From Daily Escape

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Established in 1911, the RAN was formed out of the Commonwealth Naval Forces to become the small navy of Australia after federation, consisting of the former colonial navies of the new Australian states. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom continued to provide blue-water defence in the Pacific until World War II, when expansion of the RAN saw the acquisition of aircraft carriers, and other large surface vessels.

Today the RAN is one of the largest naval forces in the Pacific region and has a significant presence in the Indian Ocean, and has undertaken operations in support of military campaigns and peacekeeping missions worldwide.

Vice Admiral Russ Shalders is the current Chief of Navy and was appointed to this position in 2005.

Current Fleet

Combatants

HMAS Australia with HTMS Chakri Nareubet

HMAS Hobart underway

HMAS Warramunga on exercise

Adelaide class Frigate launching Harpoon missile

HMAS Rankin returns from deployment

HMAS Kanimbla

• 2 Australia class Aircraft Carriers [1]
  • HMAS Australia
  • HMAS Queen Elizabeth II
• 3 Hobart class Guided Missile Destroyers
  • HMAS Hobart
  • HMAS Brisbane
  • HMAS Sydney
• 12 ANZAC class Frigates [2]
  • HMAS ANZAC
  • HMAS Te Kaha
  • HMAS Arunta
  • HMAS Te Mana
  • HMAS Warramunga
  • HMAS Stuart
  • HMAS Parramatta
  • HMAS Ballarat
  • HMAS Toowoomba
  • HMAS Perth
  • HMAS Fremantle
  • HMAS Endeavour
• 6 Adelaide class Frigates [3]
  • HMAS Adelaide
  • HMAS Sydney
  • HMAS Darwin
  • HMAS Melbourne
  • HMAS Newcastle
  • HMAS Auckland
• 12 Armidale class Patrol Boats [4]
  • HMAS Armidale
  • HMAS Larrakia
  • HMAS Bathurst
  • HMAS Albany
  • HMAS Pirie
  • HMAS Maitland
  • HMAS Ararat
  • HMAS Broome
  • HMAS Bundaberg
  • HMAS Wollongong
  • HMAS Childers
  • HMAS Launceston
• 8 Collins class Submarines [5]
  • HMAS Collins
  • HMAS Farncomb
  • HMAS Waller
  • HMAS Dechaineux
  • HMAS Sheean
  • HMAS Rankin
  • HMAS Orion
  • HMAS Oxley
• 2 Canberra class Large Amphibious Ship [6]
  • HMAS Canberra
  • HMAS Wellington
• 2 Kanimbla class Landing Platform Amphibious [7]
  • HMAS Kanimbla
  • HMAS Manoora
• 8 Balikpapan class Landing Craft, Heavy
  • HMAS Balikpapan
  • HMAS Brunei
  • HMAS Labuan
  • HMAS Tarakan
  • HMAS Wewak
  • HMAS Salamaua
  • HMAS Buna
  • HMAS Betano
• 6 Huon class minehunters

Fleet Auxiliaries

HMAS Success in the Arafura Sea

• 2 Durance class Replenishment Oilers
  • HMAS Success
  • HMAS Endurance
• 1 Fleet Oiler
  • HMAS Sirius
• 1 Sail Training Ship
  • STS Young Endeavour
• 2 Leeuwin class ocean survey vessels
• 2 Paluma class coastal survey vessels

Fleet Air Arm

Fleet Air Arm AV-8B Harrier II Plus

Fleet Air Arm S-70B-2 Seahawk

• 3 Squadrons of Boeing AV-8B Harrier II Plus (36 aircraft in total)
• 3 Squadrons of S-70B-2 Seahawk (48 aircraft in total)
• 1 Squadron of NHIndustries MRH-90 (10 aircraft in total)
• 1 Squadron of Westland Sea King Mk.50 (10 aircraft in total, to be replaced by NH90)
• 1 Squadron of Aerospatiale AS 350BA Squirrel (12 aircraft in total)
• 1 Squadron of Westland Sea King ASaC Mk.57 (6 aircraft in total, Australian version of Sea King ASaC.7)

Destroyers carry two S-70B-2 Seahawks. Frigates typically carry one or two S-70B-2 Seahawks. Sea Kings, and MRH-90s are generally land based, but are routinely deployed to HMAS Success, Endurance, and Sirius for Vertical Replenishment operations. They can also be deployed to the RAN's Amphibious ships.

The aircraft carriers HMAS Australia, and HMAS Queen Elizabeth II each carry 12 AV-8B Harrier II Plus, 8 S-70B-2 Seahawks, and two Sea King ASaC Mk.57.

The RAN's AS 350BA Squirrel helicopters are based mostly at HMAS Albatross, the RAN's Naval Air Station in Nowra, New South Wales.

Clearance Diving Teams

The Clearance Diving Teams (CDT) of the Royal Australian Navy also act as commando frogmen: they consist of naval personnel who are qualified in diving, demolitions, underwater repairs, and reconnaissance. They fulfil a Maritime Counter-Terrorist role as part of the waterborne troop of the Tactical Assault Group East (TAG EAST).

• Clearance Diving Team One (AUSCDT ONE); assigned to the east of Australia and based at HMAS Waterhen in New South Wales
• Clearance Diving Team Four (AUSCDT FOUR); assigned to the west of Australia and based at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia
• Clearance Diving Team Three (AUSCDT THREE) (formed from personnel of both teams on combat deployments)

The Clearance Diving Teams are usually under the control of Australian Special Operations Command.

Commissioned Shore Establishments

• HMAS Kuttabul - Fleet Base East
• HMAS Stirling - Fleet Base West
• HMAS Albatross - NAS Nowra
• HMAS Waterhen - Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Group
• HMAS Cairns
• HMAS Coonawarra
• HMAS Harman - Naval Communications Area Master Station Australia
• HMAS Creswell - Royal Australian Naval College
• HMAS Cerberus - Royal Australian Navy Recruit School
• HMAS Penguin
• HMAS Watson - Radar Training School

Australian White Ensign

This is the Australian White Ensign, it is flown from all RAN commissioned ships, and all RAN commissioned shore establishments.

Australian Defence Force
Australian Army | Royal Australian Air Force | Royal Australian Navy