Arma Aérea de la Flota (Marina Real Australiana)

Arma Aérea de la Flota (Marina Real Australiana)

Arma aérea de la flota

The Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Australian Navy, approved on 3 July 1947 and flying from HMAS Albatross at Nowra since 1948, took Sea Furies and Fireflies into the Korean War from HMAS Sydney, sent a helicopter flight to fight alongside the US Army in Vietnam, lost its jets and its last carrier in 1982–84, and is today an all-helicopter force built around the MH-60R Seahawk.

Marcado nacionalUn canguro rojo sobre un disco blanco dentro de un anillo azul oscuro.
0Aviones de combate
2bases aéreas activas
1947Fundado
28Tipos retirados
Photo: Bidgee / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 au)
PaísAustraliaFundado1947EstadoActivoSedeHMAS Albatross, NowraComandanteCommodore Don Dezentje
La historia

The Fleet Air Arm story: Sea Furies off Korea, a helicopter flight in Vietnam and a navy without a carrier

1917–1947: seaplanes flown by someone else

Australian naval aviation started long before there was an Australian naval air arm. The navy’s own lists include Sopwith Pups and Camels carried in Australian cruisers at the end of the First World War, and in 1929 it commissioned a seaplane carrier, HMAS Albatross, whose Supermarine Seagull III amphibians were flown and maintained by the Royal Australian Air Force’s No. 101 Flight. That arrangement set the pattern for two decades: the ships were navy, the aircraft and many of the men were air force. An attempt in the 1920s to set up a navy-controlled air arm was given up, and Albatross went into reserve in April 1933 and was transferred to the Royal Navy in 1938. Only after the Second World War, with the Pacific campaign having shown what carriers could do, did the Commonwealth Defence Council approve a Fleet Air Arm of the navy’s own on 3 July 1947.

1948–1955: two carriers, a new air station and a war in Korea

The new arm grew quickly. The navy bought two Majestic-class light carriers from Britain; the first, HMAS Sydney, was commissioned on 16 December 1948, and the wartime airfield at Nowra, built for the RAAF and used by the Royal Navy as HMS Nabbington, was commissioned as HMAS Albatross on 31 August 1948. Sydney’s air group was British in all but roundels: Hawker Sea Furies in 805 and 808 Squadrons and Fairey Fireflies in 817 Squadron. In 1951 it went to war. Between 31 August 1951 and 25 January 1952 Sydney operated off Korea; the Australian War Memorial records more than 2,000 sorties, 13 aircraft lost and three aircrew killed, while Wikipedia, citing the official histories, gives 2,366 combat sorties and nine aircraft shot down by flak. It was done with piston-engined aircraft at the very end of their era.

1955–1982: Melbourne, Skyhawks and Trackers

HMAS Melbourne, commissioned on 28 October 1955, brought the jet age: de Havilland Sea Venom fighters, Fairey Gannet anti-submarine aircraft and Sycamore helicopters, while the borrowed HMAS Vengeance (1952–55) bridged the gap. The fixed-wing force was expensive and accident-prone; the decision in 1963 to buy Grumman S-2 Trackers and McDonnell Douglas A-4G Skyhawks gave it a second life. Twenty Skyhawks were built for Australia in two batches; ten were lost and two pilots killed. Melbourne’s own record is shadowed by two collisions, with the destroyer HMAS Voyager on 10 February 1964 (82 killed) and with USS Frank E. Evans on 3 June 1969 (74 killed). On 5 December 1976 a fire deliberately lit by a member of the Fleet Air Arm at Nowra destroyed or badly damaged 12 of the 13 Trackers in service; replacements were bought second-hand from the United States.

1967–1971: the navy’s helicopter war in Vietnam

The Fleet Air Arm’s only combat of the Vietnam War was fought by helicopter crews serving inside a US Army unit. The RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam, whose formation was announced on 14 July 1967, joined the US Army’s 135th Assault Helicopter Company, and the joint unit called itself EMU, for Experimental Military Unit. The Australian War Memorial dates the navy detachment’s operations with the US Army from October 1967; four contingents of navy pilots, observers, aircrew and maintainers rotated through until June 1971, flying UH-1 troop-carriers and gunships. Five members of the flight were killed. The unit received the Unit Citation for Gallantry in 2018. HMAS Sydney, meanwhile, had become a fast troop transport, making 25 voyages to Vietnam between 1965 and 1972. A plan to send navy Skyhawk pilots was dropped in February 1969 by ministerial direction.

1982–2011: no carrier, and a helicopter navy

The end of fixed-wing flying came through politics rather than battle. On 25 February 1982 Australia agreed to buy the British carrier HMS Invincible to replace Melbourne; after the Falklands War the British withdrew the offer, Melbourne was decommissioned on 30 June 1982, and no replacement was bought. Carrier-borne fixed-wing aviation ended on 30 June 1983, the last A-4G flights were on 30 June 1984, ten Skyhawks were sold to New Zealand, and 851 Squadron, the last fixed-wing unit, disbanded in August 1984. What remained was a helicopter navy: Sea Kings from 1976, Squirrels from 1984, and S-70B-2 Seahawks for the new frigates from 1988. Its flights went to the Gulf in 1990–91, to Bougainville, to East Timor in 1999 and to Iraq in 2003. Its worst day came on 2 April 2005, when the Sea King Shark 02 crashed on Nias during earthquake relief, killing nine.

2011–2026: the Romeo era, the Taipan failure and the drones

Two procurement failures shaped the modern arm. The SH-2G(A) Super Seasprite, contracted in 1997 for A$667 million, was grounded in 2006 and cancelled on 5 March 2008 after its cost had reached about A$1.1 billion; the 11 airframes went to New Zealand. The navy’s six MRH90 Taipans in 808 Squadron were withdrawn in April 2022, and the whole Australian MRH90 fleet was permanently grounded in September 2023 after a fatal Army crash. The success story is the MH-60R ‘Romeo’: chosen in June 2011, first delivered on 12 December 2013, 24 delivered by August 2016, one lost in the Philippine Sea in October 2021, and 13 more ordered to bring the fleet to 36, with deliveries planned from 2026. Training is on 15 EC135 T2+ helicopters at Nowra, shared with the Army, and 822X Squadron flies the uncrewed aircraft. The navy has no carrier and no fixed-wing combat aircraft; its two Canberra-class LHDs, with a ski jump that is not used, carry helicopters.

The new arm grew quickly. The navy bought two Majestic-class light carriers from Britain; the first, HMAS Sydney, was commissioned on 16 December 1948, and the wartime airfield at Nowra, built for the RAAF and used by the Royal Navy as HMS Nabbington, was commissioned as HMAS Albatross on 31 August 1948.Fleet Air Arm (Royal Australian Navy) · verified 2026-10-01

De un vistazo

The Fleet Air Arm (Royal Australian Navy) in numbers

Servicio

Nombre oficial
Arma aérea de la flotaThe Royal Australian Navy calls it the Fleet Air Arm; English is Australia’s only official language, so there is no other official name. Wikipedia titles the article "Fleet Air Arm (RAN)" to distinguish it from the British Fleet Air Arm
Fundado
3 July 1947Approved by the Commonwealth Defence Council on 3 July 1947. The first carrier, HMAS Sydney, and the air station HMAS Albatross were both commissioned in 1948, which is why 1948 is often given as the start
Parte de
Marina Real AustralianaA force command of the navy
Sede
HMAS Albatross, Nowra, New South WalesHome of all flying squadrons and of the Fleet Air Arm Museum
Comandante
Commodore Don Dezentje (UNVERIFIED)Name from the Wikipedia infobox; not confirmed on a navy page during this research
Lema
UnrivalledAs given in the Wikipedia infobox

Fortaleza

Personal
No current Fleet Air Arm personnel figure was found on the navy pages reached
helicópteros de combate
23 MH-60R Seahawk24 delivered 2013–2016, one lost in October 2021; 13 more on order for a fleet of 36
Helicópteros de entrenamiento
15 EC135 T2+Shared with the Army at 723 Squadron; flown by Navy, Army and civilian instructors
Fixed-wing combat aircraft
None since 1984Carrier fixed-wing flying ended on 30 June 1983; last A-4G flights 30 June 1984
aeronaves no tripuladas
ScanEagle and Integrator (822X Squadron)ScanEagle from 2013; the S-100 ended on 30 June 2024; Integrator flying from October 2025 according to Wikipedia
escuadrones voladores
Cinco723, 725, 808, 816 and 822X

Infraestructura

Estaciones de aire
  • HMAS Albatross, Nowra — all squadrons, MH-60R, EC135, uncrewed aircraft

The navy names HMAS Albatross as the operating base of the MH-60R and EC135 fleets

Carriers (former)
  • HMAS Sydney — 1948–1958 as a carrier, then fast transport to 1973
  • HMAS Vengeance — on loan 1952–1955
  • HMAS Melbourne — 1955–1982

No carrier since 30 June 1982; the planned purchase of HMS Invincible agreed in February 1982 fell through

Aviation ships today
Two Canberra-class LHDs, destroyers and frigatesHMAS Canberra (2014) and Adelaide (2015) carry helicopters; the ski jump is retained but not used. MH-60R flights embark in the Hobart-class destroyers and Anzac-class frigates
MH-60R flights
14 plannedNaval News reports a plan for 14 Romeo flights for deployments of up to 90 days
Museo
Fleet Air Arm Museum, NowraOpened 1990 at HMAS Albatross
Refugios reforzados
NingunoNo cavern or hardened aircraft shelters are recorded at Nowra in the sources checked

Estructura

How the Fleet Air Arm (Royal Australian Navy) is organised

A force command of the Royal Australian Navy with five flying squadrons, all at HMAS Albatross, Nowra: 808 and 816 fly the MH-60R Seahawk, 725 trains its crews, 723 trains Navy and Army helicopter crews on the EC135 T2+ and 822X flies uncrewed aircraft. The MH-60R, 23 in service with 13 more on order for a fleet of 36, is the navy’s only combat aircraft; it has had no fixed-wing combat aircraft since 1984. MH-60R flights embark in the Hobart-class destroyers and Anzac-class frigates, and the two Canberra-class LHDs carry helicopters.

CD

ComodoroCommodore Don DezentjeCommander Fleet Air Arm
Arma aérea de la flota
Sede

Arma aérea de la flota

Nowra

A force command of the Royal Australian Navy, approved by the Commonwealth Defence Council on 3 July 1947, with its headquarters at HMAS Albatross, Nowra. The Wikipedia infobox names Commodore Don Dezentje as Commander Fleet Air Arm; the navy’s own Fleet Air Arm page does not name the commander, so neither the name nor a start date has been confirmed by the navy. The air station is commanded separately, by Captain Paul Hannigan according to Wikipedia.

Primera línea

Escuadrón 816

Nowra

The operational MH-60R Seahawk squadron that provides flights for the navy’s destroyers and frigates. It arrived at Nowra with Fireflies in May 1949 and later flew Gannets, Trackers and, from 1992 to 2012, the S-70B-2 Seahawk; Wikipedia records it disbanded in 1982 and re-formed in 1992.

Primera línea

Escuadrón 808

Nowra

Re-formed in 2011 with the MRH90 Taipan and recommissioned on 11 July 2013, it converted to the MH-60R after the navy stopped flying its six MRH90s in April 2022, and now forms Romeo flights alongside 816 Squadron. Its earlier lives were with Sea Furies, including off Korea, and Sea Venoms.

Capacitación

Escuadrón 725

Nowra

Recommissioned on 11 June 2015 as the MH-60R training squadron, converting crews to the Romeo; the navy has 23 in service and 13 more on order for a fleet of 36. It first served from 1958 to 1975 with Fireflies and then Wessex helicopters.

Capacitación

Escuadrón 723

Nowra

The Joint Helicopter School, first commissioned on 7 April 1952, which flew the navy’s first helicopter and first jet. Since March 2016 it has trained Navy and Army pilots, aircrewmen and warfare officers on 15 EC135 T2+ helicopters, flown by Navy, Army and civilian instructors.

aeronaves no tripuladas

Escuadrón 822X

Nowra

Formed on 25 October 2018 as the RAN’s first developmental (X) squadron, flying the ScanEagle and, according to Wikipedia, the Boeing Insitu Integrator from October 2025; its Schiebel S-100 operations ended on 30 June 2024. The navy’s Fleet Air Arm page also lists AMAFTU and an Aviation Support Unit within the command.


En servicio

What the Fleet Air Arm (Royal Australian Navy) flies today

Cada tipo está sujeto a cargos, vinculado a su página en el Libro de las Bestias, cuando existe. Las cifras corresponden a aeronaves registradas, no a aeronaves disponibles en un día determinado.

Tipo Role En servicio Desde Unidades Notas
Sikorsky MH-60R SeahawkEn servicio Helicóptero de guerra antisubmarina y antisuperficie 23 2013 24 delivered between December 2013 and August 2016; one lost on 13 October 2021. 13 more on order for a fleet of 36.
Airbus Helicopters EC135 T2+En servicio Helicóptero de entrenamiento 15 2016 15 in the joint Navy and Army training fleet.
Boeing Insitu ScanEagle and IntegratorEn servicio Ship-launched uncrewed surveillance aircraft 2013 Two ScanEagles bought in June 2015 after leasing from March 2013; Integrator numbers not published.
MH-60R23
EC13515

Bajo pedido

Tipo Ordenado Primera entrega Notas
Sikorsky MH-60R SeahawkBajo pedido 13 2026 13 more ordered to bring the fleet to 36: 12 to replace the MRH90 in 808 Squadron plus one attrition replacement (the US approved a sale of 12 for an estimated US$985 million in October 2021; the expansion to 36 was announced in May 2022).

Más

Naval News reported in April 2025 that the first two were due in the second quarter of 2026 and all 13 by the end of 2026, with final operating capability in 2032. Whether deliveries have begun was not confirmed during this research.


Anteriormente operado

Every type the Fleet Air Arm (Royal Australian Navy) has retired

28 types, from the Sopwith Pup and Camel 2F.1 to the Schiebel Camcopter S-100. Las cifras máximas corresponden a las aeronaves puestas en servicio durante toda su vida útil, no al número total de efectivos de la flota en una fecha concreta.

Tipo Role Cima Servido Reemplazado por Notas
Camcóptero Schiebel S-100 Rotary uncrewed aircraft 6 2016–2024 Integrator Six operated since 2016.
NHIndustries MRH90 Taipan Multi-role transport helicopter 6 2011–2022 MH-60R Six navy aircraft out of 46 bought for the ADF.
Bell 429 GlobalRanger Interim training helicopter 3 2012–2019 EC135 Three, per the Wikipedia list.
Sikorsky S-70B-2 Seahawk Frigate-based anti-submarine helicopter 16 1988–2017 MH-60R 16 operated.
Eurocopter AS350B/BA Squirrel Training, utility and ship’s flight helicopter 1984–2017 EC135 The Wikipedia list gives 24; not corroborated in a second source.
AgustaWestland A109E Power Helicóptero de entrenamiento y uso general 4 2007–2012 Four, per the Wikipedia list.
Westland Sea King HAS.50/50A/50B Anti-submarine and utility helicopter 12 1974–2011 MRH90 and MH-60R 12 operated according to the Wikipedia list.
Kaman SH-2G(A) Super Seasprite Anzac-class frigate helicopter 11 2004–2008 MH-60R 11 bought; never fully operational.
GAF Jindivik and BAE Kalkara target drones Target drones 1966–2008 The Wikipedia list gives 42 Jindiviks (1966–2000) and 21 Kalkaras (1998–2008).
CAC/Bell 206B-1 Kiowa Light utility and survey helicopter 6 1973–2000 Six, per the Wikipedia list.
Hawker Siddeley HS 748 Series 2 Transport and electronic warfare training 2 1973–2000 Dos.
Bell UH-1B Iroquois Search and rescue, training and transport helicopter 7 1964–1989 Seven, per the Wikipedia list.
Westland Wessex HAS.31A/31B Carrier anti-submarine, search and rescue and transport helicopter 27 1962–1989 Rey del mar 27, per the Wikipedia list.
McDonnell Douglas A-4G and TA-4G Skyhawk cazabombardero embarcado 20 1967–1984 Ten ordered in 1965 and ten in 1969 (eight A-4G and two TA-4G each); ten lost.
Grumman S-2E and S-2G Tracker Aviones antisubmarinos embarcados 32 1967–1984 32 in all, per the Wikipedia list, including second-hand replacements after the 1976 fire.
CAC/Aermacchi MB-326H Entrenador a reacción 10 1970–1983 Ten, per the Wikipedia list.
Westland Scout AH.1 Survey and utility helicopter 2 1963–1977 Two, per the Wikipedia list.
Douglas C-47 Dakota Transport and navigation trainer 4 1949–1977 HS 748 Cuatro.
de Havilland Sea Venom FAW.53 caza embarcado para todo tipo de clima 39 1956–1973 Skyhawk 39, per the Wikipedia list.
de Havilland Sea Vampire T.22 and Vampire T.34 Entrenador a reacción 13 1954–1972 MB-326H 13, per the Wikipedia list.
Fairey Gannet AS.1 and T.2 Aviones antisubmarinos embarcados 36 1955–1967 Tracker 36, per the Wikipedia list.
Fairey Firefly AS.5, AS.6 and trainers Carrier anti-submarine and strike aircraft 108 1948–1966 Gannet 108, per the Wikipedia list.
Bristol Sycamore HR.50/51 Search and rescue and training helicopter 13 1953–1965 Wessex 13, per the Wikipedia list.
Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 cazabombardero embarcado 1948–1962 Sea Venom Sources disagree: the Wikipedia aircraft list gives 101, the Wikipedia Sea Fury article was read as giving 31. Neither could be checked against a navy source.
CAC Wirraway Entrenador 17 1948–1957 17, per the Wikipedia list.
Supermarine Sea Otter Air-sea rescue amphibian 3 1948–1953 Sycamore Three, per the Wikipedia list.
Supermarine Seagull III and Seagull V (Walrus) Ship-borne spotter amphibians 1925–1947 The Wikipedia list gives nine Seagull III (1925–1936) and 24 Seagull V/Walrus (1935–1947).
Sopwith Pup and Camel 2F.1 Ship-borne fighters 1917–1919 The Wikipedia list gives three Pups and seven Camels.

bases aéreas

Desde dónde vuela la Flota Aérea

Los marcadores negros indican bases activas, los marcadores huecos, aeródromos que han cerrado. HMAS Albatross at Nowra, commissioned on 31 August 1948, is the navy’s only air station and the home of every Fleet Air Arm squadron; nearby Jervis Bay Airfield is its satellite, with no aircraft permanently based according to the sources checked. HMAS Nirimba at Schofields in western Sydney was a naval air station from 1952 to 1956 and an apprentice school until 1994; its airfield has been dismantled. At sea the squadrons fly from destroyers, frigates and the two Canberra-class LHDs.

Base aérea activa Cerrado o reservadoHaz clic en un marcador para abrir la página principal.
Base OACI Estado Pista Unidades y aeronaves
HMAS AlbatrosNaval Air Station NowraNueva Gales del Sur, Ciudad de Shoalhaven (cerca de Nowra) YSNW Activo 03/212.046 metros08/262.094 m
  • Escuadrón 816: Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk
  • Escuadrón 808: Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk (MRH90 Taipan hasta abril de 2022)
  • Escuadrón 725: Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk
  • Escuadrón 723: Airbus Helicopters EC135 T2+
  • Escuadrón 822X: Boeing Insitu ScanEagle, Boeing Insitu Integrator, Schiebel Camcopter S-100 (to 30 June 2024)
  • Escuadrón nº 453 de la RAAF, Vuelo de Nowra
  • Asuntos Aéreos de Australia (contratista): Learjet 35/36
  • Escuadrón nº 2 de la Real Fuerza Aérea de Nueva Zelanda: McDonnell Douglas A-4K y TA-4K Skyhawk
  • Vuelo histórico de RAN: Hawker Sea Fury, Fairey Firefly, Veneno del Mar de Havilland, Grumman Tracker, Douglas C-47 Dakota, Bell Iroquois, Westland Wessex and Scout
Jervis BayJervis Bay Territory YJBY Activo 08/261,919 m15/331,522 m
  • RAN Kalkara target drone flight: BAE/Beechcraft MQM-107E Kalkara
  • Mobile Naval Air Base No. 5 (HMS Nabswick), Royal Navy
HMAS Nirimbaformer RAN Air Station SchofieldsNew South Wales, Blacktown (Schofields, now Nirimba Fields), western Sydney Cerrado en 1994
  • RAN Aircraft Repair Yard (HMAS Albatross II, later HMAS Nirimba)
  • RAN Apprentice Training Establishment
  • Royal Naval Air Station HMS Nabthorpe (MONAB III), later HMS Nabstock

Ninguna base aérea coincide con esa búsqueda.


Orden de batalla

Who is stationed where in the Fleet Air Arm (Royal Australian Navy)

Unidades voladoras por base, unidades actuales primero. Every current Fleet Air Arm squadron — 723, 725, 808, 816 and 822X — is at Nowra; the X in 822X marks a developmental squadron, a first for the RAN. The Royal Navy’s wartime Mobile Naval Air Bases, the New Zealand Skyhawks of No. 2 Squadron RNZAF and the RAAF and contractor lodgers at Nowra are listed and marked as not part of the Fleet Air Arm. Where Wikipedia’s articles disagree on dates, the entry says so.

HMAS Albatross (Base Aeronaval de Nowra) · YSNWHMAS Albatross, Fleet Air Arm, Royal Australian Navy; comandante Capitán Paul Hannigan RAN según la Wikipedia en inglés
Escuadrón 816Maritime combat helicopter squadron · active
Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk
Escuadrón 808Maritime combat helicopter squadron · active
Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk (MRH90 Taipan hasta abril de 2022)
Escuadrón 725MH-60R training squadron · active
Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk
Escuadrón 723Helicopter training squadron (Joint Helicopter School) · active
Airbus Helicopters EC135 T2+
Escuadrón 822XUncrewed aircraft development squadron · active
Boeing Insitu ScanEagle
Escuadrón nº 453 de la RAAF, Vuelo de NowraControl de tráfico aéreo (alojamiento en la RAAF) · activo
Asuntos Aéreos de Australia (contratista)Civil contractor: target towing and jet support · civil
Learjet 35/36
Escuadrón nº 2 de la Real Fuerza Aérea de Nueva Zelanda1991–2001
McDonnell Douglas A-4K y TA-4K Skyhawk
Vuelo histórico de RAN1985–1999
Hawker Sea Fury, Fairey Firefly, de Havilland Sea Venom, Grumman Tracker, Douglas C-47 Dakota, Bell Iroquois, Westland Wessex and Scout
Jervis Bay · YJBYMarina Real Australiana
RAN Kalkara target drone flight1998–2008
BAE/Beechcraft MQM-107E Kalkara
Mobile Naval Air Base No. 5 (HMS Nabswick), Royal Navy1945–1945

No se encontró ninguna unidad que coincida con esa búsqueda.


Cronología

Fleet Air Arm (Royal Australian Navy) milestones, 1914 to today

1929

23 January: the seaplane carrier HMAS Albatross is commissioned; her Seagull III amphibians are flown by the RAAF’s No. 101 Flight.

1947

3 July: the Commonwealth Defence Council approves a Fleet Air Arm for the Royal Australian Navy.

1948

31 August: the air station at Nowra is commissioned as HMAS Albatross. 16 December: the carrier HMAS Sydney is commissioned.

1951

31 August: HMAS Sydney begins her Korean deployment with 805, 808 and 817 Squadrons. 14 October: Typhoon Ruth wrecks seven aircraft on deck.

1952

25 January: Sydney ends her Korean deployment: 13 aircraft and three aircrew lost. 13 November: HMAS Vengeance commissioned on loan from Britain.

1955

28 October: HMAS Melbourne is commissioned, bringing Sea Venoms and Gannets.

1964

10 February: Melbourne collides with HMAS Voyager; 82 of Voyager’s crew are killed.

1967

First A-4G Skyhawks and S-2E Trackers delivered. October: the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam begins operations with the US Army’s 135th Assault Helicopter Company.

1971

June: the last RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam contingent is withdrawn; five members of the flight were killed in the war.

1976

5 December: arson at Nowra destroys or damages 12 of the 13 Trackers in service. Sea Kings enter service with 817 Squadron.

1982

25 February: Australia agrees to buy HMS Invincible; the offer is later withdrawn after the Falklands War. 30 June: Melbourne is decommissioned.

1983

30 June: carrier-borne fixed-wing flying ends.

1984

30 June: last A-4G Skyhawk flights. August: 851 Squadron, the last fixed-wing squadron, disbands.

2005

2 April: Sea King Shark 02 crashes on Nias, Indonesia, during earthquake relief; nine are killed.

2008

5 March: the SH-2G(A) Super Seasprite project is cancelled.

2013

12 December: the first MH-60R Seahawk is delivered.

2022

April: the navy stops flying its six MRH90 Taipans; the expansion of the MH-60R fleet to 36 is announced in May.

2024

4 May: a Chinese J-10 drops flares in the path of an MH-60R from HMAS Hobart over the Yellow Sea. 30 June: S-100 operations end.


historial de combate

Todas las guerras en las que ha luchado el Arma Aérea de la Flota

Salidas y pérdidas donde consta en el registro, y un espacio en blanco honesto donde no.

6conflictos
1951Primero
13Avión perdido
8Delicado
  • Guerra de Corea 1951–1952 Ground attack, armed reconnaissance, artillery spotting, escort and combat air patrol from HMAS Sydney
  • Vietnam War 1967–1971 Troop lift, gunship escort, resupply and medical evacuation as part of a US Army assault helicopter company
  • Guerra del Golfo 1990–1991 Ship’s flights for the maritime interception force and the coalition fleet: surface search and forward mine search
  • Bougainville peace conference support 1994 Helicopter support for operations on Bougainville in 1994
  • East Timor intervention 1999–2000 Helicopter transport and logistics from ships for the Australian-led International Force East Timor

Abrir el registro completo de combate


Preguntas y respuestas

Everything people ask about the Fleet Air Arm (Royal Australian Navy)

What aircraft does the Royal Australian Navy fly today?
Two crewed types: 23 Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, with 13 more on order, and 15 Airbus EC135 T2+ training helicopters shared with the Army. 822X Squadron flies small uncrewed aircraft. The navy has had no fixed-wing combat aircraft since 1984.
What is the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Australian Navy called?
Simply the Fleet Air Arm; that is the name the Royal Australian Navy uses on its own pages. English is Australia’s only official language, so there is no second official name. Wikipedia titles its article "Fleet Air Arm (RAN)" to separate it from the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm.
When was the Australian Fleet Air Arm formed?
The Commonwealth Defence Council approved it on 3 July 1947. Flying began in 1948, when the air station at Nowra was commissioned as HMAS Albatross on 31 August and the carrier HMAS Sydney on 16 December, so 1948 is also often given as its birth year.
Did Australian navy aircraft fight in the Korean War?
Yes. HMAS Sydney operated off Korea from 31 August 1951 to 25 January 1952 with Sea Furies of 805 and 808 Squadrons and Fireflies of 817 Squadron. The Australian War Memorial records more than 2,000 sorties, 13 aircraft lost and three aircrew killed; Wikipedia, citing the official histories, gives 2,366 sorties.
Why does Australia not have an aircraft carrier any more?
HMAS Melbourne was decommissioned on 30 June 1982. Australia had agreed on 25 February 1982 to buy the British carrier HMS Invincible, but the offer was withdrawn after the Falklands War and no replacement was bought. Carrier fixed-wing flying ended on 30 June 1983. The Canberra-class LHDs commissioned in 2014–15 have a ski jump, but an F-35B option was rejected because modifying the ships would have been very expensive.
Did the Australian navy fly helicopters in the Vietnam War?
Yes. The RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam served inside the US Army’s 135th Assault Helicopter Company, the joint unit known as EMU, from October 1967 until June 1971. Its four contingents flew Army UH-1 troop-carriers and gunships; five members were killed, and the unit received the Unit Citation for Gallantry in 2018.
What happened to the navy’s MRH90 Taipan helicopters?
The navy’s six MRH90s in 808 Squadron stopped flying in April 2022 and were stored. The whole ADF MRH90 fleet was permanently withdrawn in September 2023 after an Army Taipan crashed during Exercise Talisman Sabre in July 2023, killing four. In the navy, 808 Squadron now flies the MH-60R.
What was the Super Seasprite affair?
In 1997 Australia contracted for 11 Kaman SH-2G(A) Super Seasprites for its Anzac-class frigates for A$667 million. The helicopters had serious deficiencies, were grounded in May 2006, and the project was cancelled on 5 March 2008, when its cost had grown to about A$1.1 billion. The aircraft were later sold to New Zealand.
What happened at Nowra in December 1976?
On 5 December 1976 a fire deliberately lit by a member of the Fleet Air Arm in a hangar at HMAS Albatross destroyed or seriously damaged 12 of the navy’s 13 S-2 Trackers. The navy bought second-hand S-2G Trackers from the United States to replace them.
Where can I see old Australian navy aircraft?
The Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMAS Albatross, Nowra, opened in 1990. Its collection includes a Sea Fury, Firefly, Gannet, Sea Venom, Sea Vampire, A-4G and TA-4G Skyhawks, Trackers, a Dakota and an MB-326H.



Fuentes y lecturas adicionales

Todos los datos, verificados

Cifras verificadas el 1 de octubre de 2026. Las páginas de Orden de Batalla se regeneran a partir de un único conjunto de datos; si algún número aquí no coincide con el de una página del Libro de las Bestias, esta página es la más reciente de las dos.

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