Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (or RAN) is Australia's navy and is part of the Australian Defence Force.
Its front-line fleet currently comprises six Adelaide (Oliver Hazard Perry) class guided-missile frigates, six Anzac class patrol frigates (of eight to be built) and six of the Swedish designed but locally built Collins class submarines. These were expected to be the best conventional (i.e. diesel-electric, not nuclear powered) submarines in the world, but massive problems with noise and the weapons software suite have resulted in a series of delays and scandals, though as of 2004 the government claims these are now solved or on their way to resolution. The Navy also operates SH-60 Seahawk helicopters.
The RAN has agreed to acquire three vessels based upon the U.S. Navy's AEGIS air defense and battle management system. The types of vessels have not yet been determined. These will used in a theater missile defense role.
Ships and Establishments are named HMAS, where HMAS means "Her Majesty's Australian Ship". This follows the form of the Royal Navy in which ships are named HMS (Her Majesty's Ship). ("Her Majesty" is Queen Elizabeth II).
See also: List of ships of the Royal Australian Navy
Organisation
The Navy is commanded by the Chief of Navy (CN), Vice Admiral Chris Ritchie AO RAN.
There are two commands:
- Maritime Command (Commander: Rear Admiral Rowan Moffitt AM RAN) - ships and direct fleet support activities ashore;
- Australian Naval Support Command (Commander: Commodore Geoff Geraghty CSM RAN) - responsible for:
- Navy Personnel and Training
- Navy Systems Branch - technical matters
- Business Management;
- Naval Certification, Safety and Acceptance Agency
- Fleet Bases and Shore Establishments
History
For most of the British colonial era of Australian history, after 1788, the British Royal Navy had control of Australian waters. In 1883-4 several small cruisers, torpedo-boats and gunboats were built by the various self-governing colonies, as the British presence was wound down.
After Federation of the colonies, obsolete gunboats from their navies were assimilated into the Commonwealth Naval Forces, in 1904. They were assigned to protect harbours and coastal installations while the seaward, or blue water tasks were the responsibility of a Royal Navy squadron subsidised by the Australian Government. A growing number of people, among them Captain William Rooke Creswell, the director of the Commonwealth Naval Forces, demanded an autonomous Australian navy, financed and controlled by Australia. In 1909 Creswell represented Australia at the Imperial Conferences, convened to settle the question of naval defences, and won his campaign for an Australian Navy. His name lives on as the name of base, HMAS Creswell, the site of the Royal Australian Naval College at Jervis Bay.
The first Australian warship, the destroyer HMAS Parramatta, was launched at Govan in Scotland on Wednesday 9 February 1910 and its sister ship HMAS Yarra, was launched at Dumbarton in Scotland on Saturday 9 April 1910. Both ships were commissioned into the Royal Navy on Monday 19 September 1910 and sailed for Australia. They arrived at Port Phillip Bay on Saturday December 10 1910 and, as they passed through The Rip, Engineer Lieutenant Commander W. Robertson, RN, was washed overboard from Parramatta and drowned.
In October 1911 King George V fixed his signature to the approval for the Royal Australian Navy and the ships now officially received the prefix "His Majesty's Australian Ship" (HMAS). The manpower of the fleet stood at four hundred officers and men and, for the next two years, ships were built for the fledgling navy. On Saturday 4 October 1913 the first fleet review of the Royal Australian Navy took place, the battle cruiser HMAS Australia, the cruisers HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Sydney, the protected cruiser HMAS Encounter and the torpedo boat destroyers HMAS Parramatta, HMAS Yarra and HMAS Warrego, entered Sydney Harbour to a tumultous welcome.
