Australian Navy frigate HMAS Toowoomba completes modernization program
15Based on information published by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 3 May 2022, the frigate HMAS Toowoomba has resumed operations in Western Australia after completing the Mid-Age Capability Assurance Program.
HMAS Toowoomba (FFH 156) is the seventh Anzac class frigate of the RAN, commissioned in 2005.
The development of the Anzac class frigate is based on the MEKO 200 PN frigate made by Blohm + Voss, Germany which was specially modified to meet Australian and New Zealand specifications.
The construction was carried out by Tenix Defense by maximizing the use of locally made equipment.
Each frigate has a full load displacement of 3,600 tonnes, has an overall length of 118 m by a width of 14.8 and a full payload of 4.35 m.
Equipped with a propulsion system of one General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine with a power of 30,000 hp and two MTU 12v 1163 TB83 diesel engines with a power of 8,840 hp.
The maximum speed reaches 27 knots (50 km/h). Maximum range is over 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) at a cruising speed of 18 knots (33 km/h)
The Anzac-class frigate has a crew of 22 officers and 141 sailors. The rear deck can accommodate one Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopter .
Its main armament is a 127mm Mark 45 marine gun, then two launchers (four tubes each) of Harpoon anti-ship missiles .
There is also an eight-cell Mark 41 vertical launch system (for the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow or RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow ) and two 12.7 mm caliber machine guns.