On This Day

1976-1999 > Post Vietnam

November 27, 1980

CDRE E. E. Johnson, OBE, RAN, was appointed Administrator of the Northern Territory. CDRE Johnson was honoured for his services in the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy.

November 15, 1980

The guided missile frigate HMAS ADELAIDE, (CMDR G. R. Lamperd, RAN), was commissioned. ADELAIDE was laid down in Seattle, USA, and launched on 21 June 1978. Mrs Elizabeth Synnot, (Wife of the Chief of Naval Staff), performed the launching ceremony. ADELAIDE was the first of four ships of the Adelaide class purchased for the RAN.

October 28, 1980

HMAS COOK, (oceanographic ship), was commissioned at Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, under CMDR I. Pullar, RAN.

October 25, 1980

HMAS WARRNAMBOOL, the second of fifteen Fremantle class patrol boats ordered for the RAN, was launched at Cairns, QLD.

October 24, 1980

The Russian Ship, STOROZHEVOY, (guided missile frigate), shadowed HMA Ships MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), and PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), in the Indian Ocean. A Tracker SE2 aircraft from MELBOURNE also sighted the Soviet assault ship IVAN ROGOV in the area.

October 21, 1980

HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), lost her second Skyhawk fighter-bomber on her deployment in the Indian Ocean. The first was lost in the Andaman Sea on 2 October. Both pilots were recovered.

September 26, 1980

RADM D. W. Leach, Chief of Naval Personnel, announced that it took:- 4 years and cost $6,300, to train a Leading Seaman Quarter Master Gunner; 6 years and $60,000 a Petty Officer Electrical Technical Systems; 12 years and $200,000 a Commanding Officer of a submarine; 6 years and $400,000 a helicopter pilot.

September 8, 1980

An Australian Squadron, consisting of HMA Ships MELBOURNE, PERTH, DERWENT, STALWART, and SUPPLY, and HMAS OTAMA, (Oberon class submarine), was deployed in the Indian Ocean on an extended flag-showing cruise

August 27, 1980

HMAS FREMANTLE, the first of 14 Fremantle class patrol boats ordered for the RAN, arrived in Sydney at the end of her 14,509 mile maiden voyage.

August 9, 1980

The keel of HMAS SUCCESS, a 17,000 ton replenishment vessel for the RAN, was laid by the Minister for Defence, Mr. D. J. Killen, at Cockatoo Island Sydney.

July 30, 1980

The destroyer escort HMAS YARRA, (CMDR P. A. Knife, RAN), represented Australia at the New Hebrides Independence Celebrations at Vila.

July 23, 1980

HMAS ARDENT, (patrol boat), apprehended two Indonesian luggers poaching in Australian fishing waters north-west of Derby, WA.

July 20, 1980

HMAS Adroit hosted a reception for NOCNA, Captain R McKenzie, ADC, RAN, and nine guests including Rear Admiral Shapiro, USN; and Miss Australia 1980, Miss Eleanor Moreton. The guests were treated to a two hour sight-seeing voyage around Darwin Harbour before returning alongside

July 8, 1980

The Minister for Defence, Mr. D. J. Killen, announced that the Government had approved a feasibility study of the building of submarines at Vickers Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney.

July 3, 1980

The first WRANS midshipmen passed out of the Royal Australian Naval College.

June 17, 1980

The destroyer escort HMAS SWAN, (CMDR D. T. Read, RAN), rescued 72 Vietnamese refugees from a disabled vessel in the South China Sea.

June 7, 1980

The Minister for Defence, Mr. D. J. Killen, announced increased air and sea defence for Australia’s off-shore oilfields.

June 5, 1980

Evaluations of the US designed Mk 48 heavyweight torpedo, (for potential use in the Oberon class submarines), commenced at HMAS WATSON.

May 30, 1980

HMA Ships ATTACK, ADVANCE, and BUCCANEER, (patrol boats), commenced offshore oil rig patrols. The patrols were organized to prevent terrorist attacks on the oil rigs

May 29, 1980

Queen Elizabeth II, approved three new long service medals, (15 years service), for members of the Australian Defence Force. These were the Defence Force Service Medal, (DFSM), for all regular personnel regardless of rank; the Reserve Force Decoration, (RFD), for Reserve Force officers only; and the Reserve Force Medal, (RFM), for all other Reserve Force personnel. The first medals were issued in 1982, and replaced the National Medal, which had been the ADF Long Service Medal from 1975 until 1982. The DFSM, RFD, and RFM, were themselves replaced in 1999-2000 by the Defence Long Service Medal, (DLSM), which was for both regular and reserve personnel who had completed 15 years service.

May 19, 1980

The rank of Provisional Warrant Officer was abolished in the RAN.

May 18, 1980

China’s first Inter Continental Ballistic Missile landed in the Pacific Ocean north west of Fiji. The splashdown was observed by HMA Ships VAMPIRE, (destroyer), and JERVIS BAY, (training ship). A fleet of eighteen Chinese warships was also in the area to observe the splashdown.

May 17, 1980

USS DIXIE, (destroyer tender), the oldest US warship on continuous active service, arrived in Sydney on a goodwill visit.

May 13, 1980

HMA Ships VAMPIRE, (Daring class destroyer), and HMAS JERVIS BAY, (training ship), were dispatched to the area between the Solomon Islands and Fiji, to observe the test firing of China’s first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. The splash-down zone was near this area.

May 11, 1980

The Australian Government announced plans for the construction of a $13 million patrol base at Darwin, NT.