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Subject:
DoD Media Release: HMAS Canberra Decommissioned
tjkhan
11/12/2005 4:11:04 AM
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Saturday 12 November, 2005 180/2005
FIRST ADELAIDE CLASS NAVY FRIGATE DECOMMISSIONED
HMAS Canberra today became the first Adelaide Class Guided Missile Frigate (FFG) to be decommissioned from the Navy after proudly serving her country for 24 years.
Defence Minister Robert Hill joined Maritime Commander Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas and the ships Commanding Officer Commander Ray Leggatt to officially farewell the ship in a traditional ceremony today at Fleet Base West, south of Perth.
HMAS Canberra has sailed nearly 800,000 miles serving Australia, and has seen active service in the Persian Gulf and conducted operations in areas as diverse as the Southern Ocean and the Solomon Islands, east of Africa and south of Russia.
Senator Hill said the Government has decided to offer the ship to be sunk and used as a future diving attraction off the coast of Australia.
?Decommissioned ships Swan, Perth, Hobart and Brisbane which have been sunk off the Australian coast have proven to be an economic and tourism boom by creating great dive sites,? Senator Hill said.
?The dive sites have attracted valuable tourism and recreation income benefiting the nearby communities of Dunsborough and Albany in WA, Yankalilla Bay on the Southern Fleurieu Peninsula of SA and the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
?If sunk, HMAS Canberra would continue to provide a valuable contribution to the Australian community in a fitting way by continuing her association with the sea.?
Mrs Jenny Moir was the Guest of Honour for the decommissioning. Mrs Moir is the daughter of the late Lady Marjorie Tange, who was HMAS Canberra?s Launching Lady and the wife of the then Secretary of the Australian Department of Defence, the late Sir Arthur Tange.
?It is a sad but special day when a ship decommissions, however since I have been the Commanding Officer I have been honoured to serve with such a fine crew and I consider this one of the proudest days of my life,? Commander Leggatt said.
HMAS Canberra is 138 metres long, displaces 4100 tonnes and had a crew of 210 including helicopter aircrew and maintainers.
HMAS Canberra was one of the first RAN ships to be powered by gas turbine for its main propulsion, which provided the ability to be underway from cold in less than 30 minutes. She had the capability to carry up to two Seahawk helicopters.
Recently HMAS Canberra has participated in 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 in the International Coalition Against Terrorism (March to July 2002).
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