page_title: HMAS Brisbane (D 41)
section_title: 1970s and 1980s
hierarchical_section_title: HMAS Brisbane (D 41) / Operational history / 1970s and 1980s
caption_attribution_description: English: 010519-N-4790M-005 Shoalwater Bay, Queensland, Australia (May 19, 2001) – The Australian destroyer HMAS Brisbane (DDG 41) (top) and the U.S. Navy destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) (center) cruise side by side in Australian waters during Operation Exercise Tandem Thrust 2001. Tandem Thrust is a combined U.S. and Australian military training exercise being held in the Shoalwater Bay Training area off the coast of Australia. More than 27,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Marines are participating with Canadian units taking part as opposing forces. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Andrew Meyers. (RELEASED)
context_page_description: HMAS Brisbane (D 41) was one of three Perth-class guided missile destroyers to serve in the Royal Australian Navy. The United States-designed ship was laid down at Bay City, Michigan in 1965, launched in 1966 and commissioned into the RAN in 1967. She is named after the city of Brisbane, Queensland.
  During her career, Brisbane made two deployments to the Vietnam War, was involved in the post-Cyclone Tracy disaster relief operation Navy Help Darwin, and deployed to the Persian Gulf during the first Gulf War. Brisbane was decommissioned in 2001, and was sunk as a dive wreck off the Queensland coast in 2005.
context_section_description: On 11 March 1974, Brisbane was docked for a major refit. This concluded on 3 October, but the destroyer remained in Sydney for the rest of the year. During the night of 24–25 December 1974, Cyclone Tracy destroyed the city of Darwin; the destroyer's personnel were recalled from leave, and she left early on 26 December in the company of HMAS Melbourne, which was loaded with relief supplies. Brisbane sped ahead and arrived on 31 December, setting up communications between the relief force and Canberra. The destroyer's participation on Operation Navy Help Darwin, the RAN's largest disaster-relief operation, was the longest of any RAN vessel; the first to arrive, and the last to depart on 31 January 1975. In addition to facilitating communications, Brisbane's personnel were responsible for clearing sites for helicopters and headquarters, salvaging boats and equipment, repairs of infrastructure, and installation of power generators: on average, 160 of the ship's company went ashore each day.
  On 16 July 1975, Brisbane sailed for a deployment to the Far East Strategic Reserve. This concluded on 5 November, with the destroyer returning to Sydney and docking for maintenance. In early 1977, Brisbane participated in the RIMPAC multinational exercise. In April 1977, Brisbane and HMNZS Canterbury were assigned to escort Melbourne during a five-month return trip to the United Kingdom for the Silver Jubilee Naval Review. On 9 May, one of the carrier's Sea King helicopters was forced to ditch in the Indian Ocean: Brisbane successfully recovered the aircrew. The ships participated in the naval review at Spithead on 28 June, and Brisbane returned to Sydney on 4 October, entering dock for refit eight days later. This maintenance period lasted until May 1979, and saw the ship's propulsion system converted from fuel oil to diesel, updates to the combat system, and installation of an AN/SPS-40C radar. Apart from a visit to New Zealand, Brisbane spent the rest of 1979 in Australian waters.
  During the early 1980s, the destroyer participated in RIMPAC exercises, and made patrols of the Indian Ocean. From 16 August 1982 to 5 August 1983, Brisbane underwent refit, after which, the destroyer remained docked alongside at Garden Island until March 1984. Another refit period occurred between September 1985 to October 1987. In early 1988, Brisbane visited Melbourne for the Moomba festal, then sailed to her namesake city in August to participate in a 'Shopwindow' exercise with ships of the Royal New Zealand Navy. In October, the destroyer was deployed to South-east Asia for three months, returning to Darwin on 8 January 1989. During June and July, the ship made visits to ports in New Zealand, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands. Brisbane attended RIMPAC during April and May 1990, then returned to Australia to prepare for deployment to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Damask.
caption: Brisbane (background) cruising alongside the US Navy destroyer John S. McCain in 2001
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