- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMAS Toowoomba in game.
HMAS Toowoomba leaving Pearl Harbour, 2018
Description:
HMAS Toowoomba is one of eight ANZAC-class Frigates operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), she would be the 2nd to last vessel to both be laid down and commission of the ANZAC-class as a whole, between both the RNZN and RAN.
The ANZAC-class of frigates were a join procurement project between Australia and New Zealand, custom built to both nations shared requirements. As both nations were looking to replace their aging Type 12 (River-class and Leander-class) frigates, it was seen as appropriate to replace them with a shared class, as to cut down on cost due to economies of scale, and ease of interoperability between the two nations.
the ANZAC-class design would be based on that of the German MEKO 200 platform, however with large modifications. It was named after the Australian New Zealand Army Corps, signifying the shared history and military experience of both nations.
However the NZ and Aus vessels would eventually evolve to fill different roles through their respective mid-life refits, as the Australians would fit Harpoon, and later the Naval Strike Missie, but no CIWS, and would replace their RIM-7 with the Evolved Sea Sparrow. While NZ would not fit Harpoon, they would fit the CIWS, and replaced their RIM-7 with Sea-Ceptor. Their sensors would also change, currently NZ and Aus Anzac’s operate differing RADARs and systems, although they did complete with nearly identical systems.
The Australian ANZAC-class would directly replace the six strong River-class, increasing fleet numbers with two additional hulls that individually were more capable, this would dramatically increase the strength of the RAN.
This suggestion is for the HMAS Toowoomba as she commissioned from her AMCAP refit in 2022.
HMAS Toowoomba leaving Pearl Harbour, 2018
History:
HMAS Toowoomba’s hull would be laid down by Tenix Defence (Formerly AMECON, having being purchased during the building of the ANZAC-class) on the 26th of July 2002, at Williamstown, Victoria. However her superstructure would be constructed in six pieces in Whangarei, New Zealand. Final assembly would take place at Willaimstown. She would launch on the 16th of May 2003, fitting out and commissioning on the 8th of October 2005.
Unlike some of her earlier sisters, who would have to have this refitted on, she would commission with the ability to fire Harpoon from 2x4 canisters just forward the bridge, and she would only fire the RIM-162 ESS (Evolved Sea Sparrow), never being equiped with the older RIM-7 system fitted to earlier ships. After working up and training, she would deploy to the Middle East Area of Operations, (MEAO), and would undergo a small refit, gaining two .50 M2HB in Mini Typhoon mounts, one either side of the hangar roof. This would be apart of OPERATION Slipper.
After returning to her home port of Fleet Base West, she would undergo another small refit on the 18th of June 2008, when she would swap out the Mk.46 torpedoes for the MU 90 torpedoes, which could be launched from the same tubes. She would be the first RAN vessel to fire them.
She would return to the MEAO, as part of Task Force 151, the first RAN vessel to do so. She would operate off the Somalian coast, as to counter Pirate attacks in the region. On the 20th of September 2009, she would respond to a call from the BBC Portugal. She would intercept these pirates, seizing RPGs and rifles. She would be relieved from this duty on the 7th of December 2009 by HMAS Stuart. She would be awarded a ‘Certificate for Exceptional Services Rendered to Shipping and Mankind’ by the IMO for this duty.
HMAS Toowoomba in a floating dry-dock for maintenance, 2019
She would be on/off on patrols in the Middle East, from 2009-2013, returning home only for maintenance periods, however she would sail with the US CSG 3 in the South China sea by early 2013, then was off the coast of Australia for asylum seeker patrols. She would be pulled from this duty in March 2014, as to look for flight MH-370. She would be docked in October 2015 for her ASMD (Anti-Ship Missile Defence) refit.
This refit would include a new mast, as to hold her new CEAFAR and CEAMOUNT phased array radars, IRST search and track, new navigation radar, as well as improvements to her command and control areas. With her new mast increasing topweight, she also had new ballast fitted as to improve stability, bringing her to displace 3,810 tons full. She would recommission from these works sometime before 2016.
She would deploy to the Strait of Hormuz during the 2019 Persian Gulf Crisis. Upon her return from this in late 2020, she would undergo another large refit, this being the ANZAC Mid-life Capability Assurance Programme (AMCAP). She would replace the SPS-49 radar with the CEAFAR2-L, replace her IFF, ESM equipment, add the AN/SLQ-25C Torpedo Defense system, and upgrade the Nulka system. She would also replace her Harpoon with the Naval Strike Missile (NSM). These works would complete by 2022.
She would deploy as part of Operation Argos to the North Pacific in November 2023, as part of Australia’s sanctions enforcement against North Korea. During this deployment, while off Japan, some of her divers would be injured by a Chinese Warship, who used their sonar while the Toowoomba was deploying her divers to clear a net from her props.
She is still operational and in active service, although the earliest member of the ANZAC-class, HMAS ANZAC, has been de-activated in 2024. She is due to be replaced by a vessel of the Hunter-class (Type 26) sometime in the near future.
| General Characteristics: | ||||||||
| Name: HMAS Toowoomba | ||||||||
| Country: Australia | ||||||||
| Type: Frigate | ||||||||
| Class name: ANZAC | ||||||||
| Year of commission: 2005 | ||||||||
| Refit: 2022 (AMCAP) | ||||||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||||||||
| Dimensions: | ||||||||
| Length: 118m (387ft) | ||||||||
| Beam: 14.8m (49ft) | ||||||||
| Draught: 4.35m (14.3ft) | ||||||||
| Displacement: 3,810t full. | ||||||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||||||||
| Propulsion: | ||||||||
| Main Powerplant: 1x GE LM-2500-30 Gas Turbine @ 30,172hp (22,499kW) across two shafts, | ||||||||
| Secondary Powerplant: 2x MTU 12V1163 TB83 diesels @ 8,840hp (6,590kW) ea | ||||||||
| Speed: 27kt | ||||||||
| Endurance: 6,000nmi @ 18kt | ||||||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||||||||
| Armament & sensors: | ||||||||
| Compliment: 170 | ||||||||
| Primary armament: 1x1 5-Inch/54 Mark 45 Mod 2 | ||||||||
| Secondary armament: 8-cell Mk.41 Mod 5 VLS w/ quad-packed Rim-162 ESS, 2x4 NSM Launchers | ||||||||
| Tertiary armament: 2x3 Mk. 32 12.75" Torpedo tubes w/ MU 90 Torpedo, 2x1 .50M1HB on Mini Typhoon mount. | ||||||||
| Radar: CEAFAR2-L air and surface search, SharpEyeTM Navigation, CEAMOUNT target illumination, 9LV 453 Fire Control, | ||||||||
| Sonar: Spherion B bow sonar, Petrel TSM 5424 3D mine detection and avoidance | ||||||||
| Decoy and ESM Systems: Mark 36 SRBOC, SLQ-25A towed torpedo decoy, 4x Nulka decoy systems, Sceptre-A ESM | ||||||||
| Other systems: Vampir IRST Targeting, 9LV 453 Mk 3E Combat management system, 9LV 453 Director, PST-1720 Telegon 10 radar intercept, Mk.XII IFF | ||||||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||||||||
| Aircraft Specifications: | ||||||||
| Type: MH-60R Seahawk | ||||||||
| Armament Carried: 2x MU 90 12.75" Torpedo or 4x AGM-114 Hellfire, or 2x Depth Charges, 1x1 7.62 MG, external fuel tanks | ||||||||
| Systems: APKWS, Flares/Chaff, ALFS Sonar-buoy, AAR-47 MAWS, AAS-44 FLIR, APS-153 ARPDD, | ||||||||
| Engines: 2x GE T-700, producing 1,890hp (1,410 kW) ea | ||||||||
| Crew: 3 | ||||||||
| Main Rotor Diametre: 16.35m | ||||||||
| Length: 19.76m | ||||||||
| Height: 5.10m | ||||||||
| Range: 470nmi | ||||||||
| Max Speed (Never exceed speed) : 330 km/h | ||||||||
| Empty Weight: 6,190kg |
HMAS Toowoomba entering Fleet Base West (n.d)
Sources:
P.Greener (2009) TIMING IS EVERYTHING: The Politics and Processes of New Zealand Defense Acquisition Decision Making (pp. 159-162)
HMAS Toowoomba (FFH 156) - Wikipedia
Anzac class Frigate FFH Royal Australian Navy
MH-60R Seahawk Helicopter Royal Australian Navy RAN
https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/units/mh-60r-seahawk
https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/units/hmas-toowoomba-ii
Trove - Archived webpage