HMAS Leeuwin (A 245)
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| HMAS Leeuwin operating off Singapore in 2011
HMAS Leeuwin operating off Singapore in 2010
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia |
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| Namesake: | Cape Leeuwin |
| Ordered: | 2 April 1996 |
| Builder: | NQEA Australia, Cairns |
| Launched: | 19 July 1997 |
| Commissioned: | 27 May 2000 |
| Homeport: | HMAS Cairns |
| Motto: | I Shall Maintain |
| Status: | Active as of 2016 |
| Badge: |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | [Leeuwin-class survey vessel |
| Displacement: | 2,170 tons |
| Length: | 71.2 m (234 ft) |
| Beam: | 15.2 m (50 ft) |
| Draught: | 4.3 m (14 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Range: | 18,000 nautical miles (33,000 km; 21,000 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) |
| Complement: | 10 officers, 46 sailors, up to 5 trainees |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
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| Armament: | 2 × 12.7 mm machine guns |
| Aircraft carried: | 1 × AS 350B Squirrel (not permanently embarked) |
HMAS Leeuwin (HS 01/A 245) is the lead ship of the Leeuwin class of hydrographic survey vessels operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Design and construction
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Leeuwin has a displacement of 2,170 tons at full load.[1] She is 71.2 metres (234 ft) long, with a beam of 15.2 metres (50 ft), and a draught of 4.3 metres (14 ft).[1] Main propulsion machinery consists of four GEC Alsthom 6RK 215 diesel generators, which supply two Alsthom electric motors, each driving a propeller shaft.[1] A Schottel bow thruster is fitted for additional manoeuvrability.[1] Maximum speed is 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph), with a range of 18,000 nautical miles (33,000 km; 21,000 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph).[1]
The sensor suite consists of a STN Atlas 9600 APRA I-band navigational radar, a C-Tech CMAS 36/39 hull-mounted sonar, an Atlas Fansweep-20 multibeam echo sounder, an Atlas Hydrographic Deso single-beam echo sounder, and a Klein 2000 towed sonar.[1] The sonars and echo sounders allow the vessels to chart waters up to 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) deep.[2] There are three sets of davits fitted to carry Fantome-class survey boats.[1] The ship is fitted with a helicopter deck for an AS 350B Squirrel helicopter (detached from 723 Squadron), although there are no long-term hosting facilities.[1] She is armed with two single 12.7 mm machine guns.[2] The ship's company consists of 10 officers and 46 sailors, plus up to 5 trainees.[1] The Leeuwin class were the first RAN ships to use a multi-crewing concept,[citation needed] with three complements used to operate the two vessels.[2]
Leeuwin was ordered from NQEA Australia on 2 April 1996, and built at the company's shipyard in Cairns.[1] She was laid down on 9 May 1997 and launched on 23 June 1998.[2] Leeuwin and sister ship Melville underwent a joint commissioning ceremony on 27 May 2000.[1] Leeuwin initially carried the pennant number "HS 01", but this was changed to "A 245" in 2004.[2] She is named after Cape Leeuwin, the south-west-most point of the Australian continent.
Operational history
In late 2001, Leeuwin began to operate in support of border protection operations in addition to her normal hydrographic duties.[2][3] In January 2002, Leeuwin was repainted from white to grey.[2][3]
In October 2013, Leeuwin participated in the International Fleet Review 2013 in Sydney.[4] The fleet was reviewed by Governor-General Quentin Bryce on 5 October from Leeuwin's helicopter deck, with Bryce accompanied by Prince Harry.[5]
Leeuwin sailed to Fiji in July 2015 for a seabed-mapping operation around Rotuma Island.[6] This was the first RAN deployment to the region in eight years, since the deterioration of ties between the nations after the 2006 Fijian coup d'état.[6]
Citations
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Saunders (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships 2008–2009, p. 33
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Wertheim (ed.), The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, p. 26
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bateman et al., in Rothwell & VanderZwaag (eds.), Towards principled ocean governance, p. 130
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References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to HMAS Leeuwin (A 245). |
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