Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy
Founded1 March 1901
Country Australia
BranchNavy
RoleNaval warfare
Size14,745 Permanent personnel

4,607 Reserve personnel

32 commissioned ships; 11 non-commissioned ships[1]
Part ofAustralian Defence Force
HeadquartersRussell Offices, Canberra
Motto(s)To fight and win at sea.[2]
March"Royal Australian Navy"
Anniversaries10 July
Fleet
Engagements
Websitewww.navy.gov.au
Commanders
Commander-in-chiefGovernor-General David Hurley as representative of Charles III as King of Australia[3]
Chief of the Defence ForceGeneral Angus Campbell
Vice Chief of the Defence ForceVice Admiral David Johnston
Chief of NavyVice Admiral Mark Hammond
Deputy Chief of NavyRear Admiral Jonathan Earley
Commander Australian FleetRear Admiral Christopher Smith
Insignia
Naval ensign
Naval jack
King's Colours
Aircraft flown
Multirole helicopterMH-60R Seahawk
Trainer helicopterEC-135T2+
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The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN)[4] Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of Defence (MINDEF) and the Chief of Defence Force (CDF). The Department of Defence as part of the Australian Public Service administers the ADF.[5]

The navy was formed in 1901 as the Commonwealth Naval Forces (CNF) through the amalgamation of the colonial navies of Australia following the federation 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 a green-water navy, as the Royal Navy provided a blue-water force to the Australian Squadron, which the Australian and New Zealand governments helped to fund; the squadron was assigned to the Australia Station. This period lasted until 1913, when naval ships purchased from Britain arrived, although the British Admiralty continued to provide blue-water defence capability in the Pacific and Indian Oceans up to the early years of the Second World War.[6]

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. Today, the RAN consists of 43 commissioned vessels, 4 non-commissioned vessels and over 16,000 personnel. The navy is one of the largest and most sophisticated naval forces in the South Pacific region, with a significant presence in the Indian Ocean and worldwide operations in support of military campaigns and peacekeeping missions.

  1. ^ "Current Ships". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  2. ^ "About the Royal Australian Navy". Navy (Royal Australian). Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act – Section 68: Command of naval and military forces". Austlii. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Senior Leadership Team". Royal Australian Navy. Australian Government Department of Defence. 26 July 2018. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019. 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).
  5. ^ "Defence Act (1903) – SECT 9 Command of Defence Force and arms of Defence Force". Australasian Legal Institute. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  6. ^ Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey; Morris, Ewan; Prior, Robin (2008). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-551784-2. OCLC 271822831.