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HMAS Canberra (FFG 02)

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HMAS Canberra (FFG 02) was an Adelaide class guided missile frigate of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Based on the Oliver Hazard Perry class design, Canberra was one of four Adelaide class ships constructed in the United States of America, and one of six to serve in the RAN.

The frigate entered service in 1981. During her career, Canberra was assigned to escort the Royal Yacht Britannia during Queen Elizabeth II's visit in 1988, helped enforce the post-Gulf War United Nations' sanctions against Iraq during 1992 and 1993, was part of the Australian responses to the 1998 Indonesian riots and the 2000 Solomon Islands Civil War, and returned to the Persian Gulf in 2002 as part of the War in Afghanistan.

In 2005, Canberra became the first ship of her class to be decommissioned. The frigate was marked for conversion into a dive wreck and artificial reef off Barwon Heads, Victoria, and was scuttled on 4 October 2009.

Design and constructionEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Following the cancellation of the Australian light destroyer project in 1973, the British Type 42 destroyer and the American Template:Sclass were identified as alternatives to replace the cancelled light destroyers and the Template:Sclasss.<ref name=Jones220>Jones, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 220</ref> Although the Oliver Hazard Perry class was still at the design stage, the difficulty of fitting the Type 42 with the SM-1 missile, and the success of the Template:Sclass acquisition (a derivative of the American Template:Sclass) compared to equivalent British designs led the Australian government to approve the purchase of two US-built Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates (including Canberra) in 1976.<ref name=Jones220/><ref name=FramePP102.162>Frame, Pacific Partners, pp. 102, 162</ref> A third was ordered in 1977, followed by a fourth, with all four ships integrated into the USN's shipbuilding program.<ref name=FramePP162>Frame, Pacific Partners, p. 162</ref><ref name=MacDougall345>MacDougall, Australians at war, p. 345</ref><ref name=Hooton>Hooton, Perking-up the Perry class</ref> A further two ships were ordered in 1980, and were constructed in Australia.<ref name=MacDougall345/><ref name=Hooton/>

As designed, the ship had a full load displacement of 3,605 tons, a length overall of Template:Convert, a beam of Template:Convert, and a draught of Template:Convert.<ref name=Moore25>Moore (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships 1977–78 , p. 25</ref><ref name=Sharpe26/> Starting in December 1991, Canberra was modified from the Oliver Hazard Perry FLIGHT II design to FLIGHT III, requiring a lengthening of the helicopter deck for the RAST helicopter recovery system, increasing displacement to 4,100 tons and pushing the overall length to Template:Convert.<ref name=Sharpe26/> Propulsion machinery consists of two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, which provide a combined Template:Convert to the single propeller shaft.<ref name=Sharpe26>Sharpe (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships 1998–99, p. 26</ref> Top speed is Template:Convert, with a range of Template:Convert at Template:Convert.<ref name=Sharpe26/> Two Template:Convert electric auxiliary propulsors are used for close manoeuvring, with a top speed of Template:Convert.<ref name=Sharpe26/> Standard ship's company is 184, including 15 officers, but excluding the flight crew for the embarked helicopters.<ref name=Sharpe26/>

Original armament for the ship consisted of a Mark 13 missile launcher configured to fire RIM-66 Standard and RGM-84 Harpoon missiles, supplemented by an [[OTO Melara 76 mm|OTO Melara Template:Convert]] gun and a Vulcan Phalanx point-defence system.<ref name=Moore25/><ref name=Sharpe26/> For anti-submarine warfare, two Mark 32 torpedo tube sets are fitted; originally firing the Mark 44 torpedo, the Adelaides later carried the Mark 46 torpedoes.<ref name=Sharpe26/> Up to six Template:Convert machine guns can be carried for close-in defence, and since 2005, two M2HB .50 calibre machine guns in Mini Typhoon mounts have been installed when needed for Persian Gulf deployments.<ref name=Sharpe26/><ref name=ScottEnhanced>Scott, Enhanced small-calibre systems offer shipborne stopping power</ref> The sensor suite includes an AN/SPS-49 air search radar, AN/SPS-55 surface search and navigation radar, SPG-60 fire control radar connected to a Mark 92 fire control system, and an AN/SQS-56 hull-mounted sonar.<ref name=Sharpe26/> Two helicopters can be embarked: either two S-70B Seahawk or one Seahawk and one AS350B Squirrel.<ref name=Sharpe26/>

Canberra was laid down as the first ship of the Perry class's Flight II design by Todd Pacific Shipyards at Seattle, Washington on 1 March 1978, and launched on 1 December 1978.<ref name=Hooton/><ref name=RAN/> Canberra was commissioned into the RAN on 21 March 1981.<ref name=RAN/><ref>No Name (FFG 18), United States Navy</ref> The ship received the United States Navy hull number FFG-18 during construction.<ref name="Hooton"/>

ArmamentEdit

CanberraTemplate:'s main weapon was the Mark 13 missile launcher located on the foredeck: this is used to fire both Harpoon and SM-2MR Standard missiles.<ref name=RAN>HMAS Canberra (II), Royal Australian Navy</ref> A [[76 mm OTO Melara|Template:Convert Mark 75 OTO Melara gun]] is located on top of the superstructure, in front of the exhaust funnel.<ref name=RAN/><ref name=Jonesopp224>Jones, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, opp. p. 224</ref> A triple-barrelled Mark 32 torpedo tube set is fitted to each side of the superstructure.<ref name=RAN/><ref name=Jonesopp224/> For close defence, a Template:Convert Mark 16 Mod 2 Phalanx CIWS sits at the aft end of the superstructure, above the frigate's two helicopter hangars.<ref name=RAN/><ref name=Jonesopp224/>

The hangars housed two S-70B Seahawk helicopters.<ref name=RAN/>

Operational historyEdit

After commissioning, Canberra and Adelaide remained in the United States to work up; during this time both ships were attached to the United States Navy's Destroyer Squadron 9.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Canberra was assigned as escort to the Royal Yacht Britannia during Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Australia during April and May 1988, as part of the Australian Bicentennary celebrations.<ref>Clark, The Fighting Canberras, pp. 15–16</ref>

File:HMAS Canberra (FFG 02) Harpoon.jpg
Canberra launching a Harpoon

On 16 May 1990, Canberra was one of six Australian warships, and one of 64 naval vessels from 21 nations present at the Royal Fleet Review marking the 55th anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Navy.<ref>Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 5</ref>

Canberra was deployed to the Red Sea from 13 November 1992 to 12 March 1993 following the Gulf War, as part of the enforcement of the United Nations' sanctions against Iraq.<ref>Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 16</ref>

In December 1993, Canberra and the destroyer Template:HMAS visited Langkawi, Malaysia, for the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition.<ref name=Bendle19>Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 19</ref> During this assignment, ship's divers from Canberra assisted the Royal Malaysian Police in searching for and recovering the body of a merchant sailor who had fallen overboard from MV Leisureworld.<ref name=Bendle19/> Following this, the two ships sailed for New Zealand, and were present in the Bay of Islands for Waitangi Day, which commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi there on 6 February 1840, which brought New Zealand into the British Empire.<ref>Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 20</ref>

The frigate's home base was changed from Fleet Base East in New South Wales to Fleet Base West in Western Australia in February 1996.<ref name=Clark15>Clark, The Fighting Canberras, p. 15</ref>

On 17 May 1998, the frigate was one of four RAN ships placed on standby to help evacuate Australian citizens from Indonesia following riots.<ref name=Draper/><ref name=Brindle34>Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 34</ref> Canberra made at least one evacuation before the force was instructed to stand down a week later.<ref name=Draper/><ref name=Brindle34/>

Following the conclusion of the Solomon Islands Civil War in 2000, Canberra was the last Australian warship sent to the Solomons to support the International Peace Monitoring Team; arriving on 13 September 2001, and remaining on station until 24 October.<ref>Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 41</ref>

After returning to Australia for Christmas and the New Year, the frigate accompanied the replenishment oiler Template:HMAS to Heard Island and McDonald Islands in January 2002, where the two ships spent a month enforcing Australian sovereign rights and fisheries laws in the islands' Exclusive Economic Zone.<ref>Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 45</ref> During this deployment, on 7 February, the ship captured the Russian fishing vessel Volga, which was illegally operating around Heard Island.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Later in the year, Canberra joined sister ship Template:HMAS and the amphibious warfare ship Template:HMAS on a three-month deployment to the Persian Gulf in support of the International Coalition Against Terrorism.<ref>Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 46</ref>

In July 2003, while operating in northern Australian waters, Canberra intercepted Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel (SIEV) 13, the first SIEV to be intercepted since December 2001.<ref>Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 50</ref>

Canberra was decommissioned at Fleet Base West in Western Australia on 12 November 2005.<ref name=lastvoyage>ABC News, Navy ship heads home on last voyage</ref>

Dive wreckEdit

File:HMAS Canberra Tow.jpg
Canberra under tow to the scuttling site

In October 2006, it was announced that the decommissioned frigate would be scuttled off the coast of Barwon Heads, Victoria as a wreck diving site. In October 2006, the Federal Government allocated A$2.8 million to the project, while the Victorian Government allocated A$500,000.<ref>Walker, Hopes for dive wreck scuttled</ref> On 23 July 2007, the Minister for Defence, Brendan Nelson, announced that in order to ensure the quickest possible schedule for the sinking of the ship, A$7 million of federal money would be allocated to the project.<ref>Department of Defence, Howard Government To Fund And Sink ex-HMAS Canberra</ref>

The frigate was scheduled to be scuttled in Template:Convert of water, Template:Convert off Ocean Grove, Victoria on 13 September 2009, but this was postponed until 4 October because of foul weather.<ref name=Draper>Draper, Old Warship sunk off Victoria's coast</ref><ref>Geelong Advertiser, Scuttling of warship scuttled</ref> Sixteen scuttling charges were detonated at 1400 hours, following a six-hour delay in towing the ship into position.<ref name=Draper/> Canberra was inspected the next day by civilian clearance divers to ensure she had settled safely.<ref name=Draper/> The wreck was opened to the public as a dive site on 5 December, after four mooring pylons for dive boats were installed and safety checks and remedial work were carried out.<ref>ABC News, New 'underwater playground' for scuba divers</ref> In early 2011, Parks Victoria posted a warning that the port side of the hangar had separated from the rest of the superstructure, with frames and plating shifting up to Template:Convert.<ref>West, Call to stop scuttling as sister ship breaks up</ref> In mid-2011, Parks Victoria closed the dive site due to safety concerns following further degradation of the frigate.<ref>Ocean Grove Voice, Ship temporarily shut</ref> After assessment, the site was reopened on 24 October 2011.<ref>Best, Wreck re-opens</ref>

As part of an overhaul of the RAN battle honours system, completed in March 2010, Canberra was retroactively awarded the battle honour "Persian Gulf 2002" for her service during the war in Afghanistan.<ref name=newhonours>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=honourslist>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

CitationsEdit

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