Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN} is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Established in 1909, the RAN was formed out of the Commonwealth Naval Forces, the small navy of Australia after federation, which consisted of the colonial navies of the new Australian states. The Royal Navy continued to provide blue water defence in the Pacific until World War Two, when expansion of the RAN saw the acquisition of aircraft carriers, and other large surface vessels.

Ships of the Royal Australian Navy

See also:List of ships of the Royal Australian Navy

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RAN has 5 main classes of vessels in the fleet:

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