The Royal Australian Navy’s ships are progressively getting a facelift – sporting a new paint scheme that is turning heads.
On 29 July, hydrographic vessels, HMA Ships Benalla and Shepparton made the slow descent off the Tropical Reef Shipyard in Cairns slipway and back into the water gleaming in the haze grey shipside paint.
Upon arriving alongside HMAS Cairns they berthed astern of fellow Survey Motor Launches HMA Ships Paluma and Mermaid, and across the wharf from HMAS Melville.
Beyond the steely new shade there are many benefits from the new colour scheme. An extra coat of paint and the primer coat ‘inner shield’ having a smooth finish and reflective properties, which helps with reflecting heat and insulating the ship, an essential attribute to boost the efficiency of the cooling systems onboard when operating in northern waters and Papua New Guinea where Survey Motor Launches are frequently deployed.
Importantly the new grey makes the ships harder to see on the horizon. It is also reported that the paint’s properties mean that rust streaks can be easily removed with freshwater and the smooth surface coat means that less catalysts for corrosion will exist.
[mappress mapid=”16631″]
Image: Australian Navy