| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | River |
| Builders | |
| Operators |  Royal Australian Navy |
| In commission | 1961–1998 |
| Completed | 6 |
| Scrapped | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Destroyer escort (previously anti-submarine frigate) |
The River class was a class of six destroyer escorts (originally designated anti-submarine frigates) operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Plans to acquire four vessels, based on the British Type 12M (or Rothesay-class) frigate, began in the 1950s. The first two vessels had some slight modifications to the design, while the next two underwent further changes. Two more ships were ordered in 1964, following the Melbourne-Voyager collision; these were based on the Type 12I (or Leander-class) frigate.
By the 1990s, all six ships had left service. Two were sunk as part of tests, and a third was scuttled as an artificial reef, while the other three ships were scrapped.