HMAS Stuart

HMAS Stuart Statistics

Pennant	FFH 153
Class	Anzac Class
Based	Sydney
Laid down	25 July 1998
Launched	17 April 1999
Commissioned	17 August 2002
Displacement	3600 tonnes3,600,000 kg 3.6e+9 g 7,936,639.2 lb 126,986,263.2 oz
Length	118 metres11,800 cm 0.118 km 0.0733 mi 387.139 ft 4,645.669 in
Beam	14.8 metres1,480 cm 0.0148 km 0.0092 mi 48.556 ft 582.677 in
Armament	1 x 5 inch (127mm) Mk45 Mod 2 Automatic fire gun Mk41 vertical launch system with the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile 2 x Mk32 Mod 5 triple mounted torpedo tubes 4 x 50 calibre (12.7mm) machine guns
Main Machinery	1 x General Electric LM2500 gas turbine engine 2 x MTU 12V 1163 diesel engines driving two controllable pitch propellers
Speed	27 knots13.89 m/s 50.004 km/h 0.0139 km/s 2,734.253 ft/min 45.571 ft/s
Company	170

HMAS Stuart (FFH153) is the third ship to bear the same name in the Royal Australian Navy and is the sixth Anzac Class Guided Missile Frigate of MEKO 200 design to be built by Tenix Defence Systems at Williamstown.

Stuart is a long-range escort capable of air defence, surface and undersea warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction. The ship can counter simultaneous threats from aircraft, surface vessels and submarines.

Stuart is fitted with an advanced package of air surveillance radars, omni-directional hull mounted sonar and electronic support systems which interface with a state-of-the-art combat data system.

A "combined diesel or gas" (CODOG) propulsion plant enables the ship to sustain speeds of 27 knots and allows an operational range in excess of 6,000 nautical miles.

The ships' main armament comprises one five inch (127 mm) gun capable of firing 20 rounds per minute, ship launched torpedoes and a MK 41 vertical launch system for the Evolved Sea Sparrow missile.

A helicopter is embarked to enhance anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities, initially an S-70B-2 Seahawk will be carried by Stuart, however this will be replaced in due course by the SH-2G(A) Super Seasprite equipped for surveillance and maritime strike.

Since commissioning Stuart has participated in boarder protection operations, the apprehension of the North Korean flag bulk carrier the Pong Su and was deployed to the Arabian Gulf as part of the International Coalition against Terrorism in 2004.