HMAS Huon (M 82)

HMAS Huon at Darling Harbour in January 2010
History
Australia
Name	Huon
Namesake	Huon River
Builder	Australian Defence Industries
Laid down	September 1994
Launched	25 July 1997
Commissioned	15 May 1999
Decommissioned	30 May 2024[1]
Homeport	HMAS Waterhen, Sydney
Identification	MMSI number: 503121000 Callsign: VLTC
Honours and awards	One inherited battle honour
Status	Decommissioned[2]
General characteristics
Class and type	Huon-class minehunter
Displacement	732 tons at full load
Length	52.5 m (172 ft)
Beam	9.9 m (32 ft)
Draught	3 m (9.8 ft)
Propulsion	1 × Fincantieri GMT BL230-BN diesel motor, 1,985 bhp (1,480 kW), 1 × controllable-pitch propeller 3 × 120 hp (89 kW) Riva Calzoni azimuth thrusters
Speed	14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) on diesel 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) on thrusters
Range	1,600 nautical miles (3,000 km; 1,800 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Endurance	19 days
Complement	6 officers and 34 sailors, plus up to 9 additional
Sensors and processing systems	Kelvin-Hughes Type 1007 navigational radar GEC-Marconi Type 2093M variable-depth minehunting sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys	Nil
Armament	1 × 30 mm DS30B rapid fire cannon 2 × 0.50 calibre machine guns 2 × SUTEC Double Eagle mine disposal vehicles

HMAS Huon (M 82), named for the Huon River, was lead ship of the Huon class of minehunters operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The first of six ships built by a joint partnership of Australian Defence Industries (ADI) and Intermarine SpA, Huon's hull was fabricated at Intermarine's Italian shipyard, then freighted to ADI facilities at Newcastle for completion. She entered service in 1999, and was decommissioned on 30 May 2024.^[3]

The minehunter was temporarily deactivated for half of 2006, but reactivated for use as a border protection patrol boat, a role alternated with other members of the class. In 2011, Huon surveyed the waters around Brisbane following the 2010–11 Queensland floods. In 2013, Huon participated in the International Fleet Review, and became the first minor war vessel to receive the Gloucester Cup.