Thread: Imperial Metric Confusions

Originally Posted by yowie

The RAN was imperial because the ships were American. All the Anzacs etc are metric except for a few American systems on board. CWIS being the main one.

Not quite, only the DDG's, LPA's and FFg's were US everything else were British (DE's, Fremantles, LSH, LCH's and Oberons). Anzacs actually have an awful lot of US equipment fitted to them: GE LM2500 gas turbine, 5" gun, Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile system and plenty of sensor/communications equipment; all of which use Imperial fasteners. All young MT and WE sailors who join Anzacs quickly learn why the toolboxes still have Imperial spanners in them...

However the Phalanx CIWS (Close In Weapons System) is only fitted to FFG's and the pair of Anzac's owned by NZ; it was "fitted for but not with" the Aussie FFH's. Calling Phalanx "CIWS" (pron. "sea-wiz) is a pet hate of mine....

The Anzac FFH without a shadow of a doubt was the biggest foul up the RAN ever made; they have been responsible for the wholesale haemorrhaging of Marine Technical and Communications sailors since their inception. Including me; the three years I spent aboard Warramunga were more frustrating and painful than the previous twenty combined.