Six Australian built, River-class destroyer escorts served from the 1950s to the 1990s. They were similar in size and function to the British Rothesay- and Leander-class frigates, upon which their design was based. Indeed, the River-class ships were also known as ‘Modified Type 12 frigates’.
HMAS Newcastle leads HMAS Parramatta as the two ships depart the Port of Fremantle for Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019.
The RAN’s destroyer escorts—Parramatta (III), Yarra (III), Stuart (II), Derwent, Swan (III), and Torrens (II)—were named after rivers. They were 113m long, displaced 2450 tonnes at maximum load, had a top speed of 30 knots, and a range of 3400 nautical miles at 12 knots. Initial armaments included two 4.5-inch guns in a single turret, two Bofors guns, and two Limbo anti-submarine mortars. On most of the ships, the Bofors guns and mortars were upgraded to anti-aircraft and anti-submarine missile launchers. Each ship had a crew of 250, officers and sailors.
Initially intended as anti-submarine warfare ships, the River-class ships were used in mostly Australian waters but took part in multinational exercises, Far East Strategic Reserve operations, the Confrontation between Indonesia and Malaysia, and the Vietnam War. The RAN no longer uses destroyer escorts, frigates are used instead.