THE NAVY SlfiO - Navy League of Australia

The Small General Purpose Escort
F
By Ross
Gillett
During the seventh decade of the 20th century, the Royal Australian Navy undertook the design
of a new "middle of the range" General Purpose Escort (CPE).
ew particulars survive of the 1960s
effort except for a broad outline of the
characteristics and proposed
armament. The GPE was required to satisfy
a broad cross range ot wartime and
peacetime duties. These included a surface
to surface role, with a sufficient anti-aircraft
capability. Anti-submarine weapons were
to include six Mk 4b Mod C) or Mod 1
torpedoes fired from Mk 32 tubes.
The 330 foot long escort was to boast
a 34 foot moulded breadth and 11 foot
deep draught. Maximum displacement
was 1.800 tons. A combined diesel/gas
turbine power plant was considered with
a top speed of 37 knots. Endurance was
7.100 miles at 12 knots, reducing to
5.200 at 15 knots and 3.700 miles at 18
knots. A fuel capacity of 200 tons was
envisaged.
To arm the proposed class of GPEs,
naval authorities agreed on a well
balanced outfit ot weapons. A single
Seacat triple launcher for the sub-sonic
anti-aircraft missiles would be fitted abaft
the after superstructure. The main five
inch 54 calibre Mod 0 gun on a Mk 45
mounting was placed forward of the
bridge on No 1 deck, with the two
Hispano-Suiza single barrelled 20mm
guns port and starboard of the Seacat
director on 01 deck. Two Mk 32 torpedo
tubes were to be carried, port and
starboard on the stern of No 1 deck.
Small arms in the form of L2A1 rifles
(four in number). Owen 9mm carbines
(6). L1A1 rifles (30) and Browning pistols
(6) were to be embarked for the patrol
role in northern Australian waters.
Two MODINI type rocket flare
launchers forward of the bridge on 01
deck were included, along with 5 ini h
starshell and one Xenon-Arc searchlight.
Countermeasures equipment included
Knebworth-Corvus Window launchers
and Nixie torpedo decoys.
No names were ever allotted to the
I
Artists impression of the 1960s proposed General Purpose Escort
class of General Purpose Escorts,
although a sketch of the design has the
prototvpe allotted the 007 hull number.
With the entry into service of the Attack
class patrol boats and the decision to
design and build three light destroyers
(DDLs) in Australia, the project to acquire
GPEs was finally dropped.
In 1995, the RAN is in the process of
designing a new class of GPEs, now
known as Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs),
intended lo replace the Fremantle class
patrol boats.
KAKADU II
...A Photo Essay
By Antony
Underwood
More than 5000 sailors and airmen from eight nations recently gathered in Darwin to participate in the
first major event on the RAN's 1995 calendar.
Stem view of the Kakadu Two Ships. (Photo - AHPH Tracy Casteleijn)
SMALL GENERAL PURPOSE ESCORT
GENERAL ARRANGEMENT
SHEET N* I
F
leet Concentration Period (FCP)
Kakadu Two. with 22 ships, two
submarines and more than 35
aircraft, represented a significant advance
on Kakadu One conducted in May 1993.
It was also a good example of the
value of lateral thinking both in terms of
deriving maximum benefits from a
limited number of steaming days and
aircraft hours and of improving regional
security.
The first FCP of the year could have
remained a domestic workup...or one
with some input from New Zealand.
However, thanks to the decision to
reorient it to the north every other year,
the steaming days and aircraft hours for
the FCP are woven into a richer tapestry
with those of visiting navies and air
forces.
Not only are there more ships and
aircraft but there is also more variety in
RAN commitment
considerably greater
assets and the sensors and weapons
systems with which they are fitted.
And the second FCP Kakadu showed
increasing South East Asian interest.
The RAN commitment was
considerably greater with guided missile
destroyer (DDG) HMAS HOBART; guided
missile frigates (FFGs) HMA Ships
ADELAIDE, CANBERRA, SYDNEY,
DARWIN and NEWCASTLE; destroyer
escort (DE) HMAS SWAN'; HMA
Submarines ORION and ONSLOW;
replenishment vessels HMA Ships
SUCCESS and WESTRALIA; patrol boats
HMA Ships CESSNOCK. WHYALLA and
GERALDTON; an HC723 Squadron
HS748 and Clearance Diving Team One.
The Royal Malaysian Navy increased
its commitment to two corvettes instead
of one and the Royal Thai Navy sent a
surface combatant to FCP Kakadu Two
rather than the training ship sent to
inaugural Kakadu.
Indonesia, represented with observers
only at FCP Kakadu One, sent a major
fleet unit, KRI Fatahillah. to participate in
the Harbour Phase of Kakadu Two. Their
observers joined observers from the
Philippines for the sea phase of the most
recent FCP.
In the sea phase, while night steaming
in company, officer of the watch
manoeuvres and fire and damage control
exercises were general fealures of both
Kakadus, the availability of two
submarines, embarked S70B2 Seahawks
and P3C Orion aircraft of both the RAAF
and RNZAF in FCP Kakadu Two, made
6 The Navy, July-September 1995
The Navy, My September 1995 7