1 January 1961
In 1961, the Australian Government announced its decision to acquire two US-built Charles F Adams-class destroyers:
- HMA Ships Perth and Hobart were commissioned in 1965.
- HMAS Brisbane was commissioned in 1967.
The ships came to be known in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as 'Perth-class' destroyers. They brought new air defence and command and control capability. The ships were of a different kind, introducing modern missile systems. They also had increasingly sophisticated computerised battle management systems.
The three Perth-class guided missile destroyers (or DDGs) were a successful acquisition in terms of:
- new capability
- speedy acquisition
- the US–Australia alliance
- financial benefits.
The decision to acquire US-built ships was a departure from past practice. In the past, the RAN acquired ships built in the United Kingdom, or British-designed ships built in Australia. This decision was indicative of wider changes in Australia’s strategic relationships. It moved slowly from a reliance on the Royal Navy to stronger engagement with the United States.
The Perth class was equipped with the Tartar surface-to-air missile system. Additionally, they had the Australian designed and built anti-submarine missile known as ‘Ikara’. This missile system greatly extended the range at which ships could engage with submarine targets. The accuracy of its torpedoes was also improved. This was due to active targeting through inflight guidance.
Ikara was an effective and innovative weapon that was also deployed by the Royal Navy, and later sold to the Brazilian navy.