The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) announced that its “Ex-HMAS Sydney” frigate has left Sydney Harbour, on May 18th, in order to be towed to Western Australia for recycling. Minister for Defence Personnel Dan Tehan said the frigate will be recycled by Australian company Birdon Pty Ltd.
Ex-HMAS Sydney was built at the Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, Washington, USA, and commissioned there on 29 January 1983. The former Sydney was decommissioned from the Royal Australian Navy on 7 November 2015.
“Ex-HMAS Sydney had an illustrious career during her 32 years in service with the Royal Australian Navy. The Adelaide class frigate was involved in operations spanning the Middle East, East Timor, Fiji and the Solomon Islands and earned a Meritorious Unit Citation during the First Gulf War in 1991″ Mr Tehan said.
The frigate’s journey from the Australian east coast to Henderson, Western Australia, will take up to 22 days. As there was no interest for the ship to be used as a dive wreck, the Government decided to recycle her by scrapping.