Page 8 - newcastle decommissioning booklet

Armament
On 29 October 2006 an Australian Army Blackhawk helicopteroperatingfrom Kanimbla crashed into the sea. Newcastle was tasked with taking the deceased pilot and injuredpersonneltoNoumea (New Caledonia) for return to Australia by air.
The frigateoperated mainly inAustralian waters during 2007, conducting a major refit at Garden Island Dockyard in 2008. In 2009 she conducted post refitsea trials, took part in Exercise TALISMAN SABER
in Queensland waters and was awarded the Duke of Gloucester Cup as the most efficientship in the fleet for 2009.
Newcastle deployed to North Asia in May 2010 includingvisitsto Guam, Japan
and the Aleutian Islands (to disembark a sick sailor) before heading to Esquimalt, Canada to take part in the Canadian Navy's 100th Anniversary celebrations and RAN International Fleet Review in June. She also participated in Exercise RIMPAC 10
in Hawaiian waters, during which she successfullyfireda Standard Missile2 and an Evolved Sea Sparrow Missileagainst drone targets on the Pacific Missile Firing Range. She returned to Australia in August of that year and commenced a refit.
Her refitconcluded in 2011 and she undertook work up and exercisesin Australian waters during that year. 2012 was spent in Australian and New Zealand waters undergoingtrainingand taking part invarious exercises.The frigatewas also on standby for Operation RESOLUTE tasking but was not activated.
In 2013 she commenced workups in preparation for a deployment to the Middle
Harpoon Block 2 Standard SM-2 Block IIIA Mk 41 VLS launcher
1xOTOMelara3in(76mm)/62USMk75
1x20 mm Mk 15 Vulcan Phalanx anti-missile system
6x12.7mm MachineGuns
2 x Rafael Mini-Typhoon 12.7 mm remote- controlled guns (forselected deployments)
6 xMk 32 (2 triple) tubes
4xLoralHycorSRBOCMk 36orTERMASKWS
2 x Rafaellong-rangechaff rocket launchers
LESCUT torpedo countermeasures
ElbitEA-2118jammer Rafael C-Pearl
Raytheon SPS-49A(V)1 ISC Cardion SPS-55 Lockheed SPG-60 Sperry Mk 92 Mod 12
ThalesSpherion(TMS4131) Petrel (TMS 5424) mine avoidance
Albatros (TMS 4350) towed-array torpedo warningsystem
ADACS, OE-2 SATCOM, Link 11, Link 16
Sperry Mk 92 Mod 12 gun and missile control
Radamec 2500 optronic director with TV. la'=>pr and IR imatfpr
2 x Sikorsky Seahawks or
1 x Seahawk and 1 x Squirrel
EAST TIMOR 1999 PERSIAN GULF 2002-03 MIDDLE EAST 2005-2014
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Images: Top - Removal of wire from HMAS Newcastle's
main propeller shaft. Middle East Area ofOperations MEAO, 9July2013.
Above
Boatswains mates in HMAS Newcastle conduct
-
12.7mm heavymachinegundrillsduringExerciseKakadu 2018.
Bottom - Refuelingon the flightdeck of HMAS Newcastle in the Middle East region, 24 July 2017.