Is there any advantage for the RAN to disperse the basing of their larger vessels to other deep water harbours away from East Base West e.g. Port Kembla ,H.M.A.S Port Coonawarra Darwin which is the closest deepwater port to Asia. It seems that the East Base is based on a heritage factor from the time of ships of sail any thought?
Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates 2.0
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Todjaeger
Potstirrer
It might be worth approaching your question from another angle. What would be (or what are) some of the issues with having vessels homeported at other RAN facilities aside from FBE?
One issue that I seem to recall cropping up repeatedly are retention issues caused by personnel getting posted to bases in areas with less opportunities available for partners/families, and/or the facilities being a very long way away from family. It has been my understanding that the desire to establish a RAN sub facility somewhere on the East Coast is related to issues the RAN had with attracting and retaining submariners with all RAN sub ops being homeported at FBW.
Strange that affects the RAN but not the rest of ADF…
/sarcasm off.
It obviously does, RAN just seems exempt from the push to house all ADF units in the North.
iambuzzard
Well-Known Member
It's a long way for a potential enemy to get at the main fleet units at Fleet Base East or West. Up north they're close to Dodge. Down south we'd usually get some sort of warning to a missile attack and hopefully get defenses in place.
Another way to look at it can facilities be in place for ships to replenish elsewhere during hostilities that cuts back on travel time for ships that may have expended their munitions and need to quickly replenish , it might be ships returning to a known predictable port are at risk e.g. mines submarines. The R.A.A.F has quite a number of airfields that provide in a way a similar backup easing dispersal
Todjaeger
Potstirrer
IMO the RAAF 'bare base' strategy is a good one, but a bit of an 'apples to oranges' comparison if one is trying to apply it to the RAN. The physical infrastructure involved in a RAAF base is quite different from that of a RAN base which supports ships, or even just that of a working port with fuel and cargo transfer capabilities. Consider for instance, just how many ports or even just deep water anchorages and harbours there are along Australia's northern and northwest coasts.