Royal Australian Navy

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, 4 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 Tim Barrett.

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. In 1908â€"09, the decision was made to pursue a compromise solution and Australia 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".

On 10 July 1911, King George V granted the title of "Royal Australian Navy". The first of the RAN's new vessels, the destroyer Yarra, was completed in September 1910 and by the outbreak of World War I, the majority of the RAN's new fleet had been realised. The Australian Squadron was placed under control of the British Admiralty, 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 Turkish Empire.

In 1919, the RAN received a force of six destroyers, three sloops and six submarines from the Royal Navy, 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. In this time the focus of Australia's naval policy shifted from defence against invasion to trade protection, and several fleet units were either sunk as targets or scrapped. In 1923, the size of the navy had fallen to eight vessels, and by the end of the decade it had fallen further to just five, with just 3,500 personnel. 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.

Early in World War II, 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. 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 forces. 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. A total of 34 vessels were lost during the war, including three cruisers and four destroyers.

After World War II, the size of the RAN was again reduced, but it gained new capabilities with the delivery of two aircraft carriers. The RAN saw action in many Cold Warâ€"era conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region and operated alongside the Royal Navy and United States Navy off Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam. 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 also deployed in support of Australian operations in East Timor and the Solomon Islands.

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.

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, but the title was changed in 1988 to the Maritime Commander Australia. On 1 February 2007, the title changed again, becoming Commander Australian Fleet. 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:

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 2015, the RAN fleet consists of 48 warships, including frigates, submarines, patrol boats and auxiliary ships. Ships commissioned into the RAN are given the prefix HMAS (His/Her Majesty's Australian Ship).

The RAN has two primary bases for its fleet:

Fleet Base East, located at HMASÂ Kuttabul, Sydney; and
Fleet Base West, located at HMASÂ Stirling, near Perth.

In addition, three other bases are home to the majority of the RAN's minor war vessels:

HMASÂ Cairns, at Cairns; and
HMASÂ Coonawarra, at Darwin;
HMASÂ Waterhen, at Sydney.

Current ships

The RAN currently operates 48 commissioned vessels, made up of eight ship classes, and four individual ships plus four non-commissioned vessels.

Aviation

Fleet Air Arm

The Fleet Air Arm (previously known as the Australian Navy Aviation Group) provides the RAN's aviation capability. As of 2013, the FAA consists of three active squadrons plus a fourth being activated, operating five helicopter types in the anti-submarine warfare and maritime support roles. The Fleet Air Arm is based at HMASÂ Albatross in Nowra, New South Wales, and operates from the RAN's frigates, large amphibious warfare vessels, and large support ships.

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 HMASÂ Cairns in Cairns, Queensland.

Gallery

Clearance Diving Teams

The RAN has two Clearance Diving Teams 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 RAN personnel 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

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

Project AIR 9000 Phase 8 is a project to replace the RAN's Seahawk (and cancelled Kaman SH-2G(A) Super Seasprite) helicopters with 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters.
Project JP 2048 Phases 4A and 4B is a project to build two Canberra-class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) amphibious ships (based on the Spanish Buque de ProyecciÃ³n EstratÃ©gica). These will be the largest RAN warships ever commissioned and will replace HMAS Tobruk and a Kanimbla-class vessel. The first ship, HMASÂ Canberra, was commissioned in November 2014, and the second ship, HMASÂ Adelaide, will be operational in 2016.
Project JP 2048 Phase 3 will provide six Heavy Landing Craft to replace the RAN's Balikpapan-class vessels. The project is planned to deliver capability in 2014â€"2016.
Project SEA 1390 Phase 2.1 will see the upgrading of four Adelaide-class guided missile frigates with enhanced weapons and electronics.
Project SEA 1429 will upgrade the Collins-class submarines with state-of-the-art heavyweight torpedoes.
Project SEA 1439 Phase 4A will equip the Collins-class submarines with a new tactical combat system.
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, 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 Ãlvaro de BazÃ¡n-class frigate.

To boost the RAN's amphibious capability until the arrival of the Canberra-class LHDs, the RAN acquired HMASÂ Choules (a former Bay class landing ship of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary) in December 2011, and the support vessel ADVÂ Ocean Shield in June 2012.

Future procurement plans include:

twelve Future Submarines, under Project SEA 1000, to replace the Collins-class (up to 4,000 tons, equipped with cruise missiles and minisubs);
eight Future Frigates to replace the Anzac-class frigates (possibly up to 7,000 tons and equipped with cruise missiles);
twenty Offshore Combatant Vessels, under Project SEA 1180, to replace the Armidale, Huon, Leeuwin, and Paluma classes (up to 2000 tons); and
one Strategic Sealift Vessel to replace the second Kanimbla-class ship (~15,000 tons, similar to the Spanish Galicia-class landing platform dock).

Current operations

The RAN currently has forces deployed on four major operations:

Operation Slipper: 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 Slipper and Manitou.

Personnel

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

The following are the current senior Royal Australian Navy officers:

Vice Admiral Ray Griggs â€" Vice Chief of the Defence Force
Vice Admiral David Johnston â€" Chief of Joint Operations
Vice Admiral Tim Barrett â€" Chief of Navy
Rear Admiral Michael van Balen â€" Deputy Chief of Navy
Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer â€" Commander Australian Fleet
Rear Admiral Mark Campbell â€" Head Navy Capability
Rear Admiral Michael Uzzell â€" Head Navy Engineering
Commodore Brett Brace â€" Hydrographer of Australia
Commodore Geoff Geraghty â€" Director-General Australian Navy Cadets and Reserves
Warrant Officer Martin Holzberger â€" Warrant Officer of the Navy

The RAN needs 2,000 recruits, including 700 apprentices, to crew the next generation of warships, such as air warfare destroyers, which enter service next decade. To overcome a lack of Australian recruits, the RAN began to recruit sailors who have been laid off from other western navies.

Ranks and uniforms

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.

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.

Other ranks

Chaplains

RAN chaplains are commissioned officers and wear the uniform of a RAN officer. Like chaplains in the Royal Navy, they do not wear rank insignia, but instead wear epaulettes with a cross-and-anchor insignia. Like other chaplains in the Australian Defence Force, Navy chaplains have five divisions of seniority. Australian Navy chaplains are accorded a certain rank for protocol and ceremonial occasions and for saluting purposes. Division 1, 2 and 3 Australian Navy chaplains are accorded the rank and status as commander (equivalent of lieutenant colonel in the Australian Army). Division 4 Australian Navy chaplains are accorded the rank and status of captain (equivalent of colonel). Division 5 Australian Navy chaplains are "Principal Chaplains," and these three chaplains, representing the three major Christian denominations: Catholic, Anglican and Protestant, are accorded the rank and status of commodore (equivalent of brigadier). Principal Chaplains' uniforms do not differ from other Navy chaplains however they do wear gold braid on the peak of their caps. The title "Padre" for chaplains is less common in the RAN than in the Australian Army, although it is known to be used by many sailors and some Navy chaplains in preference to the more formal title of "Chaplain", or other formal forms of address towards an officer such as "Sir."

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. 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) and the Royal Australian Air Force equivalent is the Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF).

References

Notes

Bibliography

Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey; Morris, Ewan; and Robin Prior (1995). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBNÂ 0-19-553227-9.Â
Frame, Tom (2004). No Pleasure Cruise: The Story of the Royal Australian Navy. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBNÂ 1-74114-233-4.Â
Gillett, Ross; Graham, Colin (1977). Warships of Australia. Adelaide, South Australia: Rigby. ISBNÂ 0-7270-0472-7.Â
Whitley, M. J. (2000) [1988]. Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Cassell. ISBNÂ 1-85409-521-8.Â

External links

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

Royal Australian Navy

Friday, May 1, 2015