Ex-HMAS Adelaide's final departure from Sydney, early morning on 11th April 2011.
Ex-HMAS Adelaide's final destiny is as a dive wreck off the NSW Central Coast.
In 2000 the Central Coast Artificial Reef Project (CCARP) began lobbying the Australian Government to secure a navy vessel to be sunk as an artificial reef and dive site off the NSW Central Coast.
After little success with Ex-HMAS Brisbane (now a wreck off Mooloolaba, QLD) and Ex-HMAS Canberra (recently sunk off Barwon Heads, Victoria), the group were finally successful in obtaining Ex-HMAS ADELAIDE for the NSW Central Coast.
In February 2007 the Australian Government announced that Ex-HMAS ADELAIDE would be gifted to the NSW government for the purpose of creating an artificial reef and recreational dive site in waters off the NSW coast near Terrigal.
HMAS Adelaide was decommissioned by the Australian Navy in January 2008. It was demilitarised and all oils and fuels removed by Australian Department of Defence during 2008.
Original plans to scuttle the ship in March 2010 were halted due to legal action. The scuttling can now continue following the Administrative Appeals Tribunal decision on 15 September 2010.
Work to comply with the Tribunal's extra conditions is complete and the ship is undergoing final preparations for scuttling on 13 April 2011 (subject to suitable weather conditions).
History of HMAS Adelaide (II)
HMAS Adelaide (II) (FFG-01) was a long-range escort frigate with roles including area air defence, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction. The Ship could simultaneously counter threats from the air, surface and sub-surface.
Built in the United States, HMAS Adelaide (II) was commissioned on 15 November 1980 and was the first of six Adelaide Class guided-missile frigates to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy. HMAS Adelaide (II) was the second ship in the RAN to carry this name. The first was a light cruiser which served from 1922 to 1945.
Along with her five sister ships, Canberra (II), Sydney, Darwin, Melbourne and Newcastle, HMAS Adelaide (II) was powered by gas turbines for it's main propulsion. Guided-missile frigates could be underway from a cold start in less than 30 minutes. In addition, two forward mounted auxiliary propulsion units provided a secondary means of propulsion and excellent manoeuvrability in confined waters.
HMAS Adelaide (II) was equipped with a number of sensors that included long range radars for air and surface surveillance, electronic warfare and optical surveillance systems, a medium range sonar and a command and control system, that incorporated target data received by data link from other ships and aircraft.
The principal weapons installed in HMAS Adelaide (II) were the Standard medium-range anti-aircraft missile and the Harpoon anti-shipping missile. Both missiles were launched from the Mk 13 launcher on the forecastle. A 76mm gun to counter both air and surface threats was fitted forward of the funnel. A 20mm Phalanx close-in-weapons-system, Nulka decoy and chaff systems were fitted for anti-missile defence. HMAS Adelaide (II) had a capacity for two S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopters and was fitted with two sets of Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes to provide a counter to submarines.
HMAS Adelaide (II) was the first guided-missile frigate to be home-ported in Western Australia. The ship participated in the 1990/91 Gulf War, peacekeeping operations in East Timor in 1999 and was deployed to the Arabian Gulf as part of the International Coalition against Terrorism in 2001 and 2004.
P.S. This video was recorded on my Nokia N8 mobile phone...
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Scuttling / sinking of the EX-HMAS ADELAIDE Avoca 20110413by XeniBabe555 views
Thankyou for that , it brought tears to my eyes. My husband was on the Adelaide in 1982
holocyclus 10 months ago
Nice footage mate.
tracyfromoz 10 months ago
As 01 goes down tomorrow please remember all the men and women who have served on her and hold a special place in their hearts for her
She did our country proud
kimaussie1 10 months ago
shame to see you go old girl
oldsalty65 10 months ago
i done work experience at hmas kuttabul i know how ex navy people feel about there ship been sunk
navy54able 10 months ago
Sad day for all ex Navy
boppa54 10 months ago