Aircraft carriers of the Royal Australian Navy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Royal Australian Navy, while significant in the Asia-Pacific region, has never been a major global force. As with many smaller navies after World War II, the RAN made a decision to develop a naval air arm and operate aircraft carriers. Due to the expense of naval aviation and Australia's changing defence priorities the RAN's last carrier was retired in 1982.

Contents 1 Pre-World War II 2 World War II 3 Post-World War II 4 The future 5 Comparative statistics 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Pre-World War II

The navy's experience with aircraft at sea actually began prior to the Second World War, with the commissioning of the seaplane carrier, HMAS Albatross. Albatross was commissioned in 1929 and served for four years in the RAN before being paid off into the reserve in 1933. During her time in service she followed the normal uneventful pattern of the peacetime naval vessel of the thirties on the Australia Station – winter cruises to New Guinea and New Britain and surrounding islands, spring cruises to the southern states, exercises, training and long periods in Sydney Harbour. Her complement of Supermarine amphibians were crewed and maintained by personnel of the RAAF. She was eventually transferred to the Royal Navy in 1938 as part payment for the cruiser HMAS Hobart.^[1]

[edit] World War II

While the Royal Australian Navy did not operate any aircraft carriers during World War II, each of the RAN's heavy and light cruisers was equipped with a single seaplane operated by No. 9 Squadron RAAF. Due to the Allied air dominance of the areas in which the cruisers operated, the surviving Australian cruisers had their seaplane catapults removed in 1944 and No. 9 Squadron was disbanded at the end of the year.^[2]

During late 1944 and 1945 the British Pacific Fleet was based in Australia. In order to support the Fleet's aircraft carriers, the Australian government constructed a number of airfields and other facilities to support naval aviation. Many of these facilities (including HMAS Albatross, the RAN's main air station) were later used to support Australia's post-war carriers.

In mid-1944 the Australian Naval Board considered the acquisition of carriers for the RAN and in February 1945 the Royal Navy offered to transfer the light fleet carrier HMS Ocean to Australia.^[3] This offer was turned down by the Australian Government, however, as the RAN was not able to man the ship at the time and the cost of the carrier would have been deducted from the payments Britain was making to Australia for its assistance in supporting the British Pacific Fleet.^[4]

[edit] Post-World War II

World War II saw a number of squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm being crewed exclusively by Australians.^{[citation needed]} Their experience led the Australian government to make the decision to form an air arm for the RAN. At the same time, a review by the Australian Government's Defence Committee held after World War II recommended that the post-war forces of the RAN be structured around a Task Force incorporating three aircraft carriers.^[5] Initial plans were for three carriers, with two active and a third in reserve, although funding cuts led to the purchase of two carriers, HM Ships Majestic and Terrible of the Majestic class of light fleet carriers, in June 1947, for the combined cost of AU£2.75 million, plus stores, fuel, and ammunition.^[6][7] As Terrible was the closer of the two ships to completion, construction was finished without modification, and she was commissioned into the RAN on December 16, 1948 as HMAS Sydney.^[6]

Sydney, with an air wing of Hawker Sea Fury and Fairey Firefly aircraft, served as the flagship of the fleet for seven years, and participated in the Korean War. Work progressed on Majestic at a slower rate, as she was to be upgraded with the latest technology and equipment to allow the operation of jet aircraft, including an angled flight deck, steam catapult, and landing signal lights.^[8][9] The delays in finishing Majestic led the Royal Navy to loan Colossus class carrier HMS Vengeance was to the RAN from 13 November 1952 until 12 August 1955 to cover Majestic’s absence.^[10]

Majestic was completed in 1955, and she was commissioned into the RAN as HMAS Melbourne on 28 October 1955.^[11] At that time, Sydney, which remained unmodified and thus incapable of supporting jet operations, was re-roled as a training ship, leaving Melbourne as the only operational carrier. At the time of commissioning, her air wing included Sea Venoms and Gannets.^[12] As time went on, Melbourne received newer and more powerful aircraft, with A-4 Skyhawks, S-2 Trackers, and Westland Sea Kings flying from the carrier by the early 1970s.^[12] The carriers' only involvement in the Vietnam War was in non-combat roles, with Sydney recommissioned as a fast troop transport and Melbourne escorting her on four occasions.^[13]

Sydney was again decommissioned in 1973 and sold for scrapping, while Melbourne continued in her operational role. In 1981, she was scheduled for a long refit.^[14] However, a decision was taken by the government to replace her with a new carrier.^[14] After considering a modified American Iwo Jima class amphibious assault ship, an Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi class carrier, and a Sea Control Ship design that later became the Spanish Navy's Principe de Asturias, the RAN accepted an offer from the Royal Navy to purchase HMS Invincible.^[15][16] The carrier would have been renamed HMAS Australia and handed over to the RAN in late 1982, but the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina, and the subsequent deployment of Invincible as part of the task force, led to the cancellation of the sale, as the British defence report that had marked Invincible as surplus to requirements was shown to be flawed.^[16] The older and larger HMS Hermes offered instead, but the decision was declined due to manpower and operating costs.^[17] The 1983 election in Australia, which saw a change of government, led to the cancellation of plans to replace Melbourne.^[18] The carrier was sold to China for scrap in 1985, although the People's Liberation Army Navy used Melbourne to develop plans for her own aircraft carrier and to train pilots in carrier operations.^[19]

After Melbourne was decommissioned, the Fleet Air Arm was restricted to helicopters operating from frigates and support ships. The RAN's aviation capabilities were boosted in the late 1990s with the commissioning of the two Kanimbla class LPAs, each of which are capable of operating four S-70 Blackhawk or three Sea King helicopters. The ships will also be able to operate the Army's new Tiger helicopter gunships. While the LPAs are primarily amphibious transports, their large helicopter capacity means that they could be used as anti-submarine helicopter cruisers, along similar lines to the French helicopter cruiser Jeanne d'Arc. The LPAs have operated in this role during exercises.^[20]

[edit] The future

Up to the present, the Australian government has not shown serious commitment to regaining fixed wing flight capabilities for the RAN. However, a major new project to re-equip the navy will see a pair of Canberra class ships constructed. These ships are planned to be utilised in the amphibious assault, command, transport and air support roles. Two designs were chosen to compete for this - the French Mistral class and the Spanish Buque de Proyección Estratégica. Both of these are fitted with a full length flight deck, ski jump, and island superstructure, giving them the appearance of small aircraft carriers, although the Spanish variant of this design will actually operate fixed wing aircraft in a light carrier role. In 2007, the Spanish design was chosen by the Australian government as the basis of the Canberra class. The RAN initially rejected proposals to purchase F-35B Lightning aircraft and planned to only operate Army and Navy helicopters.^[21][22] But in March 2008 the RAN was reported to have requested that the government purchase a third Canberra class ship to utilize for fixed wing operations and VTOL aircraft. The government was reported to be unlikely to approve this request, however.^[23] The two ordered ships, to be named Canberra and Adelaide, are due to enter service in approximately 2012 and 2015 respectively.

[edit] Comparative statistics

Name	Displacement	Launched	Commissioned	Role	Air Wing
Albatross	6,350 tons	1928	1929	Seaplane tender	9 seaplanes
Sydney	19,550 tons	1944	1948	Light carrier	37 aircraft
Vengeance	18,150 tons	1944	1952 (RAN)	Light carrier	27 aircraft
Melbourne	20,320 tons	1945	1955	Light carrier	27 aircraft
Kanimbla	14,000 tons	1970	1994 (RAN)	Landing platform amphibious	4 helicopters
Canberra	30,700 tons	2010?	2012?	Landing helicopter dock	16 helicopters

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Australian Naval Aviation Museum (ANAM) (1998). Flying Stations: a story of Australian naval aviation. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-846-8. OCLC 39290180. 
• Bishop, Chris; Chant, Christopher (2004). Aircraft Carriers: the world's greatest naval vessels and their aircraft. London: MBI. ISBN 0-760-32005-5. OCLC 56646560. 
• Borgu, Aldo (2004). "Capability of First Resort? Australia's Future Amphibious Requirement". . Australian Strategic Policy Institute Retrieved on 2007-12-17.
• Donohue, Hector (October 1996). From Empire Defence to the Long Haul: post-war defence policy and its impact on naval force structure planning 1945-1955, Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs (No. 1). Canberra: Sea Power Centre. ISSN 1327-5658. ISBN 0-642-25907-0. OCLC 36817771. 
• Gillett, Ross (1980). HMAS Melbourne - 25 Years. Sydney, NSW: Nautical Press. ISBN 0-949756-00-8. OCLC 24405967. 
• Hall, Timothy (1982). HMAS Melbourne. North Sydney, NSW: George Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0-86861-284-7. OCLC 9753221. 
• Hobbs, Commander David (October 2007). "HMAS Melbourne (II) - 25 Years On". The Navy 69 (4): 5–9. ISSN 1332-6231. 
• Stevens, David (1999). "Australian maritime aviation - a strategic and historical context", in David Stevens: Prospects for Maritime Aviation in the Twenty First Century, Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs. Canberra: Defence Publishing Service. ISBN 0642295123. 
• Stevens, David; Sears, Jason; Goldrick, James; Cooper, Alastair; Jones, Peter; Spurling, Kathryn, (2001). in Stevens, David: The Royal Australian Navy, The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-195-54116-2. OCLC 50418095. 
• Wilson, David (2003). "The Eagle and the Albatross. Australian Maritime Operations 1921-1971" (PhD thesis).
• Wilson, Stewart (1993). Phantom, Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service. Canberra: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 187567103X. 
• Wright, Anthony [1978] (June 1998). Australian Carrier Decisions: the acquisition of HMA Ships Albatross, Sydney and Melbourne, Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs (No. 4). Canberra: Sea Power Centre. ISSN 1327-5658. ISBN 0-642-29503-4. 

[edit] External links

• Royal Australian Navy Aviation Histories. Sea Power Centre - Australia. Retrieved on 2007-12-18.

v • d • e Aircraft carriers of the Royal Australian Navy Majestic class Sydney · Melbourne Colossus class Vengeance Seaplane Carrier Albatross List of major warship classes of the Royal Australian Navy