Jul and Oct 1986 - Navy League of Australia

FLEET AIR ARMA major part of the 75th Anniversary celebrations during all of 1986has been the involvement of the Fleet Air Arm and especially the Sea Kingin 75th liveryToday is no exception with thirteen Royal Australian Navy Fleet AirArm helicopters, representing three different types, undertaking a flypastat 1323 This group will be followed by a Royal Navy International Navyflypast Preceeding the helicopters are four Orion patrol aircraft at 1232The RAN has more than 35 aircraft compnsing five different types ofhelicopters and one fixed wing aircraft type to satisfy Fleet requirements,both afloat and ashore Home for the FAA is HMAS Albatross at Nowra.NSWEight Westland Sea Kings are the pnnciple anti submarine helicoptersand have operated from various ships including STALWART andTOBRUK For FFG operations, sixteen Sikorsky Seahawks are due tobegin flying from 1988 with a maximum of two embarked in each frigateLight utility, search and rescue, survey suppon and training isperformed by six Aerospatiale Squirrel light helicopters Four Bell Kiowasare used for communications and survey work The Bell Iroquois andWestland Wessex helicopters satisfy utility flying as well as search andrescue responsibilitiesTwo HS748 electronic warfare training aircraft are flown by the FleetAir Arm from HMAS Albatross Each HS 748 can be reconfigured for theVIP or transport roleUSS PAUL F FOSTERPluttUngAultl^aUSSOLDENDORIRoyal Australian Navy75th Anniversary1911 - 19865FLWF793j . niRoyal NavyLeading the Bntish Squadron of warships and auxiliaries for the 75thAnniversary Naval Review will be the 19.960 ton aircraft earner. HMSILLUSTRIOUS Flag Officer 1st Flotillas. Rear Admiral RIT Hogg. RoyalNavy, amved in Sydney with his seven ships on Monday. 29 SeptemberFor HM Ships ILLUSTRIOUS. BEAVER. MANCHESTER.AMAZON ar.d RFA BAYLEAF the stopover in Port Jackson is their firstvisit to Sydney HMS ILLUSTRIOUS is carrying embarked squadrons ofSea Harrier jump jets' and Sea King helicopters, some of which willpartake in the Naval Review Flypast With the exception of RFA OLMEDA(completed in 1965) all of the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary shipsentered service in the period from 1974 to 1984 Two of the types. HMSMANCHESTER, a Type 42 destroyer and HMS BEAVER a Type 22frigate now form the backbone of the present day Royal Navy withtwenty-six units of both classes in service or on orderHMS BEAVER is fitted with the combat proven Sea Wolf defensivesystem, an anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon which protected many ofthe British ships during the Falklands conflictDunng the Naval Review HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and her consorts willbe at buoys or anchored in the harbour. HMS ILLUSTRIOUS laying offCremorne Point immediately in front of the battleship USS MISSOURIand command ship USS BLUE RIDGE. HMS BEAVER will follow HMASPERTH, the second ship in the Moving Flag Line ReviewRoyal New Zealand NavyTwo of the Royal New Zealand Navy's four operational frigates willparticipate in the Naval Review, these being HMNZ Ships SOUTHLANDand CANTERBURYLike all of New Zealand's major Naval units both frigates are regularvisitors to Sydney for training, operational and goodwill visits and oftenjoin Royal Australian Navy Ships during major exercisesHMNZS SOUTHLAND is of particular interest for the RoyalAustralian Navy insofar that she was modified in England prior to her saleto New Zealand in 1983 to carry the Australian designed Ikaraanti-submarine missile system The launcher is located forward of thebridge surrounded by a large semi-tuoular structurePage Twenty-aix NAVY October. 1986HMNZS CANTERBURY commissioned into the Royal New ZealandNavy in 1971 and like HMNZS SOUTHLAND carries a Westland Wasphelicopter lor anti submanne and geneiat duties The former will bemooted just south east of Bradleys Head while the latter will form part olthe Rag Line ReviewUnited States NavyOne of the mightiest men-of-war to ever sail the high seas andwithout doubt one of the most famous will sail into the world's finestharbour on 1 October as the centre piece of the American presence duringthe 75th Anniversary Naval ReviewThe ship, the battleship USS MISSOURI, is the largest warship to visitSydney since the aircraft carrier USS AMERICA in 1966 Carrying a crewof more than 1500 officers and men MISSOURI recommissioned into theUS Fleet only last May after some 20 years laid up in the reserve FleetShe was originally completed for war service in 1944With USS MISSOURI are the seventh Reel flagship. USS BLUERIDGE (with RADM P F. McCarthy embarked) and the Spruance classdestroyers USS PAUL F FOSTER and USS OLDENDORFUSS BLUE RIDGE is a command and control ship, commissioned on14 November. 1970 Utilising her 'main battery' of computers,communications gear and other electronic facilities the ship fulfills the rolesof both Fleet Flagship and as a command ship for Amph.bious operationsBoth destroyers are the largest of their type ever built for the USN andwere commissioned 1976 1978 USS PAUL F FOSTER was the first ofher class to be assigned to the Pacific FleetEach destroyer is a multi-mission surface warfare platformincorporating the most recent concepts in shipboard electronic combatsystems At 7.800 tons the two destroyers are larger than most cruisers inother world naviesThe presence in Sydney Harbour of USS MISSOURI has provided amost spectacular backdrop to the eventsCanadian Defence Forces NavyNormally based at Vancouver on the Canadian west coast the threeMackenzie class frigates. HMC Ships YUKON. QU APPELLE andSASKATCHEWAN form part of the Canadian Navy's training squadronAll three ships were completed in 1963 and from 1984 to 1986 underwentDELEX or Destroyer Life Extension Now all of the class are scheduled toremain in service until 1990 1993Along with their sistership HMCS MACKENZIE (now under DELEX)the trio visited Australia in the early 1980sDuring the Naval Review two of the Canadian Frigates will be mooredeast of Garden Island with HMCS YUKON (with Captain Davieembarked) joining in the sail past, led by HMAS PERTHFranceThe French Navy is represented at the Naval Review by the four yearold frigate COMMANDANT BLAISONCOMMANDANT BLAISON displaces 1250 tons and is manned byseven officers. 42 petty officers and 56 men A small but compact ship,she is designed to satisfy coastal anti-submarine duties, scouting missionsand showing the flagSixteen sister-ships were also completed between 1976 and 1984Papua New GuineaHMPNGS AIT APE is one of the four Attack class patrol boats inservice with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force All boats weretransferred from the Royal Australian Navy In 1974 after originallycommissioning in 1967-1968HMPNGS AITAPE will form the rear of the line of seven warshipsfrom seven nations during the sailpast HMAS COOK with His RoyalHighness. Prince Philip embarkedOctober, 1986 NAVY Page Twenty-seven