the Perth class destroyers, these ships are the RAN's primary air defence vessels, armed with the SM-1 missile. They also have significant surface capability, due to a 76-millimetre (3.0 in) Mk 75 gun and the Harpoon ASM, and a pair of triple torpedo tubes for ASW. In addition, a pair of S-70B Seahawk helicopters are carried.
Upgrades
There have been two major upgrades distinguishing the Adelaide class from the American Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates.
Lengthening
The first three ships were constructed to the Perry class' 'short' hull design (Flight I and II), with an identical length for both the main deck and the keel.[5] Ships from FFG-36 onwards (including Darwin) were built with an increase in overall length—achieved by angling the transom (the section between the fantail and the keel) to increase the area of the flight deck and allow the operation of Seahawk helicopters.[5] Adelaide, Canberra, and Sydney were later upgraded to match the slightly larger ships, and were fitted with the updated sonars and ESM systems of the Flight III design.[5]
FFG Upgrade
In the mid 1990s, the Australian government commenced SEA 1390, also known as the FFG Upgrade Project.[6] Originally costing AU$1 billion, which has expanded to AU$1.46 billion, the project includes improvements to the combat and fire control system, the sonar suite, and the air defence missiles.[6] The upgrade was for four ships and intended to expand their service life to approximately 2020.[6] The project cost was partly offset by the decommissioning of the two oldest units:[citation needed] Canberra paying off in 2005 and Adelaide in 2008. Modification of each ship is taking place at Garden Island Dockyard, with Australian Defence Industries (ADI, now Thales Australia) selected as project leader for the upgrade phase of the project.[6]
After the refit, the ship will be capable of firing SM-2MR and RGM-84 Harpoon missiles from the Mk13 launcher.[6] An 8 cell Mk 41 VLS for Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile is also installed forward of the Mk13 launcher.[6] The Phalanx CIWS is upgraded to Block 1B, and the torpedoes, missiles, and other ship-mounted weapons are upgraded to the latest versions.[6]
As of January 2008, the FFG Upgrade Project was running at least four years behind schedule.[7] The frigates' anti-missile and anti-torpedo detection and defence systems could not be integrated as intended, leaving the ships vulnerable to attack.[7] The first ship refitted, HMAS Sydney, was initially not accepted back into service by the RAN because of the problems, which have also prevented any refitted ship from serving in a combat zone.[8] Defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon, elected to the position following a change in government at the 2007 Australian federal election, claimed that problems with the Adelaides were amongst several defence problems inherited by the Rudd Labor Government after the election, and stated that "In the case of the Adelaide class, [the previous government] were trying to make a 21st century warship out of vessels built in the early 1970s, which were only ever designed to operate between 20 and 25 years."[7] Australian Defence Association executives and serving navy personnel have blamed both political parties for the problems: while the Howard Liberal government was responsible for the project, the preceding Labor government chose to maintain the frigates instead replacing them with the more expensive but more capable Kidd class destroyers in the early 1990s.[6][8]
By November 2008, Darwin’s upgrade had been completed, while the problems experienced with Sydney had been rectified in both ships.[9] It is planned to start deploying these warships to the Gulf in 2009.[9] The RAN and Thales claiming that the two upgraded ships were the "most capable ships in the history of the RAN", and once the other two Adelaides were upgraded, the RAN would possess the "most lethal frigate fleet on earth".[9] It was reported at the same time that other nations operating guided missile frigates, including the United States, Canada, Greece, and Turkey, were considering similar upgrades.[9]
The upgraded Adelaide class frigates will be replaced by the new Hobart class air defence destroyers, equipped with the Aegis combat system, starting around 2013.
Fates
Canberra and Adelaide were decommissioned to offset the cost of upgrading the remaining four ships, with Canberra decommissioned on 12 November 2005 and Adelaide on 19 January 2008.[10] Both ships are to be sunk as dive wrecks and artificial reefs.[11]
References
- ^ Jones, Peter (2006). "1972–1983: Towards Self-Reliance". in Stevens, David. The Royal Australian Navy. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. p. 220. ISBN 9780195555424.
- ^ Frame, Tom (1992). Pacific Partners: a history of Australian-American naval relations. Rydalmere, NSW: Hodder & Stoughton. p. 162. ISBN 034056685X. OCLC 27433673.
- ^ Frame, Tom (1992). Pacific Partners, pgs 102, 162
- ^ a b MacDougall, Anthony K. (2002) [1991]. Australians at war: a pictorial history (2nd (revised and expanded) ed.). Noble Park, Vic: The Five Mile Press. p. 344. ISBN 1865038652.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hooton, E.R. (1 December 1996). "Perking-up the Perry class". Jane's International Defence Review (Jane's Information Group) 9 (9).
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Australia's Hazard(ous) Frigate Upgrade". Defense Industry Daily. Watershed Publishing. 2008-01-14. http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/austra...-upgrade-04586/. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
- ^ a b c Kirk, Alexandra; (and staff) (2008-01-02). "Dud frigates an inherited nightmare". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/02/2130610.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
- ^ a b McPhedran, Ian (2008-01-02). "Frigates 'can't go to war' despite $1.4bn upgrade". The Advertiser (News Limited). http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22996234-2,00.html. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
- ^ a b c d McPhedran, Ian (19 November 2008). "Australia's naval frigates 'worth the wait'". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24673269-5001021,00.html. Retrieved 21 November 2008.
- ^ Saunders, Stephen (ed.) (2008). Jane's Fighting Ships 2008-2009. Jane's Fighting Ships (111th ed.). Surrey: Jane's Information Group. p. 28. ISBN 9780710628459. OCLC 225431774.
- ^ Australian Department of Defence (2008-01-20). "HMAS Adelaide Decommissions". Press release. http://www.defence.gov.au/media/DepartmentalTpl.cfm?CurrentId=7389. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
- Dr Paul Earnshaw (September/October 1997). "The Australian Frigate Project". Australian Defence Force Journal. Department of Defence. http://www.defence.gov.au/publications/dfj/adfj126.pdf. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Adelaide class frigates |
- FFG Ship Upgrade Project[dead link]
- RAN homepage for the Adelaide class
- MaritimeQuest Oliver Hazard Perry Class Overview
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