HMAS Stuart (FFH 153)
Template:Short description Template:Other ships Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English
Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsHMAS Stuart (FFH 153) is an Anzac-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). She was built at Williamstown in Victoria, and commissioned into the RAN in 2002. The frigate is operational as of 2021.
Design and constructionEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The Anzac class originated from RAN plans to replace the six River-class destroyer escorts with a mid-capability patrol frigate.<ref name=Jones244 /><ref>Template:Harvnb</ref><ref name=GrazebrookSail>Template:Cite journal</ref> The Australian shipbuilding industry was thought to be incapable of warship design, so the RAN decided to take a proven foreign design and modify it.<ref name=Jones244/><ref name=GrazebrookSail/> Around the same time, the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) was looking to replace four Leander-class frigates; a deterioration in New Zealand-United States relations, the need to improve alliances with nearby nations, and the commonalities between the RAN and RNZN ships' requirements led the two nations to begin collaborating on the acquisition in 1987.<ref name=Greener239 /><ref name=Jones245 /> Tenders were requested by the Anzac Ship Project at the end of 1986, with 12 ship designs (including an airship) submitted.<ref name=Jones244/><ref name=Greener30 /> By August 1987, the tenders were narrowed down in October to Blohm + Voss's MEKO 200 design, the M class (later Karel Doorman class) offered by Royal Schelde, and a scaled-down Type 23 frigate proposed by Yarrow Shipbuilders.<ref name=Jones245/><ref name=Greener31 /> In 1989, the Australian government announced that Melbourne-based shipbuilder AMECON (which became Tenix Defence) would build the modified MEKO 200 design.<ref name=GrazebrookSail /><ref name=Jones245/><ref name=Greener31 /> The Australians ordered eight ships, while New Zealand ordered two, with an unexercised option for two more.<ref name=Wertheim20 /><ref name=Greener434 />
The Anzacs are based on Blohm + Voss' MEKO 200 PN (or Vasco da Gama-class) frigates, modified to meet Australian and New Zealand specifications and maximise the use of locally built equipment.<ref name=Wertheim201 /><ref name=GrazebrookSail/> Each frigate has a Template:Convert full load displacement.<ref name=Sharpe25.470 /> The ships are Template:Convert long at the waterline, and Template:Convert long overall, with a beam of Template:Convert, and a full load draught of Template:Convert.<ref name=Sharpe25.470/> A Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion machinery layout is used, with a single, Template:Convert General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbine and two Template:Convert MTU 12V1163 TB83 diesel engines driving the ship's two controllable-pitch propellers.<ref name=Sharpe25.470/><ref name=GrazebrookSail/> Maximum speed is Template:Convert, and maximum range is over Template:Convert at Template:Convert; about 50% greater than other MEKO 200 designs.<ref name=Sharpe25.470/><ref name=GrazebrookSail/><ref name=Wertheim21 /> The standard ship's company of an Anzac consists of 22 officers and 141 sailors.<ref name=Sharpe25.470/>
As designed, the main armament for the frigate is a 5-inch 54 calibre Mark 45 gun, supplemented by an eight-cell Mark 41 vertical launch system (for RIM-7 Sea Sparrow or RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles), two Template:Convert machine guns, and two Mark 32 triple torpedo tube sets (initially firing Mark 46 torpedoes, but later upgraded to use the MU90 Impact torpedo).<ref name=Sharpe25.470/><ref name=GrazebrookSail/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> They were also designed for but not with a close-in weapons system (two Mini Typhoons fitted when required from 2005 onwards), two quad-canister Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers (which were installed across the RAN vessels from 2005 onwards), and a second Mark 41 launcher (which has not been added).<ref name=GrazebrookSail/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The Australian Anzacs use a Sikorsky S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopter; plans to replace them with Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprites were cancelled in 2008 due to ongoing problems.<ref name=GrazebrookSail/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=Forbes>Template:Cite news</ref>
Stuart was laid down at Williamstown, Victoria on 25 July 1998.<ref name=Wertheim20 /> The ship was assembled from six hull modules and six superstructure modules; the superstructure modules were fabricated in Whangarei, New Zealand, and hull modules were built at both Williamstown and Newcastle, New South Wales, with final integration at Williamstown.<ref name=GrazebrookSail/> She was launched on 17 April 1999<ref name=Wertheim20 /> by the wife of Admiral Chris Barrie, the Chief of the Defence Force,Template:Citation needed and commissioned into the RAN on 17 August 2002.<ref name=Wertheim20 />
Operational historyEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In April 2003, Stuart was used to capture Pong Su, a North Korean-owned freighter involved in drug smuggling operations.<ref name=CornfordMalkin>Template:Cite news</ref> Several people were arrested ashore as part of an Australian Federal Police operation on 16 April, but Pong Su refused police orders to sail to the nearest port.<ref name=CornfordMalkin/> A New South Wales Police launch attempted to detain the ship, off Eden, New South Wales on 18 April, but was unable to do so because of heavy seas.<ref name=CornfordMalkin/> Stuart was deployed to board and capture the merchantman after scrounging sailors from other ships to make up for those on leave for the Easter weekend, embarking a Seahawk helicopter, and taking onboard special forces personnel from the Special Air Service Regiment and the Clearance Diving Team.<ref name=CornfordMalkin/> Accompanied by two police launches, Stuart intercepted Pong Su Template:Convert off Sydney on 20 April.<ref name=CornfordMalkin/> The special forces successfully boarded the ship, and she was sailed to Sydney by a RAN steaming party.<ref name=CornfordMalkin/>
In 2004, Stuart was deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Catalyst. On 24 April, Stuart, the patrol boat Template:USS, and the cruiser Template:USS were patrolling around the Al Başrah Oil Terminal (ABOT) and Khor Al Amaya Oil Terminal (KAAOT), with StuartTemplate:'s commanding officer in tactical control of the two American warships.<ref name=Shovell>Template:Cite news</ref> Around 19:00, a dhow sailed into the KAAOT security zone.<ref name=Shovell/> Firebolt sent a RHIB to board the dhow and order the vessel away, but as the RHIB drew alongside, the dhow exploded.<ref name=Shovell/> Stuart, Template:Convert away, began sailing to assist, while the Australian ship's S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopter, Template:Convert away diverted to the explosion site.<ref name=Shovell/> The Seahawk and a RHIB from Stuart began assisting survivors from FireboltTemplate:'s boarding party; after experiencing difficulty in handling the injured Americans, the Seahawk's sensor operator dived into the water to assist.<ref name=Shovell/> Casualties were brought aboard Firebolt, then transferred by helicopter and boat to Stuart.<ref name=Shovell/> Meanwhile, two more dhows attempted to attack ABOT—the explosion of the first dhow was the prelude to a coordinated attack on the oil terminal—but were fended off by the facility's Iraqi security team and detonated before reaching their targets.<ref name=Shovell/> Three of the seven personnel aboard FireboltTemplate:'s RHIB were killed, and the other four were seriously injured.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Seahawk's sensor operator was later awarded the Medal for Gallantry for his actions during the incident.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In February 2006, fire broke out about Template:HMNZS, StuartTemplate:'s sister ship, during an exercise off the coast of Australia. Te ManaTemplate:'s Seasprite helicopter was diverted to Stuart, while the fire was put out by the crew.<ref name=NZfire>Template:Cite news</ref>
On the morning of 13 March 2009, Stuart was one of seventeen warships involved in a ceremonial fleet entry and fleet review in Sydney Harbour, the largest collection of RAN ships since the Australian Bicentenary in 1988.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The frigate was one of the thirteen ships involved in the ceremonial entry through Sydney Heads, and anchored in the harbour for the review.
On 22 March 2011, while operating off Somalia as part of Combined Task Force 151, Stuart machine-gunned an unmanned skiff being towed by MV Sinar Kudus, a hijacked cargo carrier operating as a pirate mother ship.<ref name=Oakes26Mar11>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The skiff was destroyed.<ref name=Oakes26Mar11/> This was the first time an Australian warship had fired in anger at Somali pirates.<ref name=Oakes26Mar11/>
On 11 April 2011, Stuart interdicted the Yemeni-flagged dhow named Al Shahar 75. A boarding party from the frigate rescued three crew members being held hostage, while the fifteen Somali pirates, who had surrendered as Stuart approached, were allowed to return to their skiff and sail to shore after their weapons and equipment were disposed of.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In October 2013, Stuart participated in the International Fleet Review 2013 in Sydney.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In November 2014, Stuart and sister ship Template:HMAS were deployed to shadow a Russian naval force operating in international waters off Australia during the 2014 G-20 Brisbane summit.<ref name=troubledwaters>Template:Cite news</ref> The Russian deployment was believed to be in response to troubled recent relationships between the two nations.<ref name=troubledwaters/>
Stuart is the last ship of the Anzac class to undergo the Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) upgrade.<ref name=NavalTechnology3Sep15>Template:Cite news</ref> The upgrade will include the fitting of CEA Technologies' CEAFAR and CEAMOUNT phased array radars on new masts, a Vampir NG Infrared Search and Track system, and Sharpeye Navigational Radar Systems, along with improvements to the operations room equipment and layout.<ref name=thenavy16.17>Template:Cite journal</ref> Work commenced in early 2016, and is due to be completed by 2017.<ref name=NavalTechnology3Sep15/>
HMAS Stuart joined KDB Darulehsan, HMAS Sirius, USS Rafael Peralta and RSS Supreme on their way to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in preparation for RIMPAC 2020 on 6 August. RIMPAC 2020 will scheduled to start on 17 August.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The ship participated in Exercise Malabar 2024 which was held from 8 to 18 October.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ReferencesEdit
- Books