HMAS Melbourne (FFG 05)
Template:Short description Template:Other ships Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates
Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsHMAS Melbourne (FFG 05) was an Adelaide-class guided-missile frigate of the Royal Australian Navy, which entered service in 1992. Melbourne has been deployed to the Persian Gulf on several occasions, and served as part of the INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce in 2000. On 26 October 2019, Melbourne was decommissioned from the RAN, subsequently being transferred to Chile. The ship was commissioned into the Chilean Navy as Almirante Latorre on 15 April 2020.
Design and construction
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Following the cancellation of the Australian light destroyer project in 1973, the British Type 42 destroyer and the American Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate were identified as alternatives to replace the cancelled light destroyers and the Daring-class destroyers.<ref name=Jones220>Jones, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 220</ref> Although the Oliver Hazard Perry class was still at the design stage, the difficulty of fitting the Type 42 with the SM-1 missile, and the success of the Perth-class acquisition (a derivative of the American Charles F. Adams-class destroyer) compared to equivalent British designs led the Australian government to approve the purchase of two US-built Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates in 1976.<ref name=Jones220/><ref name=FramePP102.162>Frame, Pacific Partners, pp. 102, 162</ref> A third was ordered in 1977, followed by a fourth, with all four ships integrated into the USN's shipbuilding program.<ref name=FramePP162>Frame, Pacific Partners, p. 162</ref><ref name=MacDougall345>MacDougall, Australians at war, p. 345</ref><ref name=Hooton>Hooton, Perking-up the Perry class</ref> A further two ships (including Melbourne) were ordered in 1980, and were constructed in Australia.<ref name=MacDougall345/><ref name=Hooton/>
As designed, the ship had a full load displacement of 4,100 tons, a length overall of Template:Convert, a beam of Template:Convert,<ref>Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate</ref>Template:Circular reference and a draught of Template:Convert.<ref name=Moore25>Moore (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships 1977-78 , p. 25</ref><ref name=Sharpe26/> Propulsion machinery consists of two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, which provide a combined Template:Convert to the single propeller shaft.<ref name=Sharpe26>Sharpe (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships 1998-99, p. 26</ref> Top speed is Template:Convert, with a range of Template:Convert at Template:Convert.<ref name=Sharpe26/> Two Template:Convert electric auxiliary propulsors are used for close manoeuvring, with a top speed of Template:Convert.<ref name=Sharpe26/> Standard ship's company is 184, including 15 officers, but excluding the flight crew for the embarked helicopters.<ref name=Sharpe26/>
Original armament for the ship consisted of a Mark 13 missile launcher configured to fire RIM-66 Standard and RGM-84 Harpoon missiles, supplemented by an [[OTO Melara 76 mm|OTO Melara Template:Convert]] gun and a Vulcan Phalanx point-defence system.<ref name=Moore25/><ref name=Sharpe26/> As part of the mid-2000s FFG Upgrade Project, an eight-cell Mark 41 Vertical Launch System was fitted, with a payload of RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles.<ref name=hazard(ous)>Australia's Hazard(ous) Frigate Upgrade, in Defense Industry Daily</ref> For anti-submarine warfare, two Mark 32 torpedo tube sets are fitted; originally firing the Mark 44 torpedo, the Adelaides later carried the Mark 46, then the MU90 Impact following the FFG Upgrade.<ref name=Sharpe26/><ref name=FishGrevatt>Fish & Grevatt, Australia's HMAS Toowoomba test fires MU90 torpedo</ref> Up to six Template:Convert machine guns can be carried for close-in defence, and since 2005, two M2HB .50 calibre machine guns in Mini Typhoon mounts have been installed when needed for Persian Gulf deployments.<ref name=Sharpe26/><ref name=ScottEnhanced>Scott, Enhanced small-calibre systems offer shipborne stopping power</ref> The sensor suite includes an AN/SPS-49 air search radar, AN/SPS-55 surface search and navigation radar, SPG-60 fire control radar connected to a Mark 92 fire control system, and a Mulloka hull-mounted sonar.<ref name=Sharpe26/> Two helicopters can be embarked: either two S-70B Seahawk or one Seahawk and one AS350B Squirrel.<ref name=Sharpe26/>
The ship was laid down by AMECON at Williamstown, Victoria on 12 July 1985.<ref name=RAN>Royal Australian Navy, HMAS Melbourne (III)</ref> She was launched on 5 May 1989.<ref name=RAN/> Melbourne was commissioned into the RAN on 15 February 1992.<ref name=RAN/>
Operational history
In 1996, the frigate was deployed to the Persian Gulf.
Melbourne was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian-led INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce from 20 January to 23 February 2000.<ref name=StevensStrength>Stevens, Strength Through Diversity, p. 15</ref>
In 2002, Melbourne participated in the third rotation of RAN ships to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Slipper, where she enforced United Nations sanctions against Iraq.<ref name=RAN/> In 2003, the ship returned to Iraqi waters in support of Operation Catalyst, protecting Iraqi territorial waters following Operation Iraqi Freedom.Template:Citation needed
Following an overhaul of the RAN battle honours system, completed in March 2010, Melbourne was awarded the honours "East Timor 2000" and "Persian Gulf 2002".<ref name=newhonours>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=honourslist>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On 16 August 2010, Melbourne was deployed to the Middle East for the third time, again as part of Operation Slipper.<ref name=piratebuster>Template:Cite news</ref> During the six-month deployment, the frigate participated in anti-piracy operations in the Arabian Sea and responded to 14 distress calls from merchant vessels, including the British chemical tanker MV CPO China on 3 January 2011.<ref name=piratebuster/><ref name=DOD050111>Template:Cite press release</ref> Although it took six hours for Melbourne to close with CPO China, the merchant ship's crew secured themselves in the citadel, and the pirates retreated when the frigate and her Seahawk helicopter arrived.<ref name=DOD050111/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Melbourne returned to Sydney on 18 February 2011.<ref name=piratebuster/>
Between 5 and 7 February 2014, while deployed off Tanzania, Melbourne seized and destroyed Template:Convert of heroin from smuggling vessels.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 18 February, while operating off Oman's Masirah Island, Melbourne and the Pakistani frigate PNS Alamgir intercepted and boarded a dhow found to be carrying Template:Convert of cannabis resin.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2018 Melbourne operated off the Korean Peninsula to enforce sanctions against North Korea as part of Operation Argos.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Melbourne returned to Fleet Base East from her final deployment on 27 September 2019.<ref>HMAS Melbourne III Royal Australian Navy</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She was decommissioned on 26 October 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On December 27, 2019, it was announced that she and Newcastle had been sold to Chile.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Melbourne was commissioned into the Chilean navy on 15 April 2020 as Chilean ship Almirante Latorre, pennant number FFG-14.
Citations
References
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External links
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