HMAS Newcastle (FFG 06)

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Career Australia
HMAS Newcastle in 2004
Builder:	AMECON
Laid down:	21 July 1989
Launched:	21 February 1992
Commissioned:	11 December 1993
Status:	Active
Homeport:	Fleet Base East
General Characteristics
Displacement:	4,100 tonnes full load
Length:	138 m
Beam:	14 m
Draught:	7.5 m
Propulsion:	2 × General Electric LM 2500 gas turbines providing 41,000 hp (490 kW)
Speed:	29 knots
Range:	4,500 miles at 20 knots
Complement:	184 (not including aircrew)
Armament:	Mk 13 launcher for Harpoon and SM-1 missiles; 1 × 3 in OTO Melara; 1 × 20 mm Mk 15 Phalanx CIWS; 2 x triple 324 mm Mk 32 torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried:	2 x S-70B Seahawk
Motto:	"Enterprise"
Badge:

HMAS Newcastle (06), named for the city of Newcastle, New South Wales, the largest provincial city in Australia, is an Adelaide class guided missile armed frigate laid down by AMECON at Williamstown in Victoria, launched on 21 February 1992 and commissioned on 11 December 1993.

At the start of November 2006, Newcastle was one of three Australian warships sent to Fiji during the leadup to the 2006 coup d'état by Fijian military forces against Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase. Newcastle was the first vessel on station, and was later joined by HMAS Kanimbla and HMAS Success. The three vessels are to be used in the event of an evacuation of Australian citizens and nationals, but not as a military force. ^[1]