HMAS Canberra (II)

HMAS Canberra (II) Statistics

Pennant	FFG 02
Class	Adelaide Class
Launched	1 December 1978
Commissioned	21 March 1981
Decommissioned	12 November 2005
Displacement	4200 tonnes4,200,000 kg 4.2e+9 g 9,259,412.4 lb 148,150,640.4 oz
Length	138.1 metres13,810 cm 0.138 km 0.0858 mi 453.084 ft 5,437.008 in
Beam	14.3 metres1,430 cm 0.0143 km 0.00889 mi 46.916 ft 562.992 in
Armament	76mm Rapid Fire Gun Harpoon Anti-ship Missiles SM2 Surface-to-Air Missiles Evolved Sea Sparrow Surface-to-Air Missiles Mk 41 Vertical Launch System Mk 13 Missile Launcher Phalanx Close-in Weapons System Nulka, Pirate, Seagnat and Lescut decoy systems 2 Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes Mk 46 torpedoes
Aircraft	Up to two Seahawk helicopters
Main Machinery	2 General Electric LM2500 gas turbines geared to a single controllable pitch propeller
Speed	More than 30 knots15.433 m/s 55.56 km/h 0.0154 km/s 3,038.059 ft/min 50.634 ft/s
Company	Approximately 221

HMAS Canberra (FFG-02) was a long-range escort frigate with roles including area air defence, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance, and interdiction. The Ship could simultaneously counter threats from the air, surface and sub-surface.

Launched on 1 December 1978 at Todd Pacific Shipyard Corporation in Seattle, USA, HMAS Canberra was commissioned on 21 March 1981. The FFG was the second RAN ship to bear the name HMAS Canberra. HMAS Canberra (I), a Kent Class heavy cruiser, served with distinction during WWII until she was heavily damaged and sunk during the Battle of Savo Island in August 1942 with the loss of 84 crew. In 1943 in honour of HMAS Canberra (I), the United States commissioned the Baltimore Class heavy cruiser, USS Canberra, the only US Navy ship so far to be named for a capital city outside the United States of America.

Along with her five sister ships, Adelaide, Sydney, Darwin, Melbourne and Newcastle, Canberra was powered by gas turbines for it's main propulsion. Guided-missile frigates could be underway from a cold start in less than 30 minutes. In addition, two forward mounted auxiliary propulsion units provided a secondary means of propulsion and excellent manoeuvrability in confined waters.

HMAS Canberra participated in numerous operations, including Operation DAMASK following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (November 1992 to March 1993), Operation BRANCARD to evacuate Australian nationals from Jakarta (May 1998), and Operation SLIPPER (March to July 2002) as part of the international coalition against terrorism.

HMAS Canberra is the first Adelaide Class Guided Missile Frigate (FFG) to be decommissioned. She was scuttled at 2pm on Sunday 4 October 2009 in 28 metres of water off Ocean Grove, Victoria to create a artificial reef and diving site. Further information available at the VARS website