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Australia's Navy: On the Move

Defence Today, Vol10, No.4, pp 2-5

AUSTRALIA’S Navy is changing shape as the big investments of the previous decade produce new surface ships and aircraft. The Navy is moving from being a surface warfare sea control navy to become a power projection navy. In coming years....

. AUSTRALIAN airpower. FEATURE REPORT Australia’s Navy: On the move Peter Layton Two US Navy MH-60R Seahawk helicopters in formation. (US Navy) AUSTRALIA’S Navy is changing shape as the big investments of the previous decade produce new surface ships and aircraft. The Navy is moving from being a surface warfare sea control navy to become a power projection navy. In coming years the Navy will bring into service two Landing Helicopter Dock amphibious ships, three new Air Warfare Destroyers, a fleet of new helicopters, upgraded frigates and potentially some new at-sea supply ships. By the end of this decade the current surface Navy will have been transformed, at least in a new equipment sense. 2 DEFENCETODAY The Navy has significant concerns with vessel maintenance, the domestic shipbuilding program and difficulties attracting and retaining personnel. Moreover, bases developed for the old sea control Navy may not be the most suitable for the new power projection Navy. There are also emerging concepts of a ‘national fleet’ that suggest Navy shed some secondary tasks and concentrate on its core business: warfighting. NEW TASKS, NEW SEAS The 2013 Defence White Paper assigns the Navy a range of tasks including countering hostile naval fleets, striking at the forward operating bases of any adversary, projecting power by deploying joint task forces in the Indo-Pacific region, and supporting the operations of regional partners. This is an offensive naval strategy that aims to undertake operations against an adversary’s bases and forces as far from Australia as possible. The Navy and the Army are seen as working particularly closely together to secure offshore territories and to deny any adversary easy access to staging bases from which Australia could be threatened. The new White Paper sees an important role for the sustained projection of power by the new joint amphibious task forces. The White Paper signals a further change in the region, now seen as most important for future Australian Naval operations. The Navy has been on continuous operations in the Gulf region since the early 1990s and has steadily built up a high level of expertise in operating across the Northwest Indian Ocean. The return of the ANZAC frigate HMAS Toowoomba in June this year marked the fifty-fourth rotation of a RAN ship to the Middle East Area of Operations since the commencement of the first Gulf War in 1990 but times are changing. The future intent is that the focus will shift to the Indo-Pacific, which is not open ocean but rather includes archipelagic waters, innumerable large and small islands, and closed seas dominated by their surrounding lands. The geography of these congested seas has shaped the navies of the regional nations. These local fleets are often murky brown-water littoral navies and shallow greenwater coastal defence navies rather than the deep blue-water open ocean navies that Western navies traditionally aspire to be. The RAN is steadily becoming more deeply involved across this wide arc of the Indo-Pacific. The Navy has dispatched guided missile frigates to Northeast Asia to be embedded with US aircraft carrier strike groups operating out of Japan, is conducting occasional small exercises with the Chinese Navy, has formed much closer links with the Japanese navy and will undertake its first joint naval exercise with India in 2015. This activity is in addition to the long-running Darwin-based Kakadu series in which last year some 15 warships from Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand participated. The Navy is also often involved with the Malaysian and Singaporean navies in the Five Power Defence Arrangement Bersama series of exercises. NEW SHIPS, NEW MISSIONS The core of the new Navy is the two new Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships, at almost 28,000 times the largest vessels ever operated by the RAN. The ships are a development of the Spanish Navy’s LHD, the Juan Carlos 1 Buque de Proyección Estratégica (Strategic Projection Vessel) commissioned in 2010 and built in the Navantia shipyard in Ferrol, Galicia. For the Canberra class ships, Navantia is responsible for the construction from the keel to the flight deck with BAE Systems Australia undertaking the fabrication of the superstructure and the ship fit out. Work on the first ship, HMAS Canberra, started in Ferrol in late 2008 with the hull towed to Australia in October 2012 for fitting out at Melbourne’s Williamstown dockyard. Work on the second vessel, HMAS Adelaide, started in early 2010 and will follow a similar path. HMAS Canberra is due for commissioning in January 2014 with HMAS Adelaide planned to commission the following year in June 2015. The Navy will operate the ships with their embarked landing force provided by the Australian Army’s 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, along with a cross section of combat and enabling capabilities such as snipers, intelligence and logistic specialists. The Army will also supply the helicopter force of between 6-16 MRH-90 helicopters to provide the essential ship-to-shore mobility. While potentially able to contribute to many roles, the new joint amphibious capability will initially focus on security, stabilisation, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief tasks. The two LHDs will allow the ADF to develop a modern amphibious capability based around an Amphibious Ready Element (ARE) but enabling growth to an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) if required at some future time. An ARE would normally comprise a single ship with an Army landing force based upon a Combat Team, with an associated headquarters element. The ARE’s main function will be to conduct humanitarian assistance or non-combatant evacuation operations at short notice. The Townsville-based ARE landing force is currently undergoing a Pre-Deployment Training Program involving HMAS Choules and will be ready to embark on HMAS Canberra around December 2014. The much larger ARG would involve the two LHDs and HMAS Choules in combination embarking a landing force based upon an Army Battle Group capable of an amphibious landing and assault. The Battle Group may be comprised of infantry, armour (including M-1 Abram tanks), artillery, engineers, reconnaissance and mobility helicopters and other vehicles. HMAS Choules, the 16,000 tonne ex-Royal Navy Landing Ship Dock entered service in late 2011. These three large ships will be complemented by 12 110-tonne LCM-1E fast landing craft designed by Navantia and six new Landing Craft Heavy that will replace the Balikpapan Class LCHs currently leaving service. The ADV Ocean Shield, ex-Skandi Bergen, a civilian oil offshore support vessel, was hurriedly acquired in 2012 when it became apparent that the Navy’s amphibious capabilities were unexpectedly rapidly collapsing. In 2016 when both LHDs are in service, the Ocean Shield will be transferred to the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service. This 6500 tonne ship is unusual in being able to operate in sub-Antarctic weather conditions. The two ex-USN amphibious landing ships HMAS Manoora and HMAS Kanimbla that were decommissioned in 2012 have recently been sold to Southern Recycling LLC in the United States for scrapping, while the elderly Newcastle-built landing ship HMAS Tobruk is also likely to be decommissioned in the next few years. Protecting the core of the Australian Navy will be three new Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD), large highly capable 7,000 tonne warships optimised for long-range area air defence of task groups. These new ‘Hobart’ Class ships are based on the Spanish Navy’s Álvaro de Bazán F100 class, all five of which were built by Navantia at Ferrol. The Hobart Class differ from the Spanish F100 ships in numerous ways including having more powerful diesel engines, bow thrusters, better anti-submarine warfare capabilities including torpedo defence decoys and the MU90 torpedo, a horizon search radar for improved anti-ship missile defence and the Australian-developed Nulka antiship missile decoy system. For its primary air defence role the ship is fitted with the very advanced Aegis Weapon System Baseline 7.1 and the AN/SPY-1D (V) Phased Array Radar. The ships will each have 48 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells; a single cell can be armed with either a single Standard Missile 2, or four Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles giving a most impressive air defence capability. In addition to Harpoon anti-ship missiles, each ship will have a Mark 45 5” naval gun, two Typhoon weapon systems and a Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CWIS). The AWDs will also carry a single MH-60R Seahawk ‘Romeo’ naval combat helicopter for surveillance and antisurface tasks. The three AWDs will be assembled at ASC’s facility in Osborne, South Australia from 31 pre-fabricated modules or ‘blocks’ built by ASC, BAE Systems Australia, the Forgacs Group and after some problems by Navantia. The assembly of the first ship, HMAS Hobart, is steadily progressing with the final keel block lifted into place on 2 July this year. This particular block, the 18th, houses flotation and stabilisation equipment and in being consolidated HMAS Toowoomba (FFH 156), the seventh ANZAC class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy. (Defence) An MRH-90 helicopter comes in to land aboard an Australian Navy ship. (Defence) Australia’s irst ‘Canberra’ class LHD alongside the BAE Systems Australia dock in Williamstown, Victoria. An LCH approaches HMAS Choules. (Defence) DEFENCETODAY 3 . AUSTRALIAN airpower. FEATURE REPORT into the existing ship blocks completes the keel. In the AWD design, the keel is the main structural element and contains part of the VLS, the diesel and gas turbine main engine rooms, auxiliary engine rooms, ballast tanks, propeller shafts and sonar equipment. Overall block production and fit out is well advanced, including the installation of the first accommodation modules, diesel generators and water coolers for the combat systems. The final fabricated blocks for HMAS Hobart were delivered in June 2013 following a week long journey by sea from Newcastle. The blocks will now be progressively added together on the hardstand at the Common User Facility within the state-government’s Techport Australia facility adjacent to the ASC Shipyard. All three AWDs will be assembled and then launched from this facility. The first ship, HMAS Hobart will enter service in March 2016 (two years later than originally anticipated), HMAS Brisbane is now due to commission in September 2017 with HMAS Sydney operational in March 2019. These ships will then replace the four remaining Adelaide class FFGs still in service, which will be retired. The newer fleet of eight ANZAC class frigates though will soldier on and not begin being replaced until beyond 2024. The ANZACs have undergone successive modernizations with current programs aiming to dramatically improve their air defence capabilities. The ships when originally delivered were derided as ‘being fitted for but not with’ however after years of patrolling in the Gulf this epithet is no longer true. Over the past decade, the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) has been introduced to replace the old Sea Sparrow anti-air missiles, Harpoon Block II missiles in two quad-tube canister launchers have been fitted, two M2HB .50 calibre machine guns in Mini Typhoon mounts and two TopLite EO gun directors have been installed, and the European MU90 Impact torpedo has replaced the American Mark 46 anti-submarine torpedoes. Other projects have added the Petrel Mine and Obstacle Avoidance Sonar system and the Link 16 datalink to allow exchange of information with other ships and aircraft, especially the RAAF’s new Wedgetail AEW&C. In the current SEA 1448 Phase 2 Anti-Ship Missile Defence project various sensors and weapon systems are being upgraded. The advanced CEAFAR active phased array radar developed by CEA in Canberra is being installed together with the company’s CEAMOUNT missile midcourse guidance and terminal illumination radar for the ESSM. In addition, a Sagem VAMPIR infrared search and track system is being fitted and improvements made to the command and control systems. The first ship to be completed, HMAS Perth, is undergoing final trials and unit level training with the last of the eight ships to be upgraded, HMAS Toowoomba, expected to be accepted into service in mid-2017. The ships will by then also embark the new MH-60R helicopters. The Navy is receiving 24 new MH-60R Seahawk ‘Romeo’ naval combat helicopters to operate from the ANZAC Class frigates and the Hobart Class AWDs. The new helicopters will replace Australia’s current fleet of 16 S 70B-2 Seahawks and allow eight MH-60Rs to be embarked at sea at any one time with the remainder shore-based at NAS Nowra. The MH-60R will give the RAN an anti-surface capability with Hellfire air-to-surface missile and an anti-submarine capability with the Mark 54 torpedo. The helicopter acquisition project has been accelerated with the first flight in late June this year at Sikorsky’s Production Facility in Connecticut, only two years after contract signature, and some six months ahead of the original schedule approved in 2011. This first helicopter will soon be transferred to Lockheed Martin’s facility in Owego, New York, where it will be fitted with mission systems and sensors. A further three RAN MH-60Rs are in various stages of assembly with the first two planned to be handed over to the RAN in December this year. Aircrew and maintainers from 725 Squadron are currently training with the USN at Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida while they await the arrival of the RAN’s own aircraft in 2014. The Navy has also recently replaced its older Sea King utility helicopters with six MRH-90 Taipans. The new helicopters were formally commissioned into service in July this year with No. 808 Squadron at NAS Nowra and will initially operate from the Navy’s tankers and HMAS Choules. The ability to project power depends significantly on the ability to refuel and resupply ships at sea. The new White Paper has announced that the current capability provided by the aging supply ship HMAS Success and the relatively new fleet oiler HMAS Sirius will be replaced at “the first possible opportunity.” A range of options including building locally or overseas, or the leasing of an existing vessel is being investigated. As part of this evaluation process the Navy has ‘hired’ the Spanish Armada Ship, SPS Cantabria from mid February until November 2013, while HMAS Success is in refit. The Cantabria entered service in 2009 and has many ship systems similar to those being fitted to the RAN’s new LHDs and the AWDs. OLD PROBLEMS The full capabilities of the major investments made to build the new Navy will only be realised if some problems that plagued the old Navy can be overcome. Over the past decade problems with maintaining the Navy’ ships became apparent, especially in the technically advanced submarine fleet but also in the amphibious ships – and it seemed Navy itself was not aware of the growing problems. After several in-depth reviews most of the problems were assessed as internally generated rather than caused by underfunding or external factors. Warships are complex vessels with complicated systems requiring expert and skilled maintenance. The Navy support base is now working hard to develop the necessary deep expertise and regain lost deeper-level maintenance skills. This will be a protracted process but essential given that the new LHDs and AWDs will be considerably more advanced than their predecessors. This re-building process may be eased by the development over two decades of a significant ship building industry in Australia. There is a sizeable skilled workforce on which to call and, with mining related construction nearing completion, more readily available. Ship building in Australia though is a mixed blessing. Meeting schedules is problematic as the two-year delay in the early stages of the AWD construction revealed. While earlier a matter of some debate, it now seems that there is a premium paid to build ships in Australia compared with buying from offshore yards. Shipyards gain expertise when building several of the same class of ship and costs can be steadily reduced. Australian shipyards, in building relatively small numbers of ships, rarely achieve an economic rate of production. The big exception is the ANZAC class frigates; in retrospect both a highly successful shipbuilding program and a most useful class of ship. In thinking about the ANZAC replacement though, the RAN is talking of big ships more than twice their size and overall numbers will accordingly be lower: at the moment six but given cost growth more likely four. The numbers of new ships and the Navy’s future aspirations point to another dilemma. Where will these warships’ crews come from? Navy is acquiring ships that need more people and yet for at least two decades the Navy has struggled to attract and retain sailors and officers. The planed 12 new submarines will not help with this dire situation. left: Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Ocean Shield sold to the RAN in 2012. below: HMAS Perth undergoing acceptance sea trials following upgrades under project SEA 1448. (Defence) 4 DEFENCETODAY CGI of Australia’s new Air Warfare Destroyer. Basing appears another difficult area. The Navy’s future surface fleet core is its big new amphibious ships, but to be operational they will rely on Army providing the essential landing force and ship-toshore helicopters. For historical reasons, and to utilise an existing maintenance facility, the Navy is reticent to homeport these ships anywhere else but increasingly crowded Sydney. However, the Army landing force and essential helicopters will be in Townsville, with its headquarters in Brisbane, making ongoing training and the development of effective doctrine and tactics difficult. Moreover, the US Marines who may be able to help with the development of an effective Australian amphibious force are in Darwin, obviously a long way from Sydney. The plan to homeport the LHDs in Sydney remote from half the ships’ combat crew and the necessary helicopters seems unlikely to ensure that the ADF gets the most effective amphibious force in the most efficient manner. This is not an easy matter but it needs to be addressed. Lastly, some are thinking about a ‘national fleet’ as other government departments like Customs build up their own maritime capabilities. It seems that Navy does not have to do everything and could instead focus on its key reason for being – warfighting – letting others take on policing and constabulary functions. Government’s maritime responsibilities could, as James Goldrick writes, “…be considered as a whole and properly divided and shared….” The new White Paper talks about replacing the Armidale patrol boats so well-used in North West Australia for border security missions. This may be a good time to transfer these current naval functions to another Department or perhaps to a coastguard. There is no inherent reason that Navy should forever undertake such policing roles, with the standing up of Border Protection Command a proven multi-agency civilian command and control organisation. A divestment of minor non-warfighting tasks would allow Navy to concentrate on its core missions and perhaps help address some of its well-known problems such as manning. At the end of the day is policing immigration laws where Navy wants to be? The Royal Australian Navy is confidently on the move bringing a whole new range of advanced capabilities into service. There are some important problems to overcome but none of a scale that the Navy has not managed in earlier times. Navies are in some respects like big ships that while slow to turn have great inertia once started. This may sum up the RAN as it enters a remarkable period of renewal and expansion. DEFENCETODAY 5