List of active Royal Australian Navy ships

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) fleet is made up of 51 commissioned warships.

The main strength is the twelve frigates of the surface combatant force: eight Anzac class and four Adelaide class. Six Collins class boats make up the submarine service, although technical and manpower problems mean not all of the submarines are active at any time. Amphibious warfare assets include the dock landing ship HMAS Choules (L100), the heavy landing ship HMAS Tobruk (L 50), and three Balikpapan class heavy landing craft. Fourteen Armidale class patrol boats perform coastal and economic exclusion zone patrols, and four Huon class vessels are used for minehunting and clearance (with another two commissioned but in reserve since October 2011). Replenishment at sea is provided by two ships, HMAS Sirius (O 266) and HMAS Success (OR 304), while the two Leeuwin class and four Paluma class vessels perform survey and charting duties.

In addition to the commissioned warships, the RAN operates the sail training ship Young Endeavour, the support vessel ADV Ocean Shield, and two Bandicoot class minesweeper tugboats.

The lion's share of the RAN fleet is divided between Fleet Base East (HMAS Kuttabul (naval base), in Sydney) and Fleet Base West (HMAS Stirling, near Perth). Mine warfare assets are located at HMAS Waterhen (naval base) (also in Sydney), while HMAS Cairns (naval base) in Cairns and HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin host the navy's patrol, survey, and small amphibious vessels.

Anzac class
The most modern and capable vessels in the Australian fleet are the eight frigates of the Anzac class. These were commissioned from 1996 to 2006 as part of a joint program with New Zealand, whose navy operates an additional two examples. Derived from Blohm + Voss' MEKO modular ship family and designated the MEKO 200 ANZ by that company, the ships were built in Australia by Tenix in Williamstown, Victoria. They are designated as helicopter frigates (FFH) by the RAN and are designed to be capable of both mid-level patrol and blue water operations. In 2010, these vessels began to receive upgrades to their anti-ship missile defence capabilities.

Adelaide class
The Australian take on the American Oliver Hazard Perry class guided missile frigate, six Adelaide class frigates were built for the RAN. Four were built by Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, Washington while the final two were built by AMECON in Williamstown, Victoria. They first entered service in 1980, and with the retirement of the Perth-class destroyers, have become the RAN's primary air defence asset. Four of the frigates are currently active after receiving upgrades to their weapons and systems during the 2000s, while the other two were decommissioned to free up funds for the modernisation. The frigates will be retired after the Hobart class destroyers enter service.

Collins class
Australia operates a single class of diesel-electric submarines, the six Collins class boats which began entering service in 1993. The Collins was designed by the Swedish submarine builder Kockums as the Type 471 specifically to meet Australian requirements, many of which were derived from Australia's need for great range without utilizing a nuclear propulsion system. The ships themselves were built in Australia by the Australian Submarine Corporation in Adelaide, South Australia. The submarines are classified by the RAN as guided missile submarines (SSG), but are often referred to as SSK submarines in the international press. While these vessels represented a major increase in capability for the RAN, they have found themselves mired in numerous technical and operational problems. Meanwhile, the RAN has struggled to sufficiently crew their submarine fleet, with at times no more than two qualified crews available. Plans have existed to replace the Collins with an even more ambitious twelve submarine program, although the design of this vessel has yet to be selected and there are many questions in Australia whether the program can be successful in light of the problems encountered in their current fleet.

Choules
The Bay class landing ship dock HMAS Choules (L100) was acquired by the RAN in 2011. The ship was originally built by Swan Hunter for the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and entered British service in 2006 as RFA Largs Bay. She was made redundant in the 2011 Strategic Defence and Security Review and sold to Australia. Choules represents a major increase in sealift capability for the RAN, particularly after mechanical issues in 2010 and 2011 forced the early retirement of the navy's two Kanimbla-class vessels, and put HMAS Tobruk (L 50) in dock for an extensive refit.

Tobruk
The sole ship of her class, HMAS Tobruk (L50) is a modified version of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's Round Table class amphibious logistics ship, and is classified as a "landing ship, heavy" (LSH) by the RAN. Tobruk was the first amphibious warfare ship purpose-built for the RAN; she was constructed at Carrington Slipways in Tomago, New South Wales, and entered service in 1981. Originally planned for decommissioning in the 1990s, she remains in service and will do so until replaced by the Canberra class landing helicopter dock ships. The vessel is capable of conducting roll-on/roll-off operations and can be beached for direct unloading to a beachhead.

Balikpapan class
Eight Balikpapan class landing craft were built in the early 1970s by Walkers Limited at Maryborough, Queensland for the Australian Army, but were transferred to the RAN after the first ship, HMAS Balikpapan (L 126), entered service. The large landing craft can be used as troop or vehicle transports, and can operate both independently (although a box-like keel prevents long voyages in rough conditions) or in a ship-to-shore role by docking with larger amphibious warfare vessels. Two Balikpapan's (HMA Ships HMAS Salamaua (L 131) and HMAS Buna (L 132)) were transferred to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force in 1974. Three of the Australian craft were decommissioned during December 2012, while the remaining three will continue operating until 2014.

Armidale class
For patrol of Australia's vast coastline, territorial waters, and offshore territories, the RAN operates fourteen Armidale class patrol boats. These replaced the Fremantle class from 2005 as the navy's primary asset for border protection, fisheries patrols, and interception of unauthorised arrivals by sea. Based on the Bay class customs vessels, the Armidales are significantly enlarged to allow for better range and seakeeping ability. Originally, twelve boats were to be built by Austal Ships, but the establishment of a dedicated patrol force for the North West Shelf Venture saw another two ordered. The Australian Patrol Boat Group has divided the class into four divisions, with three ships' companies assigned for every two vessels to achieve higher operational availability.

Huon class
Mine countermeasures at sea are handled by the Huon class minehunters, which began to enter RAN service from 1999. The class was based on the Italian Navy's Gaeta class minehunter developed by Intermarine SpA. Development was undertaken in partnership between Intermarine and Australian Defence Industries (ADI). The first hull was built in Italy, with fitting out the first and construction of the remaining five vessels of the class done by ADI in Newcastle, New South Wales, replacing the problematic Bay class minehunters. In addition to the mine warfare role, individual have been deployed on occasion to support patrol and border protection operations. Four vessels operate out of HMAS Waterhen (naval base), in Sydney, New South Wales. An additional two ships were placed in reserve in October 2011.

Sirius
HMAS Sirius was initially built as a civilian oil tanker, but was purchased by the RAN during construction and converted into a replenishment ship for the west coast. Built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea, she was launched in 2004 and commissioned in 2006; costing half the price and becoming active three years before the RAN's original plan of a purpose-build ship.

Success
The Durance class replenishment oiler HMAS Success'' is the only example of the class not built for the French Navy. Launched in 1984, the vessel was the largest ever built in Australia for military service, and the last major construction project undertaken by Cockatoo Island Dockyard.

Leeuwin class
Two Leeuwin class survey ships were built for the RAN by NQEA of Cairns, Queensland. Ordered in 1996, the ships were commissioned in a joint ceremony in 2000. They are capable of charting waters up to 6,000 m deep, and carry three Fantome class survey boats for shallow-water work. In addition to hydrographic surveying duties, since 2001 both vessels have also operated in support of the RAN patrol force.

Paluma class
The Paluma class survey motor launches are large catamarans designed for survey operations around northern and eastern Australia. Four ships were built by Elgo Engineering at Port Adelaide, South Australia between 1988 and 1990. The vessels normally operate in pairs.

Young Endeavour
The Sail Training Ship Young Endeavour was built as a gift from the United Kingdom to Australia for the latter's 1988 bicentenary of colonisation. Built by British shipbuilder Brooke Marine, the brigantine rig vessel is operated by the RAN, but is used to facilitate the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme; a sail training program for Australian youth aged between 16 and 23. A 10-strong RAN crew is supplemented by 24-30 youth on ten-day voyages, with 500 applicants selected every year through two ballots.

Ocean Shield


An offshore support vessel initially built by STX OSV for DOF Subsea, Ocean Shield was purchased for the RAN during construction. The ship is to be used to provide support during humanitarian and disaster relief operations, supplementing the capability of the RAN's amphibious warships. Ocean Shield is civilian-crewed, and is identified with the ship prefix ADV (Australian Defence Vessel). When the Canberra class amphibious ships enter service, Ocean Shield will be transferred to the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.

Bandicoot class
The RAN purchased two tugboats from Singaporean company Maritime (PTE) Ltd. in 1990 under the Craft of Opportunity Program, which intended to supplement the navy's minesweeping capability through the acquisition and conversion of civilian vessels. The 1982-built tugboats were converted, and entered service in 1991, designated the Bandicoot class. They were not commissioned into the RAN, and were identified as Minesweeper Auxiliaries, with the prefix MSA. Bandicoot and Wallaroo were placed in reserve in October 2010, but have been reactivated on several occasions since to provide berthing support for visiting nuclear-powered warships.