HMAS Toowoomba (FFH-156)

History

The vast coastline of modern Australia is forcing its military to develop a capable and sophisticated naval force - especially to better secure its interests in the vast Pacific region. The Anzac-class frigate was developed for her naval service (Royal Australian Navy - RAN) in the late 1980s/early 1990s to replace the aging line of River-class destroyer escorts and Leander-class frigates.

The result today is a fleet of ten formidable combat surface warships capable of handling many of the tasks the modern navy faces today. Two out of ten serve in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).

New Anzac

Twelve ships were originally planned for the Anzac class, but two were eventually cancelled. One of the original numbers remains the HMAS Toowoomba (FFH-156), created on 26 July 2002 by the shipbuilder Tenix Defense Systems. The ship was launched on May 16, 2003 and officially commissioned on October 8, 2005. It remains active in the RAN fleet today (2018) while being imported home from Fleet Base West.

The warship fought under the motto "Dreadnought" and received two combat honors in its name (both from the RAN warship formerly known as "Toowoomba") - "Pacific 1942" and "Indian Ocean 1942-44".

The HMAS Toowoomba is the seventh of eight Anzac-class ships built for the RAN. Their role is categorized as providing long-range surface warfare, armed with weapons capable of blocking airspace and capable of dealing with threats both above and below water.

If necessary, it can also participate in the prohibition of reconnaissance operations.

The Anzac class is based on the standard design of the German Blohm & Voss "MEKO 200" frigate, which won Dutch and British bids during the competitive phase of the Australian project.

Displacement, size, installed power and performance

The warship has a full-load displacement of 3,600 tons, an overall length of 387 feet, a beam of 49 feet, and a draft of only 13 feet (the latter mass gives the ship its nearshore character). ). Power comes from 1 GE LM2500 gas turbine with 30,000 hp and 2 MTU 12V1163TB83 marine diesel engines with an additional 8,840 hp. This accelerates the vessel to a speed of 27 knots and extends it to a range of 6,000 nautical miles.

Combined powerplants are classified as "CODOG", which stands for "Combine Diesel or Gas", which is defined as the vessel's ability to rely on gas turbines for quick, quick maneuvers and dual diesels for general cruising (which saves fuel and maximizes efficiency) ). This arrangement drives power to 2 axles under the stern.

Crew, sensors and systems

There are approximately 170 crew members on board, who are trained in various roles on the warship - cooking, cleaning, security, weapons, sensors, etc. The ship is equipped with a range of search/track and self-defense measures, including Raytheon AN/SPS-49(V)8 ANZ (C/D band) air search radar and CelsiusTech 9LV 453 TIR G-band surface positioning radar and Atlas Electronics 9600 ARPA I -Band Series Navigation Kit. Racal (modified) "Scepter A" and Telefunfen PST-1720 "Telegon" 10 series units make up the ESM components of the vessel.

Countermeasures (CM) are provided in the form of the SRBOC Mk 36 Mod 1 Decoy Launcher. The Thomson Sintra "Spherion B" (Mod 5) is the primary hull-based sonar that also supports towed arrays.

Installed and supported weapons

HMAS Toowoomba's armament is similar to other modern frigate surface combatants, a mixture of projectile-based and missile-based weapons. Above the forecastle is a 5" turret deck gun supported by an 8-cell Mark 41 Mod 5 Vertical Launch System (VLS) designed for the RIM-7 "Sea Sparrow"/RIM-162 "Evolution Sea Sparrow" medium-range ground-to-ground Air-to-air missiles (a second VLS unit is supported, but apparently not installed).

There are also 2 x 4-cell anti-ship missile launchers "Harpoon" (post 2005) and 2 x mounted Mk 32 324mm triple torpedo tubes. Carry 2 to 4 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns for extreme close range defense.

HMAS Toowoomba in profile

The shape of the HMAS Toowoomba is typical of modern combat frigates. She had a short, unobstructed foredeck with a turret deck gun mounted on it. The stern is the hull structure, which is more or less a continuous section extending from the stern of the fore house to the front of the helipad at the stern. The bridge is located at the front of the superstructure and offers impressive bow views. On top of this area is the main mast (now closed) in the form of a tripod, on which various communications, sensor and radar equipment are mounted.

Secondary masts are mounted directly behind and in front of the low profile smoke funnel. The hangar is attached to the main hull structure and occupies the mid-stern section. Some stealth features are built into the design, including board sides and a generally unremarkable appearance.

Air Force

Above the stern is a hangar/helipad combination carrying a Sikorsky MH-60R (S-70B-2) Seahawk naval helicopter. The air system can be used for naval resupply, pursuit of enemy ships and submarines (ASW), and search and rescue (SAR) missions.

Operation history to date

In early 2007, Toowoomba's first operational deployment took her to Middle Eastern waters. A similar voyage ushered her in 2009, as part of a U.S. Allied Initiative, where she was involved in the protection of commercial and civilian vessels off the coast of Somalia against Somali pirates.

In early 2013, the ship joined the U.S. Navy's 3rd Carrier Strike Group as part of a show of force in the competitive South China Sea. The following year, she was used in the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 (since the plane had been missing since April 2018). In 2015, the warship had upgraded missile defenses to better deal with emerging threats.

More recently, she has been back in and around the South China Sea to operate with Australian forces and allied navies.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Wing