Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force . Following the Federation of Australia in 1901 , the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force : the Commonwealth Naval Forces . Originally intended for local defence , the navy was granted the title of ' Royal Australian Navy ' in 1911 , and became increasingly responsible for defence of the region . Britain ' s Royal Navy continued to support the RAN and provided additional blue - water defence capability in the Pacific up to the early years of World War II . Then , rapid wartime expansion saw the acquisition of large surface vessels and the building of many smaller warships . In the decade following the war , the RAN acquired a small number of aircraft carriers , the last of these paying off in 1982 . Today , the RAN consists of 51 commissioned vessels and over 16 , 000 personnel . The navy is one of the largest and most sophisticated naval forces in the Pacific region , with a significant presence in the Indian Ocean and worldwide operations in support of military campaigns and peacekeeping missions . The current Chief of Navy is Vice Admiral Ray Griggs . History . The Commonwealth Naval Forces were established on 1 March 1901 , two months after the federation of Australia . On 10 July 1911 , King George V granted the title of " Royal Australian Navy " . During World War I , the RAN was initially responsible for capturing many of Germany ' s South Pacific colonies and protecting Australian shipping from the German East Asia Squadron . Later in the war , most of the RAN ' s major ships operated as part of Royal Navy forces in the Mediterranean and North Seas . During the 1920s and early 1930s , the RAN was drastically reduced in size . As international tensions increased , however , the RAN was modernised and expanded . Early in World War II , RAN ships again operated as part of the Royal Navy , many serving with distinction in the Mediterranean , the Red Sea , the West African coast , the Persian Gulf , and the Indian Ocean . Following the outbreak of the Pacific War and the virtual destruction of the Royal Navy force in Asia , the RAN operated more independently , or as part of United States Navy forces . By war ' s end , the RAN was the fifth - largest navy in the world . After World War II , the size of the RAN was again reduced , but it gained new capabilities with the delivery of two aircraft carriers . The RAN saw action in many Cold War – era conflicts in the Asia - Pacific region and operated alongside the Royal Navy and United States Navy off Korea , Malaysia and Vietnam . Since the end of the Cold War , the RAN has been part of Coalition forces in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean and has become a critical element in Australian operations in East Timor and the Solomon Islands . RAN today . Command structure . The strategic command structure of the RAN was overhauled during the New Generation Navy changes . The RAN is commanded through Naval Headquarters ( NHQ ) in Canberra . The professional head is the Chief of Navy ( CN ) , who holds the rank of Vice - Admiral . NHQ is responsible for implementing policy decisions handed down from the Department of Defence and for overseeing tactical and operational issues that are the purview of the subordinate commands . Beneath NHQ are two subordinate commands : Fleet Command was previously made up of seven Force Element Group s , but after the New Generation Navy changes , this was restructured into four Force Commands : Fleet . As of January 2013 , the RAN fleet consisted of 51 commissioned warships , including frigates , submarines , patrol boats and auxiliary ships . Ships commissioned into the RAN are given the prefix HMAS ( His / Her Majesty ' s Australian Ship ) . The RAN has two primary bases for its fleet : In addition , three other bases are home to the majority of the RAN ' s minor war vessels : Current ships . The RAN currently operates 51 commissioned vessels , made up of eight ship classes , and four individual ships plus two non - commissioned vessels . Fleet Air Arm . The Fleet Air Arm ( previously known as the Australian Navy Aviation Group ) provides the RAN ' s aviation capability . As of 2013 , the FAA consists of three active squadrons plus a fourth being activated , operating five helicopter types in the anti - submarine warfare and maritime support roles . The Fleet Air Arm is based at in Nowra , New South Wales , and operates from the RAN ' s frigates , large amphibious warfare vessels , and large support ships . Clearance Diving Teams . The RAN has two " Clearance Diving Teams " that serve as parent units for naval clearance divers : When RAN personnel are sent into combat , Clearance Diving Team Three ( AUSCDT THREE ) is formed . The CDTs have two primary roles : Future . There are currently several major projects underway that will see upgrades to RAN capabilities : To boost the RAN ' s amphibious capability until the arrival of the " Canberra " - class LHDs , the RAN acquired ( a former Bay class landing ship of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary ) in December 2011 , and the support vessel in June 2012 . Future procurement plans include : Current operations . The RAN currently has forces deployed on three major operations : Personnel . As of June 2011 , the RAN has 14 , 215 permanent full - time personnel , 161 gap year personnel , and 2 , 150 reserve personnel . The permanent full - time force consisted of 3 , 357 commissioned officers , and 10 , 697 enlisted personnel . In June 2010 , male personnel made up 82 % of the permanent full - time force , while female personnel made up 18 % . The RAN has the highest percentage of women in the ADF , compared to the RAAF ' s 17 . 8 % and the Army ' s 9 . 7 % . The following are the current senior Royal Australian Navy Officers : The RAN needs 2 , 000 recruits , including 700 apprentices , to crew the next generation of warships , such as air warfare destroyers , which enter service next decade . In order to overcome a lack of Australian recruits , the RAN began to recruit sailors who have been laid off from other western navies . Ranks and uniforms . The uniforms of the Royal Australian Navy are very similar in cut , colour and insignia to their British Royal Navy forerunners . However , beginning with the Second World War all RAN personnel began wearing shoulder flashes reading " Australia " , a practice continuing today . These are cloth arcs at shoulder height on uniforms , metallic gold on officers ' shoulder boards , and embroidered on shoulder slip - ons . Commissioned officers . Commissioned officers of the Australian Navy have pay grades ranging from S - 1 to O - 11 . The only O - 11 position in the navy is honorary and has only ever been held by royalty , currently being held by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh . The highest position occupied in the current Royal Australian Navy structure is O - 9 , a Vice Admiral who serves as the Chief of the Navy . O - 7 ( Commodore ) to O - 11 ( Admiral of the Fleet ) are referred to as flag officer s , O - 5 ( Commander ) and above are referred to as senior officer s , while S - 1 ( Midshipman ) to O - 4 ( Lieutenant - Commander ) are referred to as junior officer s . All officers of the Navy receive a commission from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second , Queen of Australia . The Commissioning Scroll issued in recognition of the commission is signed by the Governor General of Australia as Commander - in - Chief and the serving Minister for Defence . Naval officers are trained at the Royal Australian Naval College ( HMAS " Creswell " ) in Jervis Bay , New South Wales and the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra . Chaplains . Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) chaplains are commissioned officers and wear the uniform of a RAN officer . Like chaplains in the Royal Navy ( RN ) , they do not wear rank insignia , but instead wear epaulettes with a cross - and - anchor insignia . Like other chaplains in the Australian Defence Force ( ADF ) , Navy chaplains have five divisions of seniority . Australian Navy chaplains are accorded a certain rank for protocol and ceremonial occasions and for saluting purposes . Division 1 , 2 and 3 Australian Navy chaplains are accorded the rank and status as Commander ( equivalent of Lieutenant Colonel in the Australian Army ) . Division 4 Australian Navy chaplains are accorded the rank and status of Captain ( equivalent of Colonel ) . Division 5 Australian Navy chaplains are " Principal Chaplains , " and these three chaplains , representing the three major Christian denominations : Catholic , Anglican and Protestant , are accorded the rank and status of Commodore ( equivalent of Brigadier ) . Principal Chaplains ' uniforms do not differ from other Navy chaplains however they do wear gold braid on the peak of their caps . The title " Padre " for chaplains is less common in the Royal Australian Navy , than in the Australian Army , although it is known to be used by many sailors and some Navy chaplains in preference to the more formal title of " Chaplain " , or other formal forms of address towards an officer such as " Sir . " Special insignia . The Warrant Officer of the Navy ( WO - N ) is an appointment held by the most senior sailor in the RAN , and holds the rank of Warrant Officer ( WO ) . However , he does not wear the WO rank insignia ; instead , he wears the special insignia of the appointment . The WO - N appointment has similar equivalent appointments in the other services , each holding the rank of Warrant Office , each being the most senior sailor / soldier / airman in that service , and each wearing their own special insignia rather than their rank insignia . The Australian army equivalent is the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army ( RSM - A ) and the Royal Australian Air Force equivalent is the Warrant Officer of the Air Force ( WOFF - AF ) .