History of Australian naval aviation The first involvement Australia had with naval aviation was in 1911 , when an Australian - born Royal Navy officer became one of the first four naval officers to receive pilot qualifications . During World War I , the Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) experienced several forms of airborne operation , with operating a seaplane , while HMA Ships and were used for experiments with aircraft launch platforms . An aircraft embarked aboard " Sydney " was also involved in one of the first naval air battles . Several Australians also flew as part of the Royal Naval Air Service . After the war ' s end , attempts to establish a naval aviation capability were met with opposition , and naval aviation fell under the control of the Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) . During the late 1920s and early 1930s , amphibious aircraft were operated from the seaplane carrier , with a new aircraft , the Supermarine Walrus , designed for operation from this platform . " Albatross " was removed from service in the mid - 1930s , with the focus of naval aviation transferred to the RAN ' s five - ship cruiser force . Although useful for reconnaissance , improvements in carrier - based aviation and anti - aircraft defence saw the Walrus fall out of use during World War II . The impact of carrier aviation during the war prompted the foundation of a RAN - controlled Fleet Air Arm and the acquisition of two light fleet carriers , with the first , , entering service in 1948 . " Sydney " was the only non - US , non - UK aircraft carrier to be involved in the Korean War . The operation of a United States helicopter aboard " Sydney " during the war prompted the development of helicopter aviation in the Australian military . The RAN ' s second aircraft carrier , , had encountered delays while upgrading to the latest technology , and the British aircraft carrier was loaned to the RAN from 1952 until 1955 , when " Melbourne " was commissioned . " Sydney " was decommissioned and converted into a troop transport during the late 1950s , and the obsolescence of " Melbourne " s British - designed aircraft saw her reduced to helicopter operations until the mid - 1960s , when new aircraft were purchased from the United States . " Melbourne " did not participate in the Vietnam War , although RAN helicopter pilots were used to support RAAF and United States Army Air Forces units . Following the decommissioning of " Melbourne " without replacement in the early 1980s , the Fleet Air Arm was reorganised to focus on helicopter operations from frigate - size ships , although fixed - wing aviation within the RAN continued with land - based aircraft used for patrols , electronic warfare training , transport , and hydrographic survey . Early 20th century and World War I . One of the pioneers of naval aviation was Australian - born Royal Navy officer Arthur Longmore , who , on 25 April 1911 , was among the first four naval officers to receive pilot qualifications . In the following years , Longmore conducted the first water landing in Britain , and the first deployment of a torpedo from an aircraft . During the hunt for the merchant raider SMS " Wolf " in 1917 , a Sopwith Baby seaplane was transferred from to the light cruiser . " Brisbane " s commanding officer , John Saumarez Dumaresq , was impressed with the aircraft ' s operational capability and requested that several be acquired by the RAN , but when the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board expressed interest to the British Admiralty , they were rebuffed with claims that the use of seaplanes for naval aviation was " dying out " . In August 1917 , was the first warship to be fitted with a rotatable aircraft launch platform . The cruiser was initially fitted with a Sopwith Pup , which was replaced in 1918 with a Sopwith Camel . On 1 June 1918 , the Camel was launched to intercept two German aircraft , one of which is believed to have been shot down : naval historian David Hobbs calls it " one of the first naval air battles " . In December 1917 , became the first Australian warship to launch an aircraft from aboard ship ( as opposed to " Brisbane " , which placed the seaplane in the water before launch ) , when a Sopwith Pup took off from the battlecruiser ' s quarterdeck . From March 1918 onwards , the battlecruiser was used to test a new method of aircraft launch ; this time from platforms secured on top of a gun turret and its barrels . Following the successful launch of a fully laden Sopwith 1½ Strutter scout plane on 14 May , the first aircraft launch from a turret platform , " Australia " was fitted with platforms over her two midships turrets and started carrying two aircraft — a Strutter for reconnaissance , and a Sopwith Camel fighter — and operated them until the end of the war . Over the course of World War I , over 80 Australians served as part of the Royal Navy Air Service ( RNAS ) , including Australia ' s top flying aces of the war , Roderic Dallas and Robert A . Little . In April 1919 , just before the end of the war , the RNAS and the Army - operated Royal Flying Corps were merged to form the Royal Air Force : Australian personnel were absorbed into the new organisation , with many transferring to the Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) on its foundation in March 1921 . Between the wars and World War II . In July 1920 , Dumaresq , now Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Fleet , organised the loan of two Avro 504L seaplanes from the Australian Flying Corps to the RAN . Preliminary tests aboard the battlecruiser " Australia " showed promise , but were foiled when the ship was reduced to non - seagoing status by budget cuts , while trials aboard the cruiser failed because the aircraft had trouble operating in the tropics , and was damaged when being loaded back aboard . The RAN ordered six Fairey IIID amphibious aircraft in 1920 , but these were placed under RAAF control . Pilots were supplied by the RAAF , while observers and telegraphist air gunner s were RAN personnel . In 1924 , Stanley Goble and Ivor McIntyre , both RNAS veterans now serving with the RAAF , circumnavigated Australia in one of the amphibians , while another was assigned to to assist in hydrographic surveying . Another two Fairey IIIDs were assigned to hydrographic surveying operations , but these were shore - based . The amphibious aircraft were assigned to No . 101 Flight RAAF in 1926 . During the mid - 1920s , the RAN attempted to acquire government support for an Australian Fleet Air Arm , modelled loosely on the RNAS and its Royal Air Force - controlled successor , the Fleet Air Arm . This was approved as part of improvements to Australia ' s military , but opposition by the RAAF prompted the Cabinet to rescind its approval in favour of continuing RAAF control of naval aviation . In 1925 , the Governor - General Lord Stonehaven announced the construction of a seaplane carrier , to the surprise of both the RAN and RAAF . Laid down in 1926 , was commissioned into the RAN shortly after the Fairey IIID , the aircraft she had been designed to operate with was removed from service . The Faireys were replaced by the Supermarine Seagull Mark III in 1926 , which had been employed on surveys of the Great Barrier Reef while " Albatross " was completed . The Mark IIIs were unsuited for operations with " Albatross " , particularly as the aircraft were not durable enough to withstand catapult launches . Specifications for a new aircraft design were drawn up to the RAN and RAAF , and Supermarine designed the Seagull V ( later to be called the Walrus ) . Designed for catapult launches and to survive rougher weather and sea conditions , the Walrus entered service two months after " Albatross " was reduced to non - seagoing status . " Albatross " was transferred to the Royal Navy in 1938 as part payment for the cruiser . From 1935 , naval aviation was focused on the RAN ' s cruiser force : two County - class heavy cruisers and three Town - class light cruisers , each operating a single Supermarine Walrus amphibious aircraft from a deck - mounted catapult . In 1936 , No . 101 Flight was expanded and redesignated No . 5 Squadron , then redesignated No . 9 Squadron at the start of 1939 . During World War II , Walruses were used to increase the surveillance range of each ship , particularly during hunts for German commerce raiders . Four aircraft were lost during the war ; two shot down by Axis aircraft , one damaged beyond repair by British fighters , and one destroyed on deck during the battle between and the German auxiliary cruiser " Kormoran " . During the Pacific campaign , the prevalence of United States Navy aircraft carriers negated the need for cruiser - based aircraft , and the growing improvements in both ship - based anti - aircraft weaponry and other aircraft compared to the Walrus meant the amphibian saw less and less use . By 1944 , all Walruses had been removed from Australian ships , and No . 9 Squadron was disbanded at the end of the year . The lack of opportunity for naval aviation service in the RAN meant that many interested personnel went overseas to serve with the British Fleet Air Arm , including Victor Smith , or transferred to the RAAF . Foundation of the RAN Fleet Air Arm . The successes of naval aviation during World War II reignited the idea of a RAN - controlled aviation force , with suggestions that Australia provide the personnel to operate a British aircraft carrier and the attached squadrons voiced by the government in 1944 as part of a broader offer to help address the Royal Navy ' s personnel shortage . The Admiralty deemed a " Colossus " class Light Fleet to be the most appropriate aircraft carrier , and " Venerable " was initially proposed for transfer to the Royal Australian Navy as a gift or on loan . The plan was deferred on the Australian end until a review of manpower requirements across the entire war effort was completed . The ship manning proposal was revisited in mid - 1945 , but the surrender of Germany in May meant that British shortages were not as problematic ; as a counteroffer , the purchase of the " Colossus " class " Ocean " by Australia was suggested . The Australian government decided against the purchase of " Ocean " in June . A review by the Australian Government ' s Defence Committee held after World War II recommended that the post - war forces of the RAN be structured around a Task Force incorporating multiple aircraft carriers . Initial plans were for three carriers , with two active and a third in reserve , although funding cuts led to the purchase of the " Majestic " class light fleet carriers , " Majestic " and " Terrible " from the Royal Navy in June 1947 . A Fleet Air Arm was established on 3 July 1947 by the Commonwealth Defence Council to operate aircraft from these two carriers , and also maintain two former Royal Australian Air Force bases as support facilities : these became at Nowra , New South Wales , and at Schofields , New South Wales . As " Terrible " was the closer of the two ships to completion , construction was finished without major modification . The ship was commissioned into the RAN as on 16 December 1948 . " Sydney " s maiden voyage saw the delivery of the first two squadrons operated by the Fleet Air Arm : 805 Squadron with Hawker Sea Furies , and 816 Squadron with Fairey Fireflies . The two squadrons operated as the 20th Carrier Air Group ( CAG ) . " Sydney " returned to England in 1950 to collect the 21st CAG : 808 and 817 Squadrons , with Sea Furies and Fireflies , respectively . Cold War carrier aviation . During the Korean War , " Sydney " was deployed to Korean waters in late 1951 , with a wartime CAG of 805 , 808 , and 817 Squadrons embarked . The Fleet Air Arm operated in a strike , ground support , and escort role during the deployment , which saw three RAN pilots killed and a fourth seriously wounded , while thirteen aircraft were lost . Nine of these were shot down by North Korean flak artillery , with aircraft damaged by flak on at least ninety other occasions . The other four were lost in deck accidents , or crashed because of foul weather . Meanwhile , " Majestic " was undergoing major upgrades during construction to operate jet aircraft , including the installation of an angled flight deck , steam catapult , and a mirror landing aid . To allow the RAN to operate as a two - carrier force while " Majestic " was completed , the Royal Navy loaned the Colossus class light carrier to the RAN in late 1952 . " Vengeance " arrived in Australia with three Bristol Sycamore helicopters for the Fleet Air Arm . Although not the first helicopters to see military service in Australia ( that title belonging to a Sikorsky S - 51 of the Royal Australian Air Force ) , the Sycamores formed the first Australian military helicopter squadron , and prompted the establishment of Australia ' s first helicopter pilot school . " Vengeance " was returned to the United Kingdom in 1955 , with the crew transferred to " Majestic " , which was commissioned into the RAN as on 28 October 1955 . The new carrier delivered new aircraft to the Fleet Air Arm : the de Havilland Sea Venom jet fighter - bomber for 805 and 808 Squadrons , and the turboprop - driven Fairey Gannet anti - submarine aircraft for 816 and 817 Squadrons . These aircraft were due to become obsolete in the late 1950s , and the RAN considered purchasing modern aircraft of French or Italian design , which were smaller than British developments and better suited to light carrier operations . By the end of the 1950s , with " Sydney " decommissioned from service and refitted as a troop transport , it was decided that fixed - wing naval aviation would be replaced by a force of 27 Westland Wessex anti - submarine helicopters , to operate from " Melbourne " . This decision was rescinded in 1963 , with Grumman S - 2E Tracker anti - submarine aircraft and Douglas A - 4 Skyhawk fighter aircraft ordered for the Fleet Air Arm . Although " Melbourne " and her air group played no role in the Vietnam War , Australian naval aviators saw action as part of Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam ( a component of the joint Australian - American Experimental Military Unit ) and the RAN Detachment , 9 Squadron Vietnam ( attached to No . 9 Squadron RAAF ) . In 1972 , the Fleet Air Arm ' s Wessex helicopters were replaced with Westland Sea King anti - submarine helicopters , although a small number of Wessexes continued to serve in utility and search - and - rescue roles . " Melbourne " remained in service until mid - 1982 , when she was placed in reserve . Planning for a replacement began in 1981 , and after considering American , Italian , and Spanish designs , the Australian government accepted a British offer to sell , which would be operated with Harriers and helicopters . However , the Royal Navy withdrew the offer after the ship ' s performance in the Falklands War disproved the argument that she was surplus to requirements , and the 1983 election of the Australian Labor Party led to the cancellation of plans to replace " Melbourne " . With no aircraft carrier , carrier - borne fixed - wing aviation in the RAN ended on 30 June 1983 with the decommissioning of several squadrons , and many RAN pilots joined the Army and RAAF , or transferred to the aviation branches of other nations ' navies . The RAN Skyhawks were sold to the Royal New Zealand Air Force , and the Trackers were removed from service and sold to a private company for disposal . Before being sold off , the RAN Trackers were flown from land bases as patrol and surveillance aircraft , and HS 748 aircraft continued on in the electronic warfare training and transport roles after all other fixed - wing assets were disposed of . Helicopters to the fore . The shift from full , carrier - embarked squadrons to single - or two - helicopter flights operating from frigate s forced overhauls of the management and organisational style of the FAA , with squadrons made to act with increasing independence and less experienced junior officers taking greater responsibility for the aviation activities of their assigned ship . During the 1980s , the Eurocopter Ecureuil ( Squirrel ) and Sikorsky S - 70 Seahawk were acquired to operate from the " Adelaide " class frigates . During the early 1990s , these helicopters operated aboard Australian ships deployed to support the international coalition during the Gulf War ; they were used for anti - air surveillance and surface search , to deliver boarding parties to interdicted ships , and provide search - and - rescue capabilities . During 1992 , FAA Sea Kings were embarked aboard for Operation Solace , part of the famine - relief operation in Somalia . During the 1990s , the FAA ordered several refurbished Kaman SH - 2G Super Seasprite helicopters to operate from the " Anzac " class frigates in the anti - submarine and anti - surface roles . Although due to enter service in the early 2000s , the helicopters were not operational until 2006 , and were grounded shortly after with concerns over their airworthiness , flight control system , crash survivability , and inability to operate in poor weather . The delays and problems with the acquisition led to the cancellation of the project in March 2008 , and the completed helicopters were returned to Kaman . Since 2000 , when the last pair of HS 748s were retired , the Fleet Air Arm has been an entirely rotary - winged force , although the RAN continues to operate a Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft under the control of the Australian Hydrographic Service . The Fleet Air Arm became responsible for the operation and maintenance of the RAN ' s helicopter force from the frigates of the " Adelaide " and " Anzac " classes and from the RAN ' s amphibious and support ships .