HMAS Anzac (FFH 150)

HMAS Anzac arriving at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, prior to participating in RIMPAC 2008.
History
Australia
Namesake:	The Australia and New Zealand Army Corps
Builder:	Tenix Defence Systems
Laid down:	5 November 1993
Launched:	16 September 1994
Commissioned:	18 May 1996
Homeport:	Fleet Base East
Motto:	"United We Stand"
Honours and awards:	Battle honours: East Timor 1999 Persian Gulf 2001–03 Iraq 2003 Two inherited battle honours Awards: Meritorious Unit Citation
Status:	Active as of 2016
General characteristics
Class and type:	Anzac-class frigate
Displacement:	3,810 tonnes full load
Length:	118 m (387 ft)
Beam:	15 m (49 ft)
Draught:	4 m (13 ft)
Propulsion:	1 × General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine providing 30,000 hp (22.5 MW) 2 × MTU 12V 1163 TB83 diesels providing 8,840 hp (6.5 MW)
Speed:	27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Range:	6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement:	approximately 170 sailors
Sensors and processing systems:	Sonars: Thomson Sintra Spherion B Mod 5; hull-mounted; active search and attack; medium frequency. Provision for towed array Air search radar: Raytheon AN/SPS-49(V)8 ANZ (C/D-band) Search radar: CEA Technologies CEAFAR Active Phased Array Radar (S Band) Navigation: Kelvin Hughes Sharpeye (I-band) Passive Detection: Sagem Vampir NG Infrared Search/track Target Illumination Radar: CEA Technologies CEAMOUNT Active Phased Array Illuminator (X Band) Combat data systems: Saab 9LV 453 Mk 3E.Link 11& Link16 Weapons control: Saab 9LV 453 radar/optronic director with CEA Solid State Continuous Wave Illuminator
Electronic warfare & decoys:	ESM: Racal modified Sceptre A (radar intercept), Telefunken PST-1720 Telegon 10 (comms intercept) Countermeasures: Decoys: G & D Aircraft SRBOC Mk 36 Mod 1 decoy launchers for SRBOC, BAE Systems Nulka active missile decoy
Armament:	Guns and missiles: 1 × 5 in/54 (127 mm) Mk 45 Mod 2 gun, 2 × Rafael Mini Typhoon 12.7mm (.50 cal) CIWS, small arms, 2 × 4 Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles, Mk 41 Mod 5 VLS for Sea Sparrow and Evolved Sea Sparrow Torpedoes: 2 × triple 324 mm Mk 32 Mod 5 tubes with MU 90 Torpedo
Aircraft carried:	1 × SH-60 Seahawk
Notes:	Post-Anti-Ship Missile Defence Project upgrade. See class article for original configuration.

HMAS Anzac (FFH 150) is the lead ship of the Anzac-class frigates in use with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). Entering Australian service in 1996, the frigate operated as part of the INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce in 1999. In 2003, she was involved in the Battle of Al Faw, and became the first RAN ship to fire in anger since the Vietnam War. The ship is operational as of 2016.

The Anzac class originated from RAN plans to replace the six River-class destroyer escorts with a mid-capability patrol frigate. The Australian shipbuilding industry was thought to be incapable of warship design, so the RAN decided to take a proven foreign design and modify it. Around the same time, the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) was looking to replace four Leander-class frigates; a deterioration in New Zealand-United States relations, the need to improve alliances with nearby nations, and the commonalities between the RAN and RNZN ships' requirements led the two nations to begin collaborating on the acquisition in 1987. Tenders were requested by the Anzac Ship Project at the end of 1986, with 12 ship designs (including an airship) submitted. By August 1987, the tenders were narrowed down in October to Blohm + Voss's MEKO 200 design, the M class (later Karel Doorman class) offered by Royal Schelde, and a scaled-down Type 23 frigate proposed by Yarrow Shipbuilders. In 1989, the Australian government announced that Melbourne-based shipbuilder AMECON (which became Tenix Defense) would build the modified MEKO 200 design. The Australians ordered eight ships, while New Zealand ordered two, with an unexercised option for two more.