HMAS Newcastle (FFG 06)

HMAS "Newcastle" (FFG 06), named for the city of Newcastle, New South Wales, the largest provincial city in Australia, is an "Adelaide" class guided missile armed frigate of the Royal Australian Navy.

Construction

"Newcastle" was laid down by AMECON at Williamstown, Victoria, launched on 21 February 1992 and commissioned on 11 December 1993. Unlike the first four "Adelaide" class frigates, "Newcastle" was not constructed in the United States of America and therefore does not possess a US Navy hull number.

"Newcastle" is the only "Adelaide" class ship not named after a state capital city. Instead, she is named after Newcastle, New South Wales, the largest regional city in the country. She is the only ship of the RAN to be named "Newcastle", but eight Royal Navy ships have been named HMS "Newcastle".

Operational history

At the start of November 2006, "Newcastle" was one of three Australian warships sent to Fiji during the leadup to the 2006 coup d'état by Fijian military forces against Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase. "Newcastle" was the first vessel on station, and was later joined by HMAS "Kanimbla" and HMAS "Success". The three vessels were to be used in the event of an evacuation of Australian citizens and nationals. [Aussie warships heading for Fiji. "The Daily Telegraph (Australia)", 2 November 2006.] It did not prove necessary to conduct an evacuation and "Newcastle" returned to Australia in late December 2006.

References

* [http://www.navy.gov.au/w/index.php/HMAS_Newcastle RAN webpage for HMAS Newcastle]