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http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/
documents/Navy%20Today%205_opt.pdf
The Royal
Aust ral i an
Navy Today
The Royal Australian Navy goes i nto the 1970s
with a strength unequalled in peacetime.
With the completion of a ship-building pro
gramme in 1970 begun in the sixties, the
Australian Fleet will include over 50 ships,
including an aircraft carrier, six destroyers,
six destroyer escorts, four submarines, mine
sweepers, m inehunters, patrol boats and vari
ous support ships, as well as aircraft of the
Fleet Air Arm.
New ships on the drawing board include a
combat support ship, which will replenish Fleet
ships with a wide variety of stores, f uel and
ammunition at sea; a new oceanographic ship
and a small hydrographic ship.
In addition, the R.A.N. is undertaking a pre
liminary design study for a new class of light
destroyer a relatively small destroyer with
a high top speed, long range and anti-aircraft,
anti-submarine and surface capabilities.
Today there are over 17,000 officers and men
in the P ermanent Naval Forces. They serve in
ships and shore establishments, both in Austra
lia and overseas, including Vietnam, where the
R.A.N. has one of its destroyers serving with
the U.S. Seventh Fleet. A Navy helicopter
flight and Navy clearance divers are also
serving in Vietnam.
L e f t D a r i n g - c l a s s d e s t r o y e r H M A S VAMPIRE.
O p p o s i t e p a g e H M A S VEN D ET T A ( t o p ) R i v e r
cl a s s d e s t r o y e r H M A S PARRAMATTA ( b e l o w ) , I k a r a
a n t i - s u b m a r i n e m i s s i l e l a u n c h e d f r o m t h e g u i d e d
m i s s i l e d e s t r o y e r H M A S PERTH ( r i g h t ) .
The Fl eet Ai r Arm
Lef t Skyhawk fighter-bomber launched from
HMAS MELBOURNE.
Top Preparing Skyhawk to r launching.
Above Tracker anti-submarine a ir c r a f t leaves
on a patrol.
This series of pictures shows a Skyhawk
landing on HMAS MELBOURNE.
Above - the approach and Ri ght the
arrest.
Note how the trailing hook has picked
up one of the arrester wires on the deck.
HMAS MELBOURNE carries Skyhawk
fighter-bombers, Tracker anti-submarine
aircraft and Wessex anti-submarine
helicopters.
Above l ef t Crowded flight deck HMAS
MELBOURNE.
Above ri ght Wessex helicopter takes
off from MELBOURNE.
Left Tracker ready for take-off.
Ri ght the R.A.N. carrier and flagship
HMAS MELBOURNE on exercise in
South-East Asian waters.
Lef t Tying down Skyhawk on
MELBOURNES flight deck.
Above Skyhawk pilot.
Ri ght Flight deck activities.
Shi ps and
Ai rcraf t
of t he R.A.N.
Modernisation of the Royal Australian
Navy in recent years has given up-to-
date ships and aircraft, some of which
are shown on these pages. Top (left to
right) Wessex anti-submarine heli
copter on patrol during exercises with
allied ships in the South China Sea; the
guided missile destroyer HMAS PERTH
off Vietnam; Skyhawk approaching for
landing at sea; Oberon-class submarine
HMAS OVENS. Left Tracker landing
on HMAS MELBOURNE. Right River-
class destroyer HMAS STUART.
Navy in Vi et nam
t he Royal Aust r al i an Navy has mai n
t ai ned a dest r oyer in Vi et nam si nce
Mar ch, 1967. These shi ps, l i ke HMAS
PERTH, pi ct ur ed her e, ser ved wi t h t he
Uni t ed St at es Sevent h Fl eet and have
been used in a var i et y of rol es, i ncl ud
i ng g unf i r e suppor t , i nt er di ct i on of
enemy coastal suppl y t r af f i c and escort
dut i es. Ri ght a new gun bar r el is
f i t t ed t o HMAS PERTH at Subi c Bay.
Bel ow r i ght Enemy shel l s l and close
t o HMAS HOBART. Both PERTH and
HOBART r ecei ved hi gh U.S. awar ds f or
mer i t or i ous servi ce in Vi et nam.
Also serving in Vietnam are an Australian
Navy helicopter flight and Navy clear
ance divers.
Above l ef t Iroquois helicopters, with R.A.N.
crew, used to carry allied troops into combat
areas.
Lef t an R.A.N. sailor and a U.S. Army
specialist combine skills in maintaining a h el i
copter engine.
Above r i ght R.A.N. clearance divers examine
a suspect rocket earmarked f o r disposal.
Ri ght Clearance diver working under water.
The Navy team is called upon for a variety of
tasks, including under wat er examination of
ships to check whether they have been mined
by saboteurs.
Men of t he Navy
Of ficers and sailors, skilled in a wide
variety of tasks, form the backbone of
the Australian Navy. Their numbers, as
new ships come into service, have
climbed above 17,000 . They include
seamen, gunners, artisans, technicians,
communicators and divers.
Above l ef t Drummer on parade.
Above Helicopter pilot.
Lef t Navy apprentice under training.
Ri ght A tr i c k at the wheel.
Above, l ef t to ri ght Australian sailor
in Manila with Filipino friend; Helicopter
crew in Vietnam discuss results of a
sortie; Reporting to the bridge.
Ri ght Petty Officer in the troop trans
port HMAS SYDNEY competes with Army
marksmen in target practice on way to
Vietnam.
Far ri ght Happy in the Service!
Navy Ceremoni al
Lef t New Queen's Colours f o r the Royal
Australian Navy. Bel ow l ef t Members o f the
ship's company of HMAS HOBART admire U.S.
Navy Unit Commendation presented to the ship
fo r meritorious service in Vietnam. Bel ow
s i m il a r award is presented to Captain of HMAS
PERTH by Commanderin-Chief U.S. Pacific
Fleet. The U.S. Navy Uni t Commendation has
been awarded only three times to other than
U.S. ships. Opposi t e page Patrol boat
HMAS AWARE ( top l eft), Mine hunter HMAS
CURLEW (below l e f t) ; Destroyer escort HMAS
PARRAMATTA (ri gh t) .
I nf or mat i on on Naval careers may be
obt ai ned f r om Recr ui t i ng Of f i cers i n al t
capi t al ci t i es, or f r om t he Di r ect or of
Naval Recr ui t i ng, Navy Of f i ce, Canber r a,
A. C. T. , 2600.
Fur t her general i nf or mat i on on t he
Royal Aust r al i an Navy may be obt ai ned
f rom t he Di r ect or of Publ i c Rel at i ons,
Navy Of f i ce, Canber r a, A.C.T. , 2600.