HMAS Ballarat (FFH 155)
| HMAS Ballarat in 2008 HMAS Ballarat in 2008 | |
| Career (Australia (RAN)) |  |
|---|---|
| Namesake: | City of Ballarat |
| Builder: | Tenix Defence Systems |
| Laid down: | 4 August 2000 |
| Launched: | 25 May 2002 |
| Commissioned: | 26 June 2004 |
| Homeport: | Fleet Base East |
| Motto: | "Defend the Flag" |
| Honours and awards: | Three inherited battle honours |
| Status: | Active as of 2010 |
| Badge: |
 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Anzac class frigate |
| Displacement: | 3,600 tonnes full load |
| Length: | 118 metres (387 ft) |
| Beam: | 15 metres (49 ft) |
| Draught: | 4 metres (13 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
1 x General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine providing 30,000 hp (22.5 mW) 2 x MTU 12v 1163 TB83 diesels providing 8,840 hp (6.5 mW) |
| Speed: | 27 knots (50 km/h) |
| Range: | 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Complement: | approximately 170 sailors |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
Sonars: Thomson Sintra Spherion B Mod 5; hull-mounted; active search and attack; medium frequency. Provision for towed array Air search radar: Raytheon AN/SPS-49(V)8 ANZ (C/D-band) Surface search radar: CelsiusTech 9LV 453 TIR (Ericsson Tx/Rx) (G-band) Navigation: Atlas Elektronik 9600 ARPA (I-band) |
| Electronic warfare and decoys: |
ESM: Racal modified Sceptre A (radar intercept), Telefunken PST-1720 Telegon 10 (comms intercept) Countermeasures: Decoys: G & D Aircraft SRBOC Mk 36 Mod 1 decoy launchers for SRBOC |
| Armament: |
Guns and missiles: 1 × 5 in/62 (127 mm) Mk 45 Mod 4 gun, various machine guns and small arms, 2 x 4 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Mk 41 Mod 5 VLS for Sea Sparrow and Evolved Sea Sparrow Torpedoes: 2 × triple 324 mm Mk 32 Mod 5 tubes Fire control: CelsiusTech 9LV 453 (J-band) Combat data systems: CelsiusTech 9LV 453 Mk 3.Link 11 Weapons control: CelsiusTech 9LV 453 optronic director with Raytheon CW Mk 73 Mod 1 |
| Aircraft carried: | 1 x SH-60 Seahawk |
HMAS Ballarat (FFH 155) is an Anzac class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
The frigate was laid down in 2000 and commissioned into the RAN in mid-2004. Since entering service, Ballarat has been involved in border protection as part of Operation Relex II, was deployed to the Gulf for Operation Catalyst, and was one of the two ships involved in the Operation Northern Trident 2009 round-the-world voyage.
Construction
Ballarat was laid down by Tenix Defence Systems at Williamstown, Victoria on 4 August 2000.[1] She was launched on 25 May 2002, and commissioned into the RAN on 26 June 2004.[1] She was the eighth ship of the class to be constructed, and the sixth to enter service in the Royal Australian Navy.[1]
The motto and badge of HMAS Ballarat are references to the events of the Eureka Stockade, which occurred at Ballarat in 1854.[citation needed]
Operational history
At the start of 2005, Ballarat was involved in Operation Relex II, a border protection operation in Australia's northern waters.[2]
Ballarat ran aground off Christmas Island near Flying Fish Cove on 22 January 2005 causing damage to the rudder and propellers from the sand and coral.[2] There were no injuries to the crew.[2] She was able to return to Melbourne for repairs in drydock at Tenix after further checks in Fremantle.[citation needed]
In March 2006, Ballarat was deployed to the Persian Gulf in as part of Operation Catalyst, the Australian Defence Force's contribution to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Iraq.[citation needed]
In December 2006, a request by members of the crew led to a re-launching of Ballarat Bitter, a beer originally brewed in Ballarat but stopped in 1989.[3] Proceeds from the sale of the two limited releases were donated to the United Way charities.[3]
On the morning of 13 March 2009, Ballarat was one of seventeen warships involved in a ceremonial fleet entry and fleet review in Sydney Harbour, the largest collection of RAN ships since the Australian Bicentenary in 1988.[4] The frigate was one of the thirteen ships involved in the ceremonial entry through Sydney Heads, and anchored in the harbour for the review.
On 20 April 2009, Ballarat and the Adelaide class frigate HMAS Sydney departed from Sydney as part of Operation Northern Trident, a six-month round-the-world voyage by the two vessels, with numerous diplomatic visits and joint exercises with foreign navies.[5] During the night of 17 May, Ballarat and Sydney provided aid to two mechant vessels in the Gulf of Aden, driving off two separate groups of Somali pirates attacking the ships.[6] Ballarat escorted an impromptu convoy of eight ships, including the two that were attacked, to safety, while Sydney remained in the area to report the incidents to Combined Task Force 151.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "HMAS Ballarat". Royal Australian Navy. http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Ballarat. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Navy opens frigate probe". The Courier. 23 January 2005. http://www.thecourier.com.au/news/local/news/general/navy-opens-frigate-probe/231229.aspx. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Buying up big on Bertie beer". The Courier. 12 December 2006. http://www.thecourier.com.au/news/local/news/general/buying-up-big-on-bertie-beer/463890.aspx. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
- ↑ Brooke, Michael (2 April 2009). "Marching into History". Navy News (Department of Defence). http://digital.realviewtechnologies.com/default.aspx?xml=defencenews_navy.xml&iid=23701.
- ↑ "Northern Trident 2009". Royal Australian Navy. 2009. http://www.navy.gov.au/Northern_Trident_2009. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Dodd, Mark (19 May 2009). "RAN warships to the rescue as Somali pirates flee". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25504378-15084,00.html. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
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