Fleet Air Arm (RAN)
Fleet Air Arm | |
---|---|
Bell 429 Eurocopter EC135 | |
Transport | MRH-90 Taipan |
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA), known formerly
Initially operating only fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters were first acquired by the FAA in 1952, forming Australia's first helicopter squadron. Helicopter usage increased over time, particularly after 1982, when the carrier HMAS Melbourne was decommissioned and not replaced. In 2000, following the removal from service of the land-based Hawker Siddeley HS 748 aircraft, the FAA became an all-helicopter force, operating in the anti-submarine warfare and maritime support roles. As of 2018, the FAA consists of five active squadrons, operating four helicopter types and two types of UAVs.
History
During the 1920s, the RAN attempted to acquire government support for an Australian Fleet Air Arm, modelled loosely on the Royal Naval Air Service and its Royal Air Force-controlled successor, the Fleet Air Arm.[2] This was approved as part of improvements to Australia's military, but opposition by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) prompted the Cabinet to disband the organisation in January 1928, shortly after its establishment.[3] The RAAF assumed responsibility for naval aviation, which consisted primarily of amphibious aircraft flown by No. 101 Flight RAAF (and its successors, No. 5 Squadron, then No. 9 Squadron) from the RAN's cruisers and the seaplane tender HMAS Albatross.[4]
The successes of naval aviation during
During the
Vengeance was returned to the United Kingdom in 1955, with the crew transferred to Majestic, which was commissioned into the RAN as
In 1972, the Fleet Air Arm's Wessex helicopters were replaced with Westland Sea King anti-submarine helicopters, although a small number of Wessexes continued to serve in utility and search-and-rescue roles.[24] Melbourne remained in service until mid-1982, when she was placed in reserve.[25] The Australian government initially planned to purchase HMS Invincible from the Royal Navy and operate Harriers and helicopters from her, but the British withdrew the offer after the ship's performance in the Falklands War, and the 1983 election of the Australian Labor Party saw the cancellation of plans to replace Melbourne.[26][27] With no aircraft carrier, carrier-borne fixed-wing aviation in the RAN ended on 30 June 1983 with the decommissioning of several squadrons, and many RAN pilots joined the Army and RAAF, or transferred to the aviation branches of other nations' navies.[28][29] The RAN Skyhawks were sold to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and the Trackers were removed from service and sold to a private company for disposal.[30]
Before being sold off, the RAN Trackers were flown from land bases as patrol and surveillance aircraft, and HS 748 aircraft continued on in the electronic warfare training and transport roles after all other fixed-wing assets were disposed of.[31] The shift from full, carrier-embarked squadrons to single- or two-helicopter
During the 1990s, the FAA ordered several refurbished
Since 2000, when the last pair of HS 748s were retired, the Fleet Air Arm has been an entirely rotary-winged force.[39](I) The Fleet Air Arm became responsible for the operation and maintenance of the RAN's helicopter force from the frigates of the Adelaide and Anzac classes and from the RAN's amphibious and support ships.[citation needed]
Current squadrons
This article needs to be updated.(March 2024) |
RAN squadrons follow the same numbering system as those of the Royal Navy, with operational units numbered from 800 onwards and training units numbered from 700 onwards:
Squadron | Type | Aircraft | Base | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
723 Squadron | Rotary | Eurocopter EC135[40] | Nowra | Helicopter Aircrew Training System Retention and Motivation Initiative II | Also provides the RAN helicopter display team |
725 Squadron | Rotary | MH-60R Romeo Seahawk | Nowra | Conversion training (Romeo Seahawk)[41] | Reformed 2013; operational 2015 [42] |
808 Squadron | Rotary | Nowra | Tactical Transport | ||
816 Squadron | Rotary | Nowra | Small ship flights[39] | ||
822X Squadron | UAV | Insitu ScanEagle | Nowra | Trials unit[43] | |
Camcopter S-100 |
723 Squadron was the last unit in the Fleet Air Arm to operate fixed wing aircraft, when it withdrew its pair of HS 748s in June 2000.[44] The last operational fixed wing squadron was 851 Squadron, which operated both HS 748s and S-2 Trackers until it was disbanded in August 1984.[45] 816 Squadron was one of the FAA's two carrier-based fixed wing units, operating the Tracker (the other being 805 Squadron operating the A-4 Skyhawk) when HMAS Melbourne was decommissioned in 1982.[46]
An additional flying unit of the Royal Australian Navy was the Laser Airborne Depth Sounder Flight, based at Cairns, which, following the withdrawal of the HS748, operated the only remaining fixed-wing aircraft in the RAN's inventory. This unit was not under the operational control of the Fleet Air Arm, but was instead part of the Australian Hydrographic Service, with both RAN and civilian personnel.[47] The LADS flight was disbanded in 2019.[48]
Flying training
The RAN is not responsible for the initial basic and advanced flying training of its new aircrew. Basic flying training is undertaken by the tri-service
- Advanced training for pilots is undertaken by No.2 Flying Training School at RAAF Base Pearce.
- Training for observers is undertaken by No.32 Squadron at RAAF Base East Sale.
Once RAN aircrew have passed through this process, they are posted to 723 Squadron for helicopter conversion training, before joining one of the two operational squadrons. 725 Squadron has been reformed to serve as a conversion unit for the new MH-60R Romeo Seahawk.
1: ^ Described as "Maritime Aviation Warfare Officers"
Aircraft
Current
Since 2000, when the last pair of
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maritime Patrol | |||||
MH-60R Seahawk | United States | ASW / SAR | 36 | Originally 24. 1 lost. In 2021, the US approved a potential sale of 12 additional MH-60Rs.[54] An additional MH-60 will be purchased to replace the one lost. | |
Trainer Aircraft
| |||||
Eurocopter EC135 | Germany | rotorcraft trainer | 15[56] | Shared with Army |
Past plans
In the 2009 Defence White Paper,
Under current plans, the Royal Australian Navy's
Retired
Examples of many aircraft operated by the Fleet Air Arm are on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMAS Albatross
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Combat Aircraft | ||||||
Fairey Firefly | United Kingdom | fighter-bomber | 108[67] | carrier-based aircraft - retired in 1958 | ||
Hawker Sea Fury | United Kingdom | fighter-bomber | 101[68] | carrier-based aircraft - retired in 1962 | ||
Fairey Gannet | United Kingdom | fighter-bomber / ASW | 36[68] | carrier-based aircraft - retired in 1967 | ||
de Havilland Sea Venom | United Kingdom | fighter-bomber / ASW | 39[68] | carrier-based aircraft – retired in 1967 | ||
Grumman S-2 | United States | ASuW / ASW | 32[39] | carrier-based aircraft - retired in 1984 | ||
A-4 Skyhawk | United States | fighter-bomber | TA-4G/A-4G | 20[39] | carrier-based aircraft - retired in 1984 | |
Transport | ||||||
Supermarine Sea Otter | United Kingdom | SAR / transport | 3[39] | in service from 1948 to 1954 | ||
Douglas C-47 | United States | transport | 4[39] | in service from 1949 to 1977 | ||
Auster Autocar | United Kingdom | transport / communications | 2[39] | in service from 1953 to 1965 | ||
Hawker Siddeley HS 748 | United Kingdom | transport / EW
|
2[39] | in service from 1973 to 2000 | ||
Helicopters
| ||||||
Bristol Sycamore | United Kingdom | utility / liaison | 13[39] | in service from 1953 to 1965 | ||
Westland Wessex | United Kingdom | ASW / SAR | 27[39] | in service from 1962 to 1989 | ||
Westland Scout | United Kingdom | patrol / SAR | 2[39] | in service from 1963 to 1977 | ||
Bell UH-1 | United States | utility | UH-1D/C | 7[39] | in service from 1964 to 1987 | |
Bell OH-58 | United States | utility | OH-58B | 4[39] | in service from 1974 to 2000 | |
Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil | France | in service from 1984 to 2017 | ||||
Westland Sea King | United Kingdom | ASW / SAR | Mk 50A | 12[39] | in service from 1976 to 2011 | |
SH-2G Super Seasprite | United States | ASW / SAR | 15[39] | in service from 2001 to 2008 | ||
S-70 Seahawk | United States | ASW / SAR | S-70B
|
16 | in service from 1989 to 2017 | |
Trainer Aircraft
| ||||||
CAC Wirraway | Australia | trainer | 17[39] | in service from 1948 to 1957 | ||
de Havilland Tiger Moth | Australia | trainer | 3[39] | in service from 1948 to 1957 | ||
de Havilland Vampire | United States | jet trainer | 13[39] | in service from 1954 to 1972 | ||
Aermacchi MB-326 | Italy | jet trainer | MB-326H | 10[39] | in service from 1970 to 1983 | |
Eurocopter AS350 | France | rotorcraft trainer | Squirrel AS350BA | 24[39] | in service from 1984 to 2017 | |
Bell 429
|
United States | rotorcraft trainer | Bell 429 | 3 | in service from 2012 to 2019[69] | |
Drone | ||||||
Northrop KD2R-5 | United States | target drone | in service from 1965 to 1973 | |||
GAF Turana | Australia | target drone | in service from 1966 to 2000 | |||
GAF Jindivik | Australia | target drone | in service from 1966 to 2000 | |||
Beechcraft MQM-107 | United States | target drone | MQM-107E | in service from 1998 to 2008 |
Weapons and equipment
Current
Notes
^(II) Refers to the number of individual aircraft operated by the FAA over the entire service life, not the number of aircraft in operation at any point within that service life.
References
- ^ Royal Australian Navy. "Fleet Air Arm". www.navy.gov.au. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ ANAM, Flying Stations, pp. 15–6
- ^ ANAM, Flying Stations, pp. 16–7
- ^ ANAM, Flying Stations, pp. 16–21
- ^ ANAM, Flying Stations, pp. 29–35
- ^ Donohue, From Empire Defence to the Long Haul, p. 33
- ^ Donohue, From Empire Defence to the Long Haul, pp. 38, 45–47
- ^ ANAM, Flying Stations, pp. 43–4
- ^ Wright, Australian Carrier Decisions, p. 151
- ^ Hobbs, in The Navy and the Nation, p. 211
- ^ a b McCaffrie, in Sea power ashore and in the air, p. 173
- ^ McCaffrie, in Sea power ashore and in the air, pp. 173–4
- ^ McCaffrie, in Sea power ashore and in the air, pgs. 174, 177
- ^ a b Cooper, in The Royal Australian Navy, p. 177
- ^ McCaffrie, in Sea power ashore and in the air, p. 178
- ^ a b Hobbs, HMAS Melbourne – 25 Years On, p. 6
- ^ Donohue, From Empire Defence to the Long Haul, p. 94
- ^ a b Australian Naval Aviation Museum, Flying Stations, p. 111
- ^ Wright, Australian Carrier Decisions, p. 160
- ^ Cooper, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 187.
- ^ Cooper, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 193.
- ^ Cooper, in The Royal Australian Navy, pp. 193–194.
- ^ "Naval Operations in Vietnam". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
- ^ Bishop & Chant, Aircraft carriers, p. 62
- ^ Jones, in The Royal Australian Navy, p. 227
- ^ Wright, Australian Carrier Decisions, p. 167.
- ^ Hobbs, HMAS Melbourne – 25 Years On, p. 9
- ^ Jones, in The Royal Australian Navy, pp. 227–8
- ^ Mison, Graham. "Sea Harrier Down Under". Harrier.org.uk. Archived from the original on 12 December 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
- ^ ANAM, Flying Stations, p. 256
- ^ ANAM, Flying Stations, pgs. 241-3, 256, 258
- ^ ANAM, Flying Stations, pgs. 259, 272
- ^ ANAM, Flying Stations, pp. 259–60
- ^ ANAM, Flying Stations, pp. 266–71
- ^ ANAM, Flying Stations, p. 272
- ^ a b Walters, Patrick (10 February 2007). "Seasprite headed for the junk pile". The Australian. pp. 1–2.
- ^ a b Walters, Patrick (18 June 2009). "$1.4bn wasted on cancelled Seasprite". The Australian. p. 4.
- ^ "Seasprite helicopter project approved". Media release. beehive.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Dennis, et al., The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History, p. 210
- ^ "Aviation Group". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 9 March 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
- ^ Clare, Jason. "Joint Media Release – Capability Update – Air Projects". Minister of Defence Material. Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "Milestone moments in MH60R training". Navy News. 15 August 2013. p. 10.
- ^ Zupp, Owen (26 October 2018). "Navy Commissions 822X Squadron to Operate UAVs". Australian Aviation. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
- ^ "723 Squadron History". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
- ^ "851 Squadron History". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
- ^ 816 Squadron History Archived 2 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Royal Australian Navy website
- ^ "Laser Airborne Depth Sounder". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
- ^ McPherson, James (8 November 2019). "Last sortie for LADS". Department for Defence. Australian Government. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ Ferguson, Gregor (1 September 2009). "Training: BAE looks at their flight training options". Australian Defence Magazine. Yaffa Publishing Group. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
- ^ KA350 King Air Archived 12 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Royal Australian Air Force
- ^ a b Department of Defence, Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century, p. 72
- ^ "MR90H to replace Sea King and Blackhawk helicopters". (media release). Office of the Minister of Defence. 19 June 2006. Archived from the original on 4 August 2007. Retrieved 11 July 2007.
- ISBN 9780994168061. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ a b "Australia – MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters and related defense services". Defense Security Cooperation Agency (Press release). Transmittal No. 21-61. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
- ^ Andrew McLaughlin (18 October 2021). "RAN MH-60R Romeos return to flight". ADBR. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- ^ "World Air Forces 2019". Flightglobal Insight. 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ^ a b Norris, Battling Behemoths, p. 130
- ^ a b c Johnstone, AIR 900 Phase 8, pp. 5–9
- ^ Walters, Patrick (23 October 2009). "Military opts for US chopper". The Australian. Archived from the original on 25 October 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
- ^ Thompson, Jeremey (16 June 2011). "Smith announces $3b chopper deal". ABC News. Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ^ "Amphibious Assault Ship (LHD)". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ^ Borgu, Aldo (2004). "Capability of First Resort? Australia's Future Amphibious Requirement". Australian Strategic Policy Institute: 11. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade (2004) Australia's Maritime Strategy Archived 29 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Page 95.
- ISSN 1447-0446.
- ^ "White Paper to consider F-35Bs for LHDs – report". The Australian. australianaviation.com.au. 23 May 2014. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
- ^ "PM's floating fighter jet plan quietly sunk by Defence". Australian Financial Review. 7 July 2015. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
- ^ "RAN N1 Fairey Firefly". adf-serials.com.au. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ^ a b c "World Air Forces 1955 pg. 618". Flightglobal Insight. 1955. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "Bell 429 Global Ranger | Royal Australian Navy".
Sources
Books
- Australian Naval Aviation Museum (ANAM) (1998). Flying Stations: a story of Australian naval aviation. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. OCLC 39290180.
- Bishop, Chris; Chant, Christopher (2004). Aircraft Carriers: the world's greatest naval vessels and their aircraft. London: MBI. OCLC 56646560.
- Cooper, Alastair (2001). "The Korean War Era"; "The Era of Forward Defence". In Stevens, David (ed.). The Royal Australian Navy. The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. OCLC 50418095.
- Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey; Morris, Ewan; Prior, Robin (2008). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. OCLC 271822831.
- Donohue, Hector (October 1996). From Empire Defence to the Long Haul: post-war defence policy and its impact on naval force structure planning 1945–1955. Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs. Vol. 1. Canberra: Sea Power Centre. OCLC 36817771.
- Hobbs, David (2005). "HMAS Sydney (III): a symbol of Australia's growing maritime capability". In Stevens, David; Reeve, John (eds.). The Navy and the Nation: the influence of the Navy on modern Australia. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. OCLC 67872922.
- Jones, Peter (2001). "Towards Self Reliance". In Stevens, David (ed.). The Royal Australian Navy. The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. OCLC 50418095.
- McCaffrie, Jack (2007). "Korea: The first challenge for Australian naval aviation". In Stevens, David; Reeve John (eds.). Sea Power ashore and in the air. Ultimo, NSW: Halstead Press. ISBN 978-1-920831-45-5.
- Wright, Anthony (June 1998) [1978]. Australian Carrier Decisions: the acquisition of HMA Ships Albatross, Sydney and Melbourne. Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs. Vol. 4. Canberra: Sea Power Centre. OCLC 39641731.
Journal articles and reports
- Davies, Andrew (2009). Australian naval combat helicopters-the future. ASPI Special Report Issue 21. Canberra: Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
- Department of Defence (2 May 2009). Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030. Commonwealth of Australia. OCLC 426475923.
- Hobbs, Commander David (October 2007). "HMAS Melbourne (II) – 25 Years On". The Navy. 69 (4): 5–9. ISSN 1322-6231.
- Johnstone, Paul (April 2010). "AIR 900 Phase 8: The Seahawk Replacement". The Navy. 72 (2). Navy League of Australia: 5–9. ISSN 1322-6231.
- Norris, Guy (19 July 2010). "Battling Behemoths". Aviation Week & Space Technology. 172 (27): 130. ISSN 0005-2175.
Further reading
- Eather, Steve (1995). Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force. Canberra: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 1-875671-15-3.
- Jones, Colin (1997). Wings and the Navy 1947–1953. Kenthurst, New South Wales: Kangaroo Press. ISBN 9780864178367.
External links
- Navy Aviation Group
- Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia
- Sea Harriers Down Under Archived 12 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- RAN helicopter history at Helis.com
- "Aircraft Histories". Sea Power Centre – Australia. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2009.