Leeuwin has a displacement of 2,170 tons at full load.[1] She is 71.2 metres (234 ft) long, with a beam of 15.2 metres (50 ft), and a draught of 4.3 metres (14 ft).[1] Main propulsion machinery consists of four GEC Alsthom 6RK 215 diesel generators, which supply two Alsthom electric motors, each driving a propeller shaft.[1] A Schottel bow thruster is fitted for additional manoeuvrability.[1] Maximum speed is 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph), with a range of 18,000 nautical miles (33,000 km; 21,000 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph).[1]
The sensor suite consists of a STN Atlas 9600 APRA I-band navigational radar, a C-Tech CMAS 36/39 hull-mounted sonar, an Atlas Fansweep-20 multibeam echo sounder, an Atlas Hydrographic Deso single-beam echo sounder, and a Klein 2000 towed sonar.[1] The sonars and echo sounders allow the vessels to chart waters up to 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) deep.[2] There are three sets of davits fitted to carry Fantome-class survey boats.[1] The ship is fitted with a helicopter deck, previously for an AS 350B Squirrel helicopter detached from 723 Squadron, although there are no long-term hosting facilities.[1] She is armed with two single 12.7 mm machine guns.[2] The ship's company consists of 10 officers and 46 sailors, plus up to 5 trainees.[1] The Leeuwin class were the first RAN ships to use a multi-crewing concept,[citation needed] with three complements used to operate the two vessels.[2]
Leeuwin was ordered from NQEA on 2 April 1996, and built at the company's shipyard in Cairns.[1] She was laid down on 9 May 1997 and launched on 23 June 1998.[2]Leeuwin and sister ship Melville underwent a joint commissioning ceremony on 27 May 2000.[1]Leeuwin initially carried the pennant number "HS 01", but this was changed to "A 245" in 2004.[2] She is named after Cape Leeuwin, the south-west-most point of the Australian continent.
Operational history
In late 2001, Leeuwin began to operate in support of border protection operations in addition to her normal hydrographic duties.[2][3] In January 2002, Leeuwin was repainted from white to grey.[2][3]
Leeuwin sailed to Fiji in July 2015 for a seabed-mapping operation around Rotuma Island.[6] This was the first RAN deployment to the region in eight years, since the deterioration of ties between the nations after the 2006 Fijian coup d'état.[6]
Citations
^ abcdefghijkSaunders (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships 2008–2009, p. 33
^ abcdefgWertheim (ed.), The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, p. 26
^ abBateman et al., in Rothwell & VanderZwaag (eds.), Towards principled ocean governance, p. 130
^"Participating Warships". International Fleet Review 2013 website. Royal Australian Navy. 2013. Archived from the original on 10 December 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
