The Adelaide class is a ship class of six guided missile frigates constructed in Australia and the United States of America for service in the Royal Australian Navy. The class is based on the United States Navy's Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates, but modified for Australian requirements. The first four vessels were built in the United States, while the other two were constructed in Australia.
The first ship entered service in November 1980, and four of the six ships are active as of 2010. Canberra and Adelaide were paid off in 2005 and 2008 respectively, and later sunk as dive wrecks: their decommissioning was to offset the cost of an A$1 billion weapons and equipment upgrade to the remaining four ships. The four surviving ships will be replaced by the Hobart class air-warfare destroyer from 2013 onwards.
| General characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Class and type: | Modified Oliver Hazard Perry class guided missile frigate |
| Displacement: | 4,100 tons full load |
| Length: | 408 ft (124 m) at waterline 455 ft (139 m) overall |
| Beam: | 45 ft (14 m) |
| Draught: | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, each providing 20,500 hp (15,287 kW). Total 41,000 hp (30,574 kW) |
| Speed: | Over 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph) |
| Range: | 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Complement: | 176–221 |
| Sensors and processing systems: | AN/SPS-49 radar, Mk 92 fire control system, AN/SPS-55 radar, AN/SQS-56 sonar |
| Armament: | Mk 41 VLS (Evolved Sea Sparrow missile) Mk 13 missile launcher (40-missile magazine, Harpoon and SM-1 missiles) 1 × 3 in OTO Melara 1 × 20 mm Mk 15 Vulcan Phalanx 2 x triple 324 mm Mk 32 torpedo tubes |
| Aircraft carried: | 2 x S-70B Seahawk or 1 x Seahawk and 1 x AS350B Squirrel |
| Notes: | Mk 41 VLS and ESSM capability installed during the FFG Upgrade project |
