Leeuwin-class survey vessel

HMAS Leeuwin in 2013
Class overview
Name	Leeuwin class
Builders	NQEA, Cairns
Built	1996–2000
In commission	2000–present
Completed	2
Active	1
Retired	1
General characteristics
Type	Hydrographic survey ship
Displacement	2,170 tons
Length	71.2 m (233 ft 7 in)
Beam	15.2 m (49 ft 10 in)
Draught	4.3 m (14 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	4 × GEC Alsthom 6RK 215 generators, 2 x Alsthom electric motors, 2 shafts 1 × Schottel bow thruster
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Range	18,000 nautical miles (33,000 km; 21,000 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph)
Complement	10 officers, 46 sailors, up to 5 trainees
Sensors and processing systems	Radar: Sperry Vision-Master FT navigation radars x 2; X-band and S-band. Sonar: Nautel C-Tech CMAS 30D; hull mounted omni-directional active sonar Teledyne Seabat T50 Muti-Beam Echo Sounder Ship specific hydrographic / navigation Single-Beam Echo Sounder(s) EdgeTech Towed Side-Scan Sonar
Armament	2 x 12.7 mm machine guns
Aircraft carried	Not permanently embarked

The Leeuwin class is a two-ship class of hydrographic survey vessels operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Leeuwin and Melville were ordered from NQEA in 1996, and were commissioned in 2000. The ships are capable of charting waters up to 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) deep, carry three Fantome-class survey boats, and could operate an AS 350B Squirrel helicopter. In addition to surveying duties, since 2001 both vessels have been used to supplement the RAN patrol force. Leeuwin is based at HMAS Cairns, while Melville was decommissioned in August 2024.