Stuart’s off to learn her trade

HMAS Stuart heads for sea to begin her workups. Photo by Phil Barling

HMAS Stuart, alias ‘The Tartan Terror’, has drawn her dirk, hit the high seas and is learning to fight.

Over the next three months the Royal Australian Navy’s newest warship has to become operationally ready for any task the Australian Government and Navy assign to her.

Just a week after her commissioning late last month, the 3600-tonne frigate and her ship’s company of 165 men and women led by CMDR David Greaves departed Sydney, their home port, for a series of drills off the east coast.

For one third of the ship’s company the next three months will provide a steep learning curve because they have never been to sea before.

They will be helped by the ‘old hands’ to become proficient in sea handling, navigation, communications, and weaponry, helicopter operations, fuelling, re-storing and catering.
Some will train on her 5-inch rapid-fire stealth gun.

Others will get the feel of a chattering .50-inch machine gun, while below decks technicians will learn all there is to know about Stuart’s MTU diesels and GE gas turbine.

The trio of propulsion units can lift the sleek warship to around 27 knots.

CMDR Greaves told Navy News that Stuart is scheduled to be operationally ready by the end of November or early December.

The supply by Tenix of Stuart is part of a $5.279 billion contract to build eight ANZACs for the RAN.

Under construction or yet to be built are Parramatta, Ballarat, Toowoomba and Perth.

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