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Royal Australian Navy
Active	1911–present
Country	Australia
Type	Navy
Size	14,215 Permanent personnel[1] 8,493 Reserve personnel[1] 48 commissioned ships 3 non-commissioned ships
Part of	Australian Defence Force
Headquarters	Russell Offices, Canberra
Motto(s)	Serving Australia with Pride
March	"Royal Australian Navy"
Anniversaries	10 July
Engagements	World War I World War II Korean War Malayan Emergency Indonesian Confrontation Vietnam War Gulf War War in Afghanistan Iraq War
Website	www.navy.gov.au
Commanders
Commander-in-chief	General Sir Peter Cosgrove As Governor-General of Australia
Chief of the Defence Force	General Angus Campbell
Vice Chief of the Defence Force	Vice Admiral David Johnston
Chief of Navy	Vice Admiral Michael Noonan
Deputy Chief of Navy	Rear Admiral Mark Hammond
Commander Australian Fleet	Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead
Insignia
Naval ensign (1967–present)
Naval jack
Aircraft flown
Reconnaissance	Sikorsky MH-60R
Trainer	Bell 429 GlobalRanger
Transport	NHIndustries NH90

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces. Originally intended for local defence, the navy was granted the title of 'Royal Australian Navy' in 1911, and became increasingly responsible for defence of the region.

Britain's Royal Navy continued to support the RAN and provided additional blue-water defence capability in the Pacific up to the early years of World War II. Then, rapid wartime expansion saw the acquisition of large surface vessels and the building of many smaller warships. In the decade following the war, the RAN acquired a small number of aircraft carriers, the last of these paying off in 1982.

Today, the RAN consists of 48 commissioned vessels, 3 non-commissioned vessels and over 16,000 personnel. The navy is one of the largest and most sophisticated naval forces in the South Pacific region, with a significant presence in the Indian Ocean and worldwide operations in support of military campaigns and peacekeeping missions. The current Chief of Navy is Vice Admiral Michael Noonan.

History

The Commonwealth Naval Forces were established on 1 March 1901, two months after the federation of Australia, when the naval forces of the separate Australian colonies were amalgamated. A period of uncertainty followed as the policy makers sought to determine the newly established force's requirements and purpose, with the debate focusing upon whether Australia's naval force would be structured mainly for local defence or whether it would be designed to serve as a fleet unit within a larger imperial force, controlled centrally by the British Admiralty.^[2] In 1908–09, the decision was made to pursue a compromise solution, and the Australian government agreed to establish a force that would be used for local defence but which would be capable of forming a fleet unit within the imperial naval strategy, albeit without central control. As a result, the navy's force structure was set at "one battlecruiser, three light cruisers, six destroyers and three submarines".^[3]

On 10 July 1911, King George V granted the service the title of "Royal Australian Navy".^[4] The first of the RAN's new vessels, the destroyer Yarra, was completed in September 1910 and by the outbreak of the First World War the majority of the RAN's planned new fleet had been realised.^[3] The Australian Squadron was placed under control of the British Admiralty,^[5] and initially it was tasked with capturing many of Germany's South Pacific colonies and protecting Australian shipping from the German East Asia Squadron. Later in the war, most of the RAN's major ships operated as part of Royal Navy forces in the Mediterranean and North Seas, and then later in the Adriatic, and then the Black Sea following the surrender of the Ottoman Empire.^[3]

In 1919, the RAN received a force of six destroyers, three sloops and six submarines from the Royal Navy,^[6] but throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, the RAN was drastically reduced in size due to a variety of factors including political apathy and economic hardship as a result of the Great Depression.^[7] In this time the focus of Australia's naval policy shifted from defence against invasion to trade protection,^[8] and several fleet units were sunk as targets or scrapped. By 1923, the size of the navy had fallen to eight vessels,^[7] and by the end of the decade it had fallen further to five, with just 3,500 personnel.^[8] In the late 1930s, as international tensions increased, the RAN was modernised and expanded, with the service receiving primacy of funding over the Army and Air Force during this time as Australia began to prepare for war.^[8]

Early in the Second World War, RAN ships again operated as part of Royal Navy formations, many serving with distinction in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean, and off the West African coast.^[9] Following the outbreak of the Pacific War and the virtual destruction of British naval forces in south-east Asia, the RAN operated more independently, or as part of United States Navy formations. As the navy took on an even greater role, it was expanded significantly and at its height the RAN was the fourth-largest navy in the world, with 39,650 personnel operating 337 warships.^[8] A total of 34 vessels were lost during the war, including three cruisers and four destroyers.^[10]

After the Second World War, the size of the RAN was again reduced, but it gained new capabilities with the acquisition of two aircraft carriers, Sydney and Melbourne.^[11] The RAN saw action in many Cold War–era conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region and operated alongside the Royal Navy and United States Navy off Korea, Malaysia, and Vietnam.^[12] Since the end of the Cold War, the RAN has been part of Coalition forces in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, operating in support of Operation Slipper and undertaking counter piracy operations. It was also deployed in support of Australian peacekeeping operations in East Timor and the Solomon Islands.^[13]

RAN today

Command structure

The strategic command structure of the RAN was overhauled during the New Generation Navy changes. The RAN is commanded through Naval Headquarters (NHQ) in Canberra. The professional head is the Chief of Navy (CN), who holds the rank of vice admiral. NHQ is responsible for implementing policy decisions handed down from the Department of Defence and for overseeing tactical and operational issues that are the purview of the subordinate commands.^{[citation needed]}

Beneath NHQ are two subordinate commands:

• 
  Fleet Command: fleet command is led by Commander Australian Fleet (COMAUSFLT). COMAUSFLT holds the rank of rear admiral; previously, this post was Flag Officer Commanding HM's Australian Fleet (FOCAF), created in 1911,^[14] but the title was changed in 1988 to the Maritime Commander Australia. On 1 February 2007, the title changed again, becoming Commander Australian Fleet.^[15] The nominated at-sea commander is Commodore Warfare (COMWAR), a one-star deployable task group commander. Fleet command has responsibility to CN for the full command of assigned assets, and to Joint Operations command for the provision of operationally ready forces.


• 
  Navy Strategic Command: the administrative element overseeing the RAN's training, engineering and logistical support needs. Instituted in 2000, the Systems Commander was appointed at the rank of commodore; in June 2008, the position was upgraded to the rank of rear admiral.

Fleet Command was previously made up of seven Force Element Groups, but after the New Generation Navy changes, this was restructured into four Force Commands:^[16]

• 
  Fleet Air Arm, responsible for the navy's aviation assets


• 
  Mine Warfare, Hydrographic and Patrol Boat Force, an amalgamation of the previous Patrol Boat, Hydrographic, and Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Forces, operating what are collectively termed the RAN's "minor war vessels"


• 
  Submarine Force, operating the Collins-class submarines
  


• Surface Force, covering the RAN's surface combatants (generally ships of frigate size or larger)

Fleet

As of October 2018, the RAN fleet consisted of 48 warships, including destroyers, frigates, submarines, patrol boats and auxiliary ships.^[17] Ships commissioned into the RAN are given the prefix HMAS (His/Her Majesty's Australian Ship).^[18]

The RAN has two primary bases for its fleet:^[19][20]

• Fleet Base East, located at HMAS Kuttabul, Sydney; and


• Fleet Base West, located at HMAS Stirling, near Perth.

In addition, three other bases are home to the majority of the RAN's minor war vessels:^[21][22][23]

• 
  HMAS Cairns, at Cairns;


• 
  HMAS Coonawarra, at Darwin; and


• 
  HMAS Waterhen, at Sydney.

Current ships

The RAN currently operates 48 commissioned vessels, made up of eight ship classes and three individual ships, plus three non-commissioned vessels. In addition, DMS Maritime operates a large number of civilian-crewed vessels under contract to the Australian Defence Force.

Commissioned vessels
Image	Class/name	Type	Number	Entered service	Details
	Collins class	Submarine	6	2000	Anti-shipping, intelligence collection. Diesel-electric powered.
	Canberra class	Landing helicopter dock	2	2014	Amphibious warfare ships.
	Hobart class	Destroyer	2 (1)	2017	Air Warfare Destroyer. One more to be commissioned.
	Anzac class	Frigate	8	1996	Anti-submarine and anti-aircraft frigate with 1 helicopter. Two more were built for the Royal New Zealand Navy.
	Adelaide class	Frigate	2	1985	General-purpose guided-missile frigate with 2 helicopters. Four more ships have been decommissioned.
	Armidale class	Patrol boat	13	2005	Coastal defence, maritime border, and fishery protection. One has been decommissioned
	Huon class	Minehunter	6	1997	Minehunting. Four active, two laid up.
	Leeuwin class	Survey ship	2	2000	Hydrographic survey
	Paluma class	Survey launch	4	1989	Hydrographic survey
	HMAS Choules (Bay class)	Landing Ship Dock	1	2011	Heavy sealift and transport
	HMAS Success (Durance class)	Replenishment ship	1	1986	Replenishment at sea and afloat support
	HMAS Sirius	Replenishment ship	1	2006	Replenishment at sea and afloat support. Modified commercial tanker.
Non-commissioned vessels
	Cape class	Patrol boat	2	2015	Cape Byron and Cape Nelson were leased from the Australian Border Force to supplement Armidales during classwide remediation maintenance. ADV (Australian Defence Vessel) ship prefix.
	STS Young Endeavour	Tall Ship	1	1988	Sail training ship

Aviation

Fleet Air Arm

The Fleet Air Arm (previously known as the Australian Navy Aviation Group) provides the RAN's aviation capability. As of 2018, the FAA consists of two front line helicopter squadrons (one focused on anti-submarine and anti-shipping warfare and the other a transport unit), two training squadrons and a trials squadron.^[24]

LADS Flight

In addition to the helicopter squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm, the RAN operates an additional flying unit that comes under the operational responsibility of the Australian Hydrographic Service. The Laser Airborne Depth Sounder Flight contains the sole remaining fixed-wing aircraft operated by the RAN, and is based at HMAS Cairns in Cairns, Queensland.^[25]

Gallery

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  MRH-90 of 808 Squadron
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  A RAN MH-60R Seahawk
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Bombardier Dash 8 of the LADS Flight
  

  
  

  
  

Clearance Diving Branch

Clearance Divers during a ship boarding exercise in 2006 as a part of RIMPAC exercises.

The Clearance Diving Branch is composed of two Clearance Diving Teams (CDT) that serve as parent units for naval clearance divers:

• Clearance Diving Team 1 (AUSCDT ONE), based at HMAS Waterhen in New South Wales; and


• Clearance Diving Team 4 (AUSCDT FOUR), based at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia.

When clearance divers are sent into combat, Clearance Diving Team Three (AUSCDT THREE) is formed.

The CDTs have two primary roles:

• Mine counter-measures (MCM) and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD); and


• Maritime tactical operations.

Future

HMAS Canberra, a Canberra-class landing helicopter dock, being fitted out in 2013

Hobart, the lead ship of the RAN's new class of air-warfare destroyers, under construction in 2015

There are currently several major projects underway that will see upgrades to RAN capabilities:

• 
  Project SEA 1180 Phase 1 will replace the Armidale-class patrol boat with twelve new Offshore Patrol Vessels to be constructed by Lürssen. Construction will commence in Q4 2018, with the first vessel to enter service in Q4 2021.^[26]
  


• 
  Project SEA 1429 Phase 2 will upgrade the Collins-class submarines with state-of-the-art heavyweight torpedoes.^[27]
  


• 
  Project SEA 1439 Phase 3 will upgrade the Collins-class submarine platform systems and improve 'reliability, sustainability, safety and capability'.^[28]
  


• 
  Project SEA 1439 Phase 4A will equip the Collins-class submarines with the United States Navy Combat and Weapon Control System, as well as improvements to the combat system augmentation sonar system. Shore facilities relating to integration, training, and testing will also be upgraded. Expected to achieve Final Operating Capability in December 2018.^[29]
  


• 
  Project SEA 1654 Phase 3 is a project to acquire a Sea Logistic Support and Replenishment Support vessel to replace the supply ship HMAS Success.


• 
  Project SEA 4000 Phase 3, under which the RAN will acquire three Hobart-class air warfare destroyers, built around the United States Navy Aegis air and surface combat management system. The vessels are to be based on the Spanish Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate.^[30][31] As of June 2018, one is in active service and two are currently under construction.


• 
  Project SEA 5000 Phase 1, where nine Hunter-class frigates to replace the Anzac-class frigates. The vessels will be built in Adelaide by BAE Systems and will be a variation of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship to be operated by the Royal Navy.^[32]
  

Future procurement plans include:

• Twelve Future Submarines, under Project SEA 1000, to replace the Collins-class (up to 4,000 tons, potentially equipped with cruise missiles and minisubs).

Current operations

The RAN currently has forces deployed on four major operations:^[33]

• 
  Operation Highroad: Australia's commitment to the International Coalition forces in Afghanistan;


• Operation Resolute: border protection;


• Operation Manitou: counter-piracy, counter-terrorism and maritime stability in the Middle East; and


• Operation Accordion: support operation to provide sustainment to forces deployed on Operations Highroad and Manitou.

Personnel

A female RAN officer in 2014. Women serve in the RAN in combat roles and at sea.

As of June 2011, the RAN has 14,215 permanent full-time personnel, 161 gap year personnel, and 2,150 reserve personnel.^[34] The permanent full-time force consisted of 3,357 commissioned officers, and 10,697 enlisted personnel.^[34] In June 2010, male personnel made up 82% of the permanent full-time force, while female personnel made up 18%.^[35] The RAN has the highest percentage of women in the ADF, compared to the RAAF's 17.8% and the Army's 9.7%.^[35]

The following are the current senior Royal Australian Navy officers:

• 
  Vice Admiral David Johnston – Vice Chief of the Defence Force
  


• Vice Admiral Michael Noonan – Chief of Navy
  


• 
  Rear Admiral Mark Hammond – Deputy Chief of Navy
  


• Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead – Commander Australian Fleet
  


• Rear Admiral Peter Quinn – Head Navy Capability


• Rear Admiral Colin Lawrence – Head Navy Engineering


• Rear Admiral Bruce Kafer – Director-General Australian Navy Cadets and Reserves^[36]
  


• 
  Commodore Brett Brace – Hydrographer of Australia^[36]
  


• 
  Warrant Officer Gary Wight – Warrant Officer of the Navy
  

Ranks and uniforms

Royal Australian Navy sailors in 2010

The uniforms of the Royal Australian Navy are very similar in cut, colour and insignia to their British Royal Navy forerunners. However, beginning with the Second World War, all RAN personnel began wearing shoulder flashes reading Australia, a practice continuing today. These are cloth arcs at shoulder height on uniforms, metallic gold on officers' shoulder boards, and embroidered on shoulder slip-ons.

Commissioned officers

Commissioned officers of the Australian Navy have pay grades ranging from S-1 to O-11. The only O-11 position in the navy is honorary and has only ever been held by royalty, currently being held by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The highest position occupied in the current Royal Australian Navy structure is O-9, a vice admiral who serves as the Chief of the Navy. O-8 (rear admiral) to O-11 (admiral of the fleet) are referred to as flag officers, O-5 (commander) and above are referred to as senior officers, while S-1 (midshipman) to O-4 (lieutenant commander) are referred to as junior officers. All officers of the navy receive a commission from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The commissioning scroll issued in recognition of the commission is signed by the Governor General of Australia as Commander-in-Chief and the serving Minister for Defence.^{[citation needed]}

Naval officers are trained at the Royal Australian Naval College (HMAS Creswell) in Jervis Bay, New South Wales and the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra.^[37]

Commissioned officer rank structure of the Royal Australian Navy
Admiral of the Fleet	Admiral	Vice Admiral	Rear Admiral	Commodore	Captain
O-11	O-10	O-9	O-8	O-7	O-6
AF	ADML	VADM	RADM	CDRE	CAPT

Commander	Lieutenant Commander	Lieutenant	Sub Lieutenant	Acting Sub Lieutenant	Midshipman
O-5	O-4	O-3	O-2	O-1	S-1
CMDR	LCDR	LEUT	SBLT	ASLT	MIDN

Chaplain

Chaplains in the Royal Australian Navy are commissioned officers who complete the same training as other officers in the RAN at the Royal Australian Naval College, HMAS Creswell. RAN regulations group RAN chaplains with commanders for purposes of protocol such as marks of respect (saluting); however, RAN chaplains have no other rank other than "chaplain", and their rank emblem is identifiable by a Maltese cross with gold anchor. Senior chaplains are grouped with captains, and principal chaplains are grouped with commodores, but their chaplain rank slide remains the same. Principal chaplains, however, have gold braid on the peak of their white service cap.^{[citation needed]}

depiction of RAN Chaplains shoulder rank slide

Other ranks

Other ranks
Warrant Officer of the Navy	Warrant Officer	Chief Petty Officer		Petty Officer	Leading Seaman		Able Seaman	Seaman
E-10	E-9	E-8	E-7	E-6	E-5	E-4	E-3	E-2
			(No rank)			(No rank)
WO-N	WO	CPO		PO	LS		AB	SMN

Royal Australian Navy sailors from HMAS Sydney during Operation Northern Trident 2009

Royal Australian Navy Other Ranks wear "right arm rates" insignia, called "Category Insignia" to indicate speciality training qualifications.^{[38][better source needed]} The use pattern mirrors that of the Royal Navy, and has since formation.^{[citation needed]} Stars or a Crown are added to these to indicate higher qualifications.^{[citation needed]}

Special insignia

The Warrant Officer of the Navy (WO-N) is an appointment held by the most senior sailor in the RAN, and holds the rank of warrant officer (WO). However, the WO-N does not wear the WO rank insignia; instead, they wear the special insignia of the appointment.^[39] The WO-N appointment has similar equivalent appointments in the other services, each holding the rank of warrant officer, each being the most senior sailor/soldier/airman in that service, and each wearing their own special insignia rather than their rank insignia. The Australian Army equivalent is the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army (RSM-A)^[40] and the Royal Australian Air Force equivalent is the Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF).^[41]

See also

• Australian Navy Cadets


• Australian White Ensign


• Battle and theatre honours of the Royal Australian Navy


• Royal Australian Navy School of Underwater Medicine

References

Notes

Bibliography

• 
  Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey; Morris, Ewan; Prior, Robin (1995). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-553227-9.
  


• 
  Frame, Tom (2004). No Pleasure Cruise: The Story of the Royal Australian Navy. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-74114-233-4.
  


• 
  Gillett, Ross; Graham, Colin (1977). Warships of Australia. Adelaide, South Australia: Rigby. ISBN 0-7270-0472-7.
  


• 
  Whitley, M. J. (2000) [1988]. Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Cassell. ISBN 1-85409-521-8.
  

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Royal Australian Navy.

• 
  Royal Australian Navy home page
  
  • Historical listing of RAN ships
  
  


• Maritimequest Royal Australian Navy photo gallery


• Biographies of senior RAN officers


• Royal and Dominion Navies in World War II, Campaigns, Battles, Warship losses


• ADF Pay & Conditions Manual - Equivalent ranks and classifications