Paluma-class motor launch

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HMAS Benalla on Sydney Harbour in October 2013
Class overview
NamePaluma
BuildersEglo Engineering, Adelaide
OperatorsRoyal Australian Navy
In serviceMarch 1988 – March 1990
In commissionFebruary 1989 – June 2023
Completed4
Retired4
General characteristics
TypeMotor launch
Displacement320 tonnes
Length36.6 m (120 ft) length overall
Beam13.7 m (45 ft)
Draught1.9 m (6 ft 3 in)
Propulsion2 Detroit V12 diesel engines
Speed12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range1,800 nautical miles (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Endurance14 days
Complement3 officers, 11 sailors (plus accommodation for 4 additional)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Radar:
  • JRC JMA-3710-6 navigational radar
  • Sonars:
  • ELAC LAZ 72 side-scan mapping sonar
  • Skipper 113 hull-mounted scanning sonar
ArmamentNone fitted

The Paluma-class motor launch was a class of four

Cairns, Queensland, and operated in pairs to survey the waters of northern Australia
.

Design and construction

The Paluma-class vessels are based on the design of the Prince-class

between perpendiculars, have a beam of 13.7 metres (45 ft), and a draught of 1.9 metres (6 ft 3 in).[2] Propulsion machinery consists of two General Motors Detroit Diesel 12V-92T engines, which supply 1,290 brake horsepower (960 kW) to the two propeller shafts.[2] Each vessel has a top speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), a maximum sustainable speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) for a range of 1,800 nautical miles (3,300 km; 2,100 mi), and an endurance of 14 days.[2]

The sensor suite of a Paluma-class launch consists of a JRC JMA-3710-6 navigational radar, an ELAC LAZ 72 side-scan mapping sonar, and a Skipper 113 hull-mounted scanning sonar.[2] The vessels are unarmed.[2] The standard ship's company consists of three officers and eleven sailors, although another four personnel can be accommodated.[2] The catamarans were originally painted white, but were repainted naval grey in 2002.[2]

The four ships were built by

Port Adelaide, South Australia.[2] The first, HMAS Paluma, was laid down in March 1988, and commissioned into the RAN in February 1989.[2] All four ships were under construction by November 1988, and the last, HMAS Benalla, commissioned in March 1990.[2]

Operations

All four vessels were homeported at

Cairns, Queensland.[2] They were used for hydrographic surveys of the shallow waters around northern Australia, primarily in the Great Barrier Reef.[2] The vessels generally operated in pairs.[2]

Ships

Name Pennant number Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned Status
Paluma A01
Adelaide
 21 March 1988 6 February 1989 27 February 1989 18 September 2021 Retired
Mermaid A02 19 July 1988 28 September 1989 4 December 1989 18 September 2021 Retired[3]
Shepparton A03 21 September 1988 5 December 1989 24 January 1990 16 June 2023 Retired
Benalla A04 25 November 1988 31 January 1990 20 March 1990 16 June 2023 Retired

Replacement

Main article:
Planned Australian offshore combatant vessel

offshore combatant vessels (OCVs).[4][5] The new vessels, which could displace up to 2,000 tonnes and be equipped for helicopter or unmanned aerial vehicle operations, will use a modular mission payload system to change between roles as required.[4][5][6][7]

Although the 2013 White Paper committed to the OCV as a long-term plan, it announced that life-extending upgrades to the Palumas would be sought as a short-term solution.[8]

Citations

  1. ^ Saunders (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships 2008–2009, p. 33
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wertheim (ed.), The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, p. 28
  3. ^ "HMAS Mermaid".
  4. ^
    OCLC 426475923
    .
  5. ^ a b "Australian Offshore Combatant Vessels" (PDF). Semaphore. 2010 (4). May 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
  6. ISSN 1322-6231
    .
  7. ISSN 1833-6531
    .
  8. ISBN 978-0-9874958-0-8
    .

References

External links
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