| Royal Australian Navy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1 March 1901; 124 years ago (1901-03-01) |
| Country |  Australia |
| Branch | Navy |
| Role | Naval warfare |
| Size |
|
| Part of | Australian Defence Force |
| Headquarters | Russell Offices,Canberra |
| Mottos | To fight and win at sea[1] |
| March | "Royal Australian Navy" |
| Anniversaries | 10 July |
| Fleet | |
| Engagements | |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Chief of the Defence Force | AdmiralDavid Johnston |
| Vice Chief of the Defence Force | Air MarshalRobert Chipman |
| Chief of Navy | Vice AdmiralMark Hammond |
| Deputy Chief of Navy | Rear AdmiralJonathan Earley |
| Commander Australian Fleet | Rear AdmiralChristopher Smith |
| Insignia | |
| Naval ensign |  |
| Naval jack | .svg) |
| Pennant | .svg) |
| King's Colours |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Multirole helicopter | MH-60R Seahawk |
| Trainer helicopter | EC-135T2+ |
TheRoyal Australian Navy (RAN) is thenaval branch of theAustralian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN isChief of Navy (CN)[2]Vice AdmiralMark Hammond. The Chief of Navy is also jointly responsible to theMinister for Defence (MINDEF) and theChief of the Defence Force (CDF). TheDepartment of Defence, which is a part of theAustralian Public Service, supports the ADF, and ergo, the Royal Australian Navy.[3]
The navy was formed in 1901 as theCommonwealth Naval Forces (CNF) through the amalgamation of thecolonial navies of Australia following thefederation of Australia. Although it was originally intended for local defence, it became increasingly responsible for regional defence as the British Empire started to diminish its influence in the South Pacific.
The Royal Australian Navy was initially agreen-water navy, as theRoyal Navy provided ablue-water force to theAustralian Squadron, which the Australian and New Zealand governments helped to fund; the squadron was assigned to theAustralia Station. This period lasted until 1913, when naval ships purchased from Britain arrived, although theBritish Admiralty continued to provide blue-water defence capability in the Pacific and Indian Oceans up to the early years of the Second World War.[4]
During its history, the Royal Australian Navy has participated in a number of major wars, including the First and Second World Wars, Korean War, Malayan Emergency, Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation and the Vietnam War. As of 2025, the RAN consists of 36 commissioned vessels, 12 non-commissioned vessels and over 16,000 personnel. The navy is one of the largest and most sophisticated naval forces in the SouthPacific region, with a significant presence in the Indian Ocean and worldwide operations in support of military campaigns and peacekeeping missions.
The Commonwealth Naval Forces were established on 1 March 1901, with the amalgamation of the six separatecolonial naval forces, following theFederation of Australia.[5] The Commonwealth Navy initially consisted of the former New South Wales, Victorian, Queensland, Western Australian, South Australian and Tasmanian ships and resources of their disbanded navies.
TheDefence Act 1903 established the operation and command structure of the Commonwealth Navy.[6] When policymakers sought to determine the newly established force's requirements and purpose, there were arguments about whether Australia's naval force would be structured mainly for local defence or designed to serve as a fleet unit within a larger imperial force, controlled centrally by theBritish Admiralty.[7] In 1908–09, a compromise solution was pursued, with the Australian government agreeing to establish a force for local defence but that would be capable of forming a fleet unit within the Royal Navy, albeit without central control. As a result, the navy's force structure was set at "one battlecruiser, three light cruisers, six destroyers and three submarines". The first of the Navy's new vessels, the destroyerHMAS Yarra, was completed in September 1910, and by the outbreak of theFirst World War the majority of the planned fleet had been realised.[8] On 10 July 1911, the Navy was renamed the Royal Australian Navy, with the approval of KingGeorge V.[9]
Followingthe British Empire's declaration of war on Germany, theBritish War Office tasked the capture ofGerman New Guinea to theAustralian Government. This was to deprive theImperial German Navy'sEast Asia Squadron of regional intelligence by removing their access to wireless stations. On 11 August, three destroyers andHMASSydney prepared to engage the squadron at German Anchorages in New Guinea, which did not eventuate as the vessels were not present. Landing parties were placed onRabaul andHerbertshohe to destroy its German wireless station; however, the objective was found to be further inland and an expeditionary force was required. Meanwhile,HMASAustralia was tasked with scouring the Pacific Ocean for the German squadron.
TheAustralian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) began recruiting on the same day that the taskforce arrived inNew Britain, and consisted of two battalions: one of 1,000 men, and the other with 500 serving and former seamen. On 19 August, the ANMEF departedSydney for training inTownsville before the rendezvous with other RAN vessels inPort Moresby.[10] On 29 August, four cruisers and HMASAustralia assisted New Zealand'sSamoa Expeditionary Force in landing atApia, and committing a bloodless takeover of German Samoa. Additionally, the RAN captured German merchant vessels, disrupting German merchant shipping in the Pacific. On 7 September, the ANMEF, now including HMASAustralia, three destroyers, and two each of cruisers and submarines, departed for Rabaul.
A few days later, on 9 September,HMASMelbourne landed a party to destroy the island's wireless station, though the German administration promptly surrendered. Between 11 and 12 September, landings were put ashore at Kabakaul, Rabaul and Herbertshohe; it was during this period that the first Australian casualties and deaths of the war occurred. On 14 September,HMASEncounter barraged an enemy position at Toma with shells; it was the first time the RAN had fired upon an enemy and had shelled an inland location. On 17 September, German New Guinea surrendered to the encroaching ANMEF, with the overall campaign a success and exceeded the objectives set by the War Office. However, the RAN submarineHMASAE1 became the first ever vessel of the new navy to be sunk.[10] The Australian Squadron was placed under control of theBritish Admiralty,[11] and was moreover tasked with protecting Australian shipping.[10]
On 1 November, the RAN escorted theFirst Australian Imperial Force convoy fromAlbany, WA and set for theKhedivate of Egypt, which was soon to become theSultanate of Egypt. On 9 November, HMASSydney began hunting forSMSEmden, a troublesome German coastal raider. The SMSEmden and HMASSydney met in the Battle of Cocos, theEmden was destroyed in Australia's first naval victory. Following the almost complete destruction of the East Asia Squadron in theBattle of the Falklands by the Royal Navy, the RAN became able to be reassigned to other naval theatres of the war.[10]
On 28 February 1915, theRoyal Australian Naval Bridging Train (RANBT) was formed with members of theRoyal Australian Naval Reserve who could not find billets in the RAN.[12] Following the entrance of the Ottoman Empire in alliance with the Central Powers,HMASAE2 was committed to the initial naval operation of theGallipoli campaign. After the failure of the naval strategy, an amphibious assault was planned to enable the Allies' warships to pass through theDardanelles and captureConstantinople. The RANBT was sent ashore, along with the invasion, for engineering duties.[13]
Later in the war, most of the RAN's major ships operated as part ofRoyal Navy forces in the Mediterranean and North Seas, and then later in the Adriatic, and then the Black Sea following the surrender of theOttoman Empire.[8]
In 1919, the RAN received a force of six destroyers, three sloops and six submarines from the Royal Navy,[14] but throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, the RAN was drastically reduced in size due to a variety of factors including political apathy and economic hardship as a result of theGreat Depression.[15] In this time the focus of Australia's naval policy shifted from defence against invasion to trade protection,[16] and several fleet units were sunk as targets or scrapped. By 1923, the size of the navy had fallen to eight vessels,[15] and by the end of the decade it had fallen further to five, with just 3,500 personnel.[16] In the late 1930s, as international tensions increased, the RAN was modernised and expanded, with the service receiving primacy of funding over theArmy andAir Force during this time as Australia began to prepare for war.[16]
Early in theSecond World War, RAN ships again operated as part of Royal Navy formations, many serving with distinction in theMediterranean, theRed Sea, thePersian Gulf, theIndian Ocean, and off theWest African coast.[17] Following the outbreak of thePacific War and the virtual destruction of Allied naval forces inSoutheast Asia, the RAN operated more independently, defending againstAxis naval activity in Australian waters, or participating inUnited States Navy offensives. As the navy took on an even greater role, it was expanded significantly and at its height the RAN was the fourth-largest navy in the world, with 39,650 personnel operating 337 warships, but no active submarines.[16] A total of 34 vessels were lost during the war, including three cruisers and four destroyers.[18]
After the Second World War, the size of the RAN was again reduced, but it gained new capabilities with the acquisition of two aircraft carriers,Sydney andMelbourne.[19] The RAN saw action in manyCold War–era conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region and operated alongside the Royal Navy and United States Navy off Korea, Malaysia, and Vietnam.[20] Since the end of the Cold War, the RAN has been part of Coalition forces in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, operating in support ofOperation Slipper and undertaking counter piracy operations. It was also deployed in support of Australian peacekeeping operations inEast Timor and theSolomon Islands.[21]
The high demand for personnel in the Second World War led to the establishment of theWomen's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) branch in 1942, where over 3,000 women served in shore-based positions. The WRANS was disbanded in 1947, but then re-established in 1951 during the Cold War. It was given permanent status in 1959, and the RAN was the final branch to integratewomen in the Australian military in 1985.[22]
In April 2023, following the release of theDefence Strategic Review, the government sought anIndependent analysis into Navy's surface fleet combatant fleet.[23][24] In February 2024, the government released its response to the independent analysis.[25]
The strategic command structure of the RAN was overhauled during the New Generation Navy changes.[26] The RAN is commanded through Naval Headquarters (NHQ) inCanberra.[27] NHQ is responsible for implementing policy decisions handed down from theDepartment of Defence and for overseeing tactical and operational issues that are the purview of the subordinate commands.[28]
Beneath NHQ are two subordinate commands:
Fleet Command was previously made up of sevenForce Element Groups, but after the New Generation Navy changes, this was restructured into four Force Commands:[31]
The Royal Australian Navy consists of over 50 commissioned vessels and over 16,000 personnel.[33] Ships commissioned into the RAN are given the prefix HMAS (His/Her Majesty's Australian Ship).[34]
The RAN has two primary bases for its fleet: the first,Fleet Base East, is located atHMAS Kuttabul, Sydney and the second,Fleet Base West, is located atHMAS Stirling, near Perth.[35][36] In addition, three other bases are home to the majority of the RAN's minor war vessels:HMAS Cairns, in Cairns,HMAS Coonawarra, in Darwin, andHMAS Waterhen, in Sydney.[37][38][39]
The Clearance Diving Branch is composed of twoClearance Diving Teams (CDT) that serve as parent units for naval clearance divers:
When clearance divers are sent into combat, Clearance Diving Team Three (AUSCDT THREE) is formed.
The CDTs have two primary roles:
As of June 2023, the RAN has 14,745 permanent full-time personnel, 172 gap-year personnel, and 4,607 reserve personnel.[40] The permanent full-time trained force consists of 3,070 commissioned officers, and 9,695 enlisted personnel.[41] Male personnel made up 75.9% of the permanent full-time force, while female personnel made up 24%. The RAN has the second-highest percentage of women in the permanent forces, compared to the RAAF's 26.6% and the Army's 15.3%.[41] Throughout the 2022-23 financial year 1,141 enlisted in the RAN on a permanent basis while 1,354 left, representing a net loss of 213 personnel.[40]
The following are some of the current senior Royal Australian Navy officers:
Commissioned officers of the Australian Navy have pay grades ranging from S-1 to O-10.[42] The highest rank achievable in the current Royal Australian Navy structure is O-10, an admiral who serves as the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) when the position is held by a Naval Officer. The navy has a O-11 positionAdmiral of the Fleet that is honorary and is currently held byCharles III,King of Australia.[42][43]
O-8 (rear admiral) to O-11 (admiral of the fleet) are referred to asflag officers, O-5 (commander) and above are referred to assenior officers, while S-1 (midshipman) to O-4 (lieutenant commander) are referred to asjunior officers. All RAN Officers are issued a commission by theGovernor-General asCommander-in-Chief on behalf of His Majesty King Charles III.
Naval officers are trained at theRoyal Australian Naval College (HMASCreswell) inJervis Bay as well as theAustralian Defence Force Academy in Canberra.[44]
| NATO Code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aus/US Code | O-11 | O-10 | O-9 | O-8 | O-7 |
 AustraliaFlag Officerrank insignia[45] |  |  |  |  |  |
| Rank title: | Admiral of the Fleet | Admiral | Vice Admiral | Rear Admiral | Commodore |
| Abbreviation: | AF | ADML | VADM | RADM | CDRE |
| NATO Code | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF(D) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aus/US Code | O-6 | O-5 | O-4 | O-3 | O-2 | O-1 | O-0 | ||||
| AustraliaOfficer rank insignia[45] |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||
| Rank title | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant Commander | Lieutenant | Sub Lieutenant | Acting Sub Lieutenant | Midshipman | ||||
| Abbreviation | CAPT | CMDR | LCDR | LEUT | SBLT | ASLT | MIDN | ||||
| NATO Code | OR-9* | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aus/US Code | E-9 | E-9 | E-8 | E-6 | E-5 | E-3 | E-2 | E-1 | |||
| AustraliaOther Ranks Insignia |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | No insignia | |||
| Rank Title: | Warrant Officer of the Navy | Warrant Officer | Chief Petty Officer | Petty Officer | Leading Seaman | Able Seaman | Seaman | Recruit | |||
| Abbreviation: | WO-N | WO | CPO | PO | LS | AB | SMN/SMN* | RCT | |||
Royal Australian Navy Other Ranks wear "right arm rates" insignia, called "Category Insignia" to indicate specialty training qualifications.[46] This is a holdover from the Royal Navy.
TheWarrant Officer of the Navy (WO-N) is an appointment held by the most senior sailor in the RAN and holds the rank of warrant officer (WO). However, the WO-N does not wear the WO rank insignia; instead, they wear the special insignia of the appointment.[47] The WO-N appointment has similar equivalent appointments in the other services, each holding the rank of warrant officer, each being the most senior sailor/soldier/airman in that service, and each wearing their own special insignia rather than their rank insignia. The Australian Army equivalent is theRegimental Sergeant Major of the Army (RSM-A)[48] and the Royal Australian Air Force equivalent is theWarrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF).[49]
Chaplains in the Royal Australian Navy are commissioned officers who complete the same training as other officers in the RAN at the Royal Australian Naval College, HMAS Creswell. From July 2020, Maritime Spiritual Wellbeing Officers (MSWOs) were introduced to the Navy Chaplaincy Branch, designed to give Navy people and their families with professional, non-religious pastoral care and spiritual support.[50]
In the Royal Australian Navy, Chaplains and MSWOs are commissioned officers without rank. For reasons of protocol, ceremonial occasions and for saluting purposes, they are, where appropriate, normally grouped with Commanders (O-5).[51] The more senior Division 4 Senior Chaplains are grouped with Captains (O-6) and Division 5 Principal Chaplains are grouped with Commodores (O-7), but their rank slide remains the same. Principal Chaplains and MSWOs, however, have gold braid on the peak of their white service cap.[citation needed]
From January 2021, MSWOs and all chaplains wear the branch's new non-faith-specific rank insignia of a fouled anchor overlaying a compass rose, which represents a united team front, encompassing all faiths and purpose. Chaplains and MSWOs have insignia that reflect their religion on collar mounted patches (Cross for Christian, Crescent for Muslim etc, Compass rose for MSWOs.)[52]
The RAN currently operates 36 commissioned vessels, made up of 11 ship classes, plus 12 non-commissioned vessels. In addition,DMS Maritime operates a large number of civilian-crewed vessels under contract to the Australian Defence Force.
| Image | Class/name | Type | Number | Entered service | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioned vessels | |||||
 | Canberra class | Landing helicopter dock | 2 | 2014 | Amphibious warfare ships withaircraft carrier capacity. |
 | Hobart class | Destroyer | 3 | 2017 | Air warfare destroyer.[53] |
 | Anzac class | Frigate | 7 | 1996 | Anti-submarine and anti-aircraft frigate with one helicopter. Two more were built for theRoyal New Zealand Navy. Will be replaced by theAustralian general purpose frigate program.[54] |
 | Collins class | Submarine | 6 | 1996 | Anti-shipping, intelligence collection.Diesel-electric powered. |
 | Arafura class | Offshore patrol vessel | 1 | 2025 | Offshore patrol vessel for conducting maritime constabulary roles. |
 | Cape class | Patrol boat | 8 | 2017 | Eight Cape-class vessels commissioned as of May 2025 with the remaining four operating un-commissioned. |
.jpg) | Armidale class | Patrol boat | 3 | 2005 | Coastal defence, maritime border, and fishery protection. |
 | Huon class | Minehunter | 2 | 1997 | Minehunting. |
 | Leeuwin class | Survey ship | 1 | 2000 | Hydrographic survey. |
 | Bay class | Landing ship dock | 1 | 2011 | Heavy sealift and transport. |
_participating_in_the_International_Fleet_Review_2022.jpg) | Supply class | Replenishment oiler | 2 | 2021 | Replenishment at sea and afloat support. |
| Non-commissioned vessels | |||||
| Cape class | Patrol boat | 4 | 2017 | Maritime border and fishery protection, augmenting theArmidale class. Two more under construction.[55] |
 | ADV Ocean Protector | Auxiliary | 1 | 2016 | Auxiliary vessel, manned and managed by Teekay. Part of theNational Support Squadron |
 | ADV Guidance | Auxiliary | 1 | 2023 | Auxiliary vessel / undersea support vessel, manned and managed by Teekay. Part of the National Support Squadron |
 | ADV Reliant | Auxiliary | 1 | 2022 | Pacific support vessel, manned and managed by Teekay. Part of the National Support Squadron |
 | MVStoker | 1 | 2016 | Submarine rescue ship. Carries theLR5 submarine rescue vehicle. Part of the National Support Squadron | |
 | MVBesant | 1 | 2015 | Submarine rescue ship. Part of the National Support Squadron | |
 | MVSycamore | 1 | 2017 | Aviation training ship. Part of the National Support Squadron | |
 | MVMercator | 1 | Navigation training ship. Part of the National Support Squadron | ||
.jpg) | STS Young Endeavour I | Sail training ship | 1 | 1988 | Tall ship, operated under the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme. |
 | MV Admiral's Barge | Ceremonial and VIP transport | 1 | 1993 | The main Admiral's Barge belonging to the VIP Boat Squadron and based atHMASWaterhen. |
| MV Admiral Hudson | Ceremonial and VIP transport | 1 | 1995 | A Kingfisher 54 cruiser used as an admiral's barge belonging to the VIP Boat Squadron and based at HMASWaterhen. |
| Image | Squadron | Equipment | Number | Role | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operational Squadrons | |||||
 | 816 Squadron | MH-60R | 8 | Anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue | The RAN operates 23 MH-60Rs, 8 of which are usually deployed at sea at any one time with the rest in maintenance and training.[56][57][58] One was ditched in thePhilippine Sea in October 2021 while embarked on HMASBrisbane.[58] |
| 808 Squadron | MH-60R | Transport and resupply | In April 2022, the RAN ceased flying the MRH-90 Taipan and the fleet was placed into storage.[59][60] In May 2022, the Australian government announced that theMRH-90 would be replaced by additional MH-60R Seahawks.[61][62] In September 2022, the government ordered 12 MH-60Rs.[63][64] | |
| Training Squadrons | |||||
| 725 Squadron | MH-60R | 15 | Conversion training and maintenance | |
_Airbus_Helicopter_EC135T2%252B_at_Wagga_Wagga_Airport.jpg) | 723 Squadron | EC-135T2+ | 15 | Helicopter aircrew training | |
| Experimental Squadron | |||||
.jpg) | 822X Squadron | Intergrator | Unmanned aerial vehicle trials | ||
RAN personnel utilise the following small arms:[65]
There are currently several major projects underway that will see upgrades to RAN capabilities.
The RAN currently has forces deployed on seven major operations:[95]
The Chief of Navy Australia is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy. The rank associated with the position is Vice Admiral (3-star).
Navy Strategic Command [...] is headquartered in Canberra
... Chaplains and MSWOs are commissioned officers without rank. However, for ceremonial and protocol purposes they are, where appropriate, normally grouped with Commanders (O-5). ...
This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under aCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
This article incorporates text published under the BritishOpen Government Licence v3.0:Ministry of Defence;Defence Nuclear Organisation (14 March 2023)."The AUKUS Nuclear Powered-Submarine Pathway: A Partnership for the Future"(PDF). pp. 7, 23. Retrieved17 March 2023. This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under aCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
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