HMAS Stuart (DE 48)
Template:Short description Template:Other ships Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:CS1 config Template:Use shortened footnotes
Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsHMAS Stuart (F21/DE 48) was one of six Template:Sclass2s built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The ship was laid down by the Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Company at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in 1959, and commissioned into the RAN in 1963.
During the ship's career, Stuart achieved a number of historical firsts: she was the first RAN ship to fly the Australian White Ensign, and the first major vessel to be homeported at Fleet Base West.
Stuart was paid off in 1991, a year later than originally planned; RAN commitments to the Gulf War saw several warships deployed to the Middle East, and Stuart was retained in service to boost local defence. The destroyer escort was sold for scrapping.
Construction
The first four ships of the River class were based on the Royal Navy's Type 12 frigate, and were intended to close the gap between ships and submarines in regards to anti-submarine warfare, following the rapid improvement of submarines during and after World War II.Template:Sfnp
Stuart was laid down by Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Company in Sydney on 20 March 1959.Template:Sfnp She was launched on 8 April 1961 by Bettina Gorton, the wife of future Prime Minister John Gorton, then Minister for the Navy, and was commissioned into the RAN in Sydney on 28 June 1963.Template:Sfnp
Stuart and the other River-class ships were fitted with the Ikara anti-submarine missile system: the first Australian-designed naval weapons system.Template:Sfnp Stuart was the first ship to fire an Ikara missile, during trials in August 1963.Template:Sfnp
Operational history
On 25 December 1966, while operating as part of the Far East Strategic Reserve, Stuart was the first ship to fly the Australian White Ensign.Template:Sfnp The Australian White Ensign did not officially replace the British White Ensign as the ensign flown by RAN ships until 1 March 1967.Template:Sfnp
From late 1968 until 1969, Stuart was designated Flagship of the RAN, while the aircraft carrier Template:HMAS underwent a major refit.Template:Sfnp
During April and May 1970, she carried out escort duties for the Royal Yacht Britannia during the visit to Australia by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.Template:Sfnp
Following the destruction of Darwin by Cyclone Tracy in December 1974, Stuart was one of thirteen RAN ships deployed as part of the humanitarian aid mission Operation Navy Help Darwin.Template:Sfnp Stuart sailed from Sydney on 26 December.Template:Sfnp
Stuart, along with HMA Ships Template:HMAS, Template:HMAS, and Template:HMAS, visited the United States in 1976 for the nation's bicentennial celebrations.Template:Sfnp
In 1979, Stuart entered dock to undergo a half-life modernisation refit valued at A$50 million.Template:Sfnp This included upgrades to weapons and systems, reinforcement of the hull, and improvements to seakeeping and habitability.Template:Sfnp The main improvement was the installation of the Australian-developed Mulloka sonar system.Template:Sfnp Delays and cost increases meant that Stuart did not re-enter service until 1983.Template:Sfnp
In January 1984, Stuart became the first major RAN warship to be homeported at Fleet Base West in Western Australia.Template:Sfnp Between May 1984 and September 1986, the ship was deployed to South East Asia three times.Template:Sfnp A six-month refit began in February 1987, followed by a six-month assignment to the training squadron with Template:HMAS and Template:HMAS.Template:Sfnp Stuart returned to Western Australia in November 1988.Template:Sfnp
Stuart was originally intended to leave service in early 1991,but the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait saw Australia commit several Template:Sclasss to the United States-led Coalition.Template:Sfnp Stuart was kept in service and deployed to South-East Asia from February to May 1991 in lieu of the deployed frigates.Template:Sfnp
Decommissioning and fate
Stuart was paid off on 26 July 1991.Template:Sfnp She was later sold for scrapping.Template:Sfnp
Her 4.5-inch Mk V/Mk 6 gun turret is on display at Template:HMAS in Western Australia.Template:Sfnp