HMAS Leeuwin

Commissioned on 27 May 2000, HMAS Leeuwin is named after Cape Leeuwin, on the south-western tip of Western Australia.

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) currently uses the Leeuwin Class survey ships (AGS). Leeuwin Class ships, HMAS Leeuwin and Melville, have multi-beam echo sounders and the ability to support a helicopter, and carry three 9 metre survey motor boats. With less than half of the area around Australia surveyed to acceptable standards, these survey ships greatly reduce this figure, making passage of vessels safer and help to protect Australia's ocean environment.

The RAN Hydrographic Service has responsibility for charting more than one-eighth of the world's surface, stretching as far west as Cocos Island in the Indian Ocean, east to the Solomon Islands, and from the Equator to the Antarctic. The RAN has 6 ships and one aircraft engaged in the task.

Specifications

• Commanding Officer: Commander SE Poing-Destre
• Class: Leeuwin Class
• Type: survey ship (AGS)
• Role:
  • hydrographic survey
  • support
• Pennant: A245
• International callsign: VLSE
• Motto: I Shall Maintain
• Home port: HMAS Cairns
• Builder: North Queensland Engineers & Agents
• Launched: 1 June 1997
• Commissioned: 27 May 2000
• Displacement: 2,205 tonnes
• Length: 71.2 metres
• Beam: 15.2 metres
• Draught: 4.3 metres
• Speed: 14 knots
• Range: 18,000 nautical miles
• Crew: 46
• Machinery:
  • 4 GEC Alsthom 6RK 215 diesel generators
  • 2 Alsthom electric propulsion motors
• Radars: STN Atlas 9600 ARPA navigation radar
• Sonars:
  • C-Tech CMAS 36/39
  • Atlas Fansweep multibeam echo sounder
  • Atlas Hydrographic Deso single beam echo sounder
• Helicopters: one AS 350B Squirrel (not permanently embarked)