HMAS Benalla (A 04) is Paluma class

Paluma class survey motor launch

The Paluma class survey motor launch is a class of four hydrographic survey launches operated by the Royal Australian Navy . Built in Port Adelaide between 1988 and 1990, the four catamarans are primarily based at in Cairns, Queensland, and operate in pairs to survey the waters of northern...

 survey motor launch of the Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy 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...

 (RAN).

Design and construction

The Paluma class vessels have a full load displacement of 320 tonnes. They are 36.6 metres (120.1 ft) long overall and 36 metres (118.1 ft) long between perpendiculars, have a beam of 13.7 metres (44.9 ft), and a draught of 1.9 metres (6.2 ft). Propulsion machinery consists of two General Motors Detroit Diesel 12V-92T engines, which supply 1290 bhp to the two propeller shafts. Each vessel has a top speed of 12 knots (6.5 m/s), a maximum sustainable speed of 10 knots (5.4 m/s) (which gives a maximum range of 1800 nautical miles (3,333.6 km)), and an endurance of 14 days.

The sensor suite of a Paluma class launch consists of a JRC JMA-3710-6 navigational radar, an ELAC LAZ 72 side-scan

Side-scan sonar

Side-scan sonar is a category of sonar system that is used to efficiently create an image of large areas of the sea floor...

 mapping sonar, and a Skipper 113 hull-mounted scanning sonar. The vessels are unarmed. The standard ship's company consists of three officers and eleven sailors, although another four personnel can be accommodated. The catamarans were originally painted white, but were repainted naval grey in 2002.

Benalla was constructed by Eglo Engineering, was launched on 31 January 1990, and commissioned into the RAN on 20 March 1990. The ship was named for the city of Benalla, Victoria

Benalla, Victoria

Benalla is a city of just over 9,000 people located just off the Hume Freeway in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, about southwest of Wangaratta. Its Local Government Area is the Rural City of Benalla.- Overview :...

.