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There are varying estimates for how long Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived in Australia. The most recent archaeological evidence suggests that Aboriginal people have occupied mainland Australia for at least 65,000 years,…
https://www.navy.gov.au/about-navy/history/history-milestones/indigenous-australian-maritime-histories
Two thousand years ago the Alexandrian philosopher Claudius Ptolemy suggested that beyond Asia a great southern land existed, Terra Australis.
In the fifteenth century, European cartographers were imagining a large continent that might exist between…
https://www.navy.gov.au/about-navy/history/history-milestones/european-exploration-charting-australian-continent
The origin and history of the Otranto Shields.
https://www.navy.gov.au/about-navy/history/customs-traditions/otranto-shield
The origin and history of First Lady of the Fleet Trophy.
https://www.navy.gov.au/about-navy/history/customs-traditions/first-lady-fleet-trophy
The origin and history of the The Duke of Gloucester's Cup.
https://www.navy.gov.au/about-navy/history/customs-traditions/duke-gloucesters-cup
The origin and history of the Chief of Navy's personal flag.
https://www.navy.gov.au/about-navy/history/customs-traditions/chief-navys-personal-flag
The Royal Australian Navy's Huon Class minehunter, coastal vessels are fitted with a pair of electrically powered Saab Double Eagle Mk II remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) for mine disposal.
The Double Eagle is equipped with a…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/uncrewed-systems/double-eagle-mk-ii
The EC-135 T2+ is a military training helicopter that offers a glass cockpit, high visibility, a multi-axis auto-pilot, and other advanced technologies to help instructors perform training missions. The EC-135 offers the performance and safety of a…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/aircraft/ec-135-t2
The MH-60R-Seahawk, operational with the United States Navy since 2006, was designed to replace 2 helicopters – the SH-60B and SH-60F. This allowed a single helicopter to perform the full spectrum of maritime helicopter roles.
The helicopter was…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/aircraft/mh-60r-seahawk
The standard missile is mounted on the Royal Australian Navy's major combatants. The SM-2 is primarily used for fleet area air defence and ship self-defence, but also has an extended air defence capability and it has a secondary anti-surface ship…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/sm-2-standard-missile
The MU90 torpedo is a fire-and-forget weapon designed to counter any type of nuclear or conventional submarine, acoustically coated, deploying active or passive homing.
Specifications
Function: fire-and-forget torpedo
Guidance: passive or active…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/mu90
The Mini-Typhoon is a lightweight, naval, stabilized and remote operated machine gun system utilising the .50 calibre Browning quick change barrel (QCB) heavy machine gun. The Mini-Typhoon provides perimeter protection for larger vessels.…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/mini-typhoon
The Mark 48 (MK-48) is designed to combat fast, deep-diving nuclear submarines and high performance surface ships.
MK-48 and MK-48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) torpedoes can operate with or without wire guidance and use active or passive homing. When…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/mark-48
The 5-inch/54-calibre (Mk 45) lightweight gun is a modern naval artillery gun mount consisting of a 5-inch (127 mm) L54 Mark 19 gun on the Mark 45 mount. It is designed to be used for naval gunfire support and against surface targets.
The gun…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/mark-45
The 7.62 mm MAG 58 General Support Machine Gun (GSMG) is a fully automatic crew-serviced weapon that is usually mounted on the starboard side door of Navy's helicopters. Ammunition usually consists of a combination of ball and tracer rounds…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/mag-58
While the M4A1 Carbine has a similar capability to the standard F88 Austeyr, its simple gas-powered action tends not to jam in water. The modular design is also more suited to clearance diving operations.
The M4A1 comes with a range of attachments…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/m4a1-carbine
The Browning 12.7 mm M2 heavy barrel quick change barrel machine gun is carried by all Royal Australian Navy surface combatants. It is a robust and capable weapon used in both defensive and attacking roles. The machine gun is effective at close…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/m2hb-qcb
The Hi-Power pistol is the standard side-arm of the Australian Defence Force and the primary weapon for boarding party members and quick response forces. It is a reliable, compact weapon with a 13-round magazine.
Specifications
Function: pistol…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/hi-power-pistol
The GAU-21 is a .50 calibre, single barrel, rapid-fire machine gun used on the Fleet Air Arm’s MH-60R. The GAU-21 provides both offensive and defensive firepower ranging out to nearly 2,000 meters.
An evolution of the FN M3 .50 calibre heavy machine…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/gau-21
The Minimi F89 light support weapon is a belt fed, air cooled, gas operated machine gun. It comes fitted with a bipod and can be fired from a variety of positions. It can engage point targets effectively to 400 m and area targets out to 600…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/f89a1-minimi
The Australian Defence Force's EF88 Austeyr rifle improves combat capability due to its superior accuracy and lethality, improved ergonomics, balance and increased mounting options for ancillary devices. The EF88 began entering service in mid-2016…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/ef88-austeyr
The Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) laser-guidance kit transforms an unguided 2.75-inch (70 millimetre) rocket into a precision-guided rocket.
The APKWS mid-body design guidance and control section is compatible with existing and…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/advanced-precision-kill-weapons-system
The Remington 870P is a pump-action, tubular-magazine-fed, 12-gauge repeating shotgun, capable of a high rate of fire with an effective range of 100 metres.
Specifications
Function: shotgun
Manufacturer: Remington
Designed: 1951
Action: pump action…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/870p-shotgun
The Typhoon Mk 25 is a stabilized gun mount, designed to accommodate the 25 mm marine Bushmaster gun.
Specifications
Function: close-in weapon system
Manufacturer:
Mount: General Motors Defence Australia (GMDA) under licence from Rafael…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/typhoon
The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) is an improved version of the RIM-7P NATO Sea Sparrow Missile. The ESSM has enhanced speed and manoeuvrability compared to the original Sea Sparrow.
The ESSM is launched from the Mark 41 Vertical…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/rim-162-evolved-sea-sparrow-missile
The RGM-84 Harpoon is a ship-launched, all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile. Its low-level, sea-skimming cruise trajectory, active radar guidance and warhead design assure high survivability and effectiveness.
Harpoon Block II expands…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/rgm-84-harpoon-block-ii
The Phalanx close-in weapons system (CIWS) provides Navy ships with a rapid-fire, computer controlled, radar guided gun system for defence against anti-ship missiles.
Specifications
Function: anti-ship missile defence
Manufacturer: Raytheon Systems…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/phalanx
Nulka is an Australian designed and developed active missile decoy built through Australian and American collaboration.
It is a rocket-propelled, disposable, off board, active decoy with a unique design in that it hovers in mid-air while seducing…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/nulka-active-missile-decoy
The Mark 54 Lightweight Hybrid Torpedo (LHT) is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) torpedo used by the Royal Australian Navy. It is air-dropped by the Navy's MH-60R Seahawk helicopters as well as the Royal Australian Air Force’s P-8A Poseidon Maritime…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/mark-54
The DS30B is a marinised, stabilized gun mount, which accommodates the Oerlikon 30 mm cannon. The DS30B arms the Huon-class coastal minehunters and is the only 30 mm gun in service in the Australian Defence Force. The DS30B mounts on the…
https://www.navy.gov.au/capabilities/weapons/ds30b