Adelaide

The Adelaide-class frigates were Australia's version of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate. They were acquired to give the Royal Australian Navy modern escort ships with anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine capability. The Australian War Memorial describes the class as serving from 1980 to 2019, while reference sources list the six ships that formed the class. The program reflected Australia's need for capable blue-water escorts without designing an entirely new frigate from scratch.

Like the Perry-class design it was based on, the Adelaide class emphasized escort versatility. The ships carried missile systems, guns, anti-submarine equipment, and aviation facilities for embarked helicopters. Australian upgrades later improved combat-system and missile capabilities for remaining ships, extending their utility while newer destroyer and frigate programs matured. The design was not as large or survivable as modern area-air-warfare destroyers, but it provided a balanced platform for maritime presence and task-group escort.

In service, the Adelaide class became a workhorse of the Royal Australian Navy. The frigates supported patrols, exercises, escort missions, interdiction, and coalition deployments across a wide maritime operating area. Their long service life shows why frigates are valuable to middle powers: they provide enough endurance and combat systems for many missions without the cost of larger combatants. Their retirement marked the transition toward newer Hobart-class destroyers, Anzac upgrades, and future frigate programs.