HMAS Benalla (A 04)


HMAS Benalla (left) and HMAS Gascoyne in Darling Harbour for the 2008 Sea Power Centre conference
Career (Australia)
Namesake: City of Benalla, Victoria
Builder: Eglo Engineering, Adelaide[1]
Launched: 31 January 1990[2]
Commissioned: 20 March 1990[2]
Homeport: HMAS Cairns
Motto: "We Lead Others Follow"
Honours and
awards:
One inherited battle honour
Status: Active as of 2012
General characteristics
Class and type: Paluma class survey motor launch
Displacement: 320 tonnes
Length: 36.6 m (120 ft)
Beam: 13.7 m (45 ft)
Draught: 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in)
Propulsion: 2 Detroit V12 diesel engines
Speed: 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range: 1,800 nautical miles (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Endurance: 14 days
Complement: 3 officers, 11 sailors (plus accommodation for 4 additional)
Armament: None fitted

HMAS Benalla (A 04) is Paluma class survey motor launch of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Design and construction

The Paluma class vessels have a full load displacement of 320 tonnes.[3] They are 36.6 metres (120 ft) long overall and 36 metres (118 ft) long between perpendiculars, have a beam of 13.7 metres (45 ft), and a draught of 1.9 metres (6 ft 3 in).[3] Propulsion machinery consists of two General Motors Detroit Diesel 12V-92T engines, which supply 1,290 brake horsepower (960 kW) to the two propeller shafts.[3] Each vessel has a top speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), a maximum sustainable speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) (which gives a maximum range of 1,800 nautical miles (3,300 km; 2,100 mi)), and an endurance of 14 days.[3]

The sensor suite of a Paluma class launch consists of a JRC JMA-3710-6 navigational radar, an ELAC LAZ 72 side-scan mapping sonar, and a Skipper 113 hull-mounted scanning sonar.[3] The vessels are unarmed.[3] The standard ship's company consists of three officers and eleven sailors, although another four personnel can be accommodated.[3] The catamarans were originally painted white, but were repainted naval grey in 2002.[3]

Benalla was constructed by Eglo Engineering, was launched on 31 January 1990, and commissioned into the RAN on 20 March 1990.[2] The ship was named for the city of Benalla, Victoria.

Citations

  1. ^ "HMAS Paluma". Royal Australian Navy. http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Paluma. Retrieved 12 September 2008. 
  2. ^ a b c "HMAS Benalla". Royal Australian Navy. http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Benalla. Retrieved 9 September 2008. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Wertheim (ed.), The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, p. 28

References