HMAS Leeuwin (A 245)
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 HMAS Leeuwin entering Sydney Harbour |
|
| Career Australia |  |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | 2 April 1996 |
| Builder: | NQEA Ltd, Cairns |
| Laid down: | |
| Launched: | 19 July 1997 |
| Commissioned: | 27 May 2000 |
| Status: | Active |
| Homeport: | HMAS Cairns |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 2,550 tons |
| Length: | 233.6 ft (71.2 m) |
| Beam: | 49.9 ft (15.2 m) |
| Draught: | 14.1 ft (4.3 m) |
| Propulsion: | Diesel-electric; 4 GEC Alsthom 6RK 215 diesel generators, 4,290 hp (3.2 MW) sustained. 2 Alsthom motors, 1.94 MW, 2 shafts. 1 Schottel bow thruster. |
| Speed: | 14 kts |
| Range: | 18,000 nm at 9 kts |
| Boats and landing craft carried: | Three 10 metre Survey Motor Boats, equipped with shallow water multi-beam echo-sounders and short range UHF differential GPS Two light utility boats One Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) |
| Complement: | 46 |
| Sensors and processing systems: | Navigation: STN Atlas 9600 ARPA; I-band. Sonar: C-Tech CMAS 36/39; hull mounted; high frequency active. Atlas Fansweep-20 multibeam echo sounder. AD 25 single beam echo sounder. Also fitted with Klein 2000 towed light-weight sidescan sonar. |
| Aircraft carried: | 1 AS 350B Squirrel (not permanently embarked). |
| Motto: | "I shall maintain" |
| Badge: |  |
HMAS Leeuwin is the lead ship of the Leeuwin Class of Hydrographic Survey vessels of the Royal Australian Navy. Leeuwin is named after Cape Leeuwin, in the South West of Western Australia, and is the first ship of the Royal Australian Navy to carry this name, although the Navy base in Fremantle bore the name "HMAS Leeuwin" from from 1940 to 1986.[1] Leeuwin and her sister ship HMAS Melville were built by NQEA in Cairns.
Leeuwin has the ability to carry three fully equipped 10 metre Survey Motor Boats for surveys in waters not suitable for Leeuwin herself.[2] HMAS Leeuwin can carry a Squirrel helicopter from 723 Squadron.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Straczek, John. “The Royal Australian Navy: Ships, Aircraft and Shore Establishments”, Navy Public Affairs, Sydney, 1996. ISBN 1-876-04378-4
- ^ Sharpe, Richard (ed). "Jane's Fighting Ships 2000-2001, Janes Information Group, London, 2000. ISBN 0-7106-2018-7
- ^ HMAS Leeuwin page on the official NAVY website
| Australian Defence Force |
|---|
 Australian Army  Royal Australian Navy  Royal Australian Air Force |
