It depends how you define frigate. The fact that the Hobart destroyers are smaller than the Hunter frigates suggests the RAN defines it's ships by role, not size. Something that seems to be a trend among many navies.
Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates
- Thread starter icelord
- Start date
- Status
Redlands18
Well-Known Member
My experience is i grew up in a small Country Town in NSW in the 60s & 70s and everyone regarded themselves as Australians, there certainly was no Pax Britainia and no love for Churchill. I was shocked when i found out how much we were still tied to Britain
weegee
Active Member
Albeit a 7000 ton frigate haha. I suppose I will always think of a frigate being the size of an Anzac class or Adelaide Class I know nowadays size doesn't matter it's the capability. ( On a side note some of us guys have been saying this for years am I right haha)Because they are frigates
I've been on about a dozen Burkes and I've seen F-100's in the wild, the size difference is even more apparent from other angles.
Redlands18
Well-Known Member
The definition of a Frigate has become a very grey area. We are seeing 109m, 3000t Frigates 140m, 6000t Frigates and now 150m, 8800t Frigates. and Armament/Sensors from SR self Defence SAMs and 57-76mm Guns to Ships capable of Area AD fitted with AEGIS or Equiv and 32 Strike Length VLS Cells capable of carrying LR SAMs, LACMs.
Size is no indication of designation.
People seem to forget that the Perth & Adelaide Classes were roughly the same size at around 135x14m and 4000t
Last edited:
Not strictly RAN but Australia’s new icebreaker has been “launched”. She has been completed up to deck 4 level.
Australia's new $2 billion icebreaker can float and doesn't leak
My apologies, it’s on today’s ABC online news site and I don’t seem to have the competence to make the link work, can anyone assist please.
There’s also a video but that is even higher than my paygrade
Australia's new $2 billion icebreaker can float and doesn't leak
My apologies, it’s on today’s ABC online news site and I don’t seem to have the competence to make the link work, can anyone assist please.
There’s also a video but that is even higher than my paygrade
Last edited by a moderator:
At 25000 tonnes, she is a big ship.
Can't wait to see her in action.
Here is an artist's impression of the finished ship.
Artist's impression of new Australian icebreaker Nuyina at sea
Pretty much what I was going to say. The Hobarts are derivatives of Spains F-100 class frigates.Because they are frigates
I've been on about a dozen Burkes and I've seen F-100's in the wild, the size difference is even more apparent from other angles.
Thanks Mate
Some nice pics of HMAS Hobart in Pearl, over there for trials on Aegis.
I did read that she had to go to the West coast as well so not sure which trials are where.
HMAS Hobart III
I did read that she had to go to the West coast as well so not sure which trials are where.
HMAS Hobart III
Last edited:
Redlands18
Well-Known Member
I remember reading an article in Australian Warship that she was due to go to San Diego late this year to do the same Aegis qualification testing that the USN Ships do. I think there was even a name for it.
Maybe it is different on the other side of the Tasman. Hence the ~1%gdp. I don't know who or how they intend to solve their problems.
Recent events I think highlight for Australians the reach and limitation of other powers are in our region.
Take for example the issue with the US ambassador to Australia being reallocated to Korea, because, um, priorities. Because with the US it is a zero sum game on everything and you have various actors working to get the attention.
Even with the mighty capabilities of the US, their focus and attention is hard to keep, you have to lead on the issues, because sometimes the priority is not clear for the US when you have so many things. I would imagine a lot of US and UK politicians don't know or remember history. Promises and assurances from Boris Johnson are looking pretty hollow now.. Trump doesn't know and doesn't want to know anything that occurred during the Pacific war. Squeezing them for the Marines in Darwin forces them to come along for the ride.
Bougainville, Caledonia, West Pup. There is three hot spots we need to get ready for.
Bougainville in 2019
Caledonia referendum before the end of 2018 (and 2020 and 2023).
And West Papua at any time. Vanuatu was keen to push it at the meeting.
‘PNG will not back Vanuatu push for West Papua’ - Vanuatu Independent
With issues like this, and a country like China keen to "invest" or make a new port the next 3 years are likely to be interesting.
Australia needs capability and plans for events like this.
The threat I see with China isn't direct, its the indirect threat. It may be harder to tie the US down on an issue if the US believe it may not be in its interest in other ways against China. Things like West Papua could be hard issues to tackle if they blow up.
As things unfold I am increasingly of the view that failing to maintain some upgrade optionality with the OPVs was an error.
Regards,
Massive
I worry time frames will get us. We have quite a few wizz bang programs.. but they are in embryonic stages. Sea1000 contract still seems a way off, 1180 has barely begun and sea5000 is in its post announcement afterglow. How much actual capability we get from these by 2020 is likely to minimal. 2025 is still a long way into these programs which tend to have fairly slow drum beats to keep them sustainable so by that stage you are still looking at small adjustments, even if the build goes flawlessly..
The OPV fitout is reasonable for an OPV. We currently have a frigate going from perth to grab a sailor, that is definitely a job an OPV would be good at. The question is how and where will they be based and will they be suitable as far flung deployments of Australia in a world increasingly difficult.
The OPV fitout is reasonable for an OPV. We currently have a frigate going from perth to grab a sailor, that is definitely a job an OPV would be good at. The question is how and where will they be based and will they be suitable as far flung deployments of Australia in a world increasingly difficult.
An observation on the OPV.
This is a continuous build project with an established world class designer. The relationship built with this project could conceivably grant us access to other designs within their portfolio, i.e. the k130 corvettes.
You are correct in that the Governor General (GG) does not practice over all day to day command of the ADF. If the COA constitutional arrangement is similar to that of NZ and the UK, the Queen is CIC of the military and her power, which by the way is real, is exercised by herself or in the case of a Commonwealth nation where she is Head of State, through her Representative the GG. For the military to be deployed the GOTD must ask for the Queens consent. Also, and very importantly, the oath of loyalty that each member of the military take, is to the Queen and her successors, not the Parliament.
I
Its how the Westminster system of government works. The Crown has the executive power but does not exercise it without the advice of the GOTD. For instance, when Australia sent a frigate to the Middle East during the first Gulf War the Chief of Defence Force could not order the frigate to leave Sydney harbour for that purpose without written orders from the GG - who only acts on the advice ( ie instruction) of the prime minister.
Last edited:
- Status