Australian Adelaide class frigate HMAS Newcastle (FFG 06)

HMAS Newcastle (FFG 06), named for the city of Newcastle, New South Wales, the largest provincial city in Australia, is an Adelaide class guided missile armed frigate laid down by AMECON at Williamstown in Victoria, launched on 21 February 1992 and commissioned on 11 December 1993.

At the start of November 2006, Newcastle was one of three Australian warships sent to Fiji during the leadup to the 2006 coup d'état by Fijian military forces against Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase. Newcastle was the first vessel on station, and was later joined by HMAS Kanimbla and HMAS Success. The three vessels were to be used in the event of an evacuation of Australian citizens and nationals. [1] It did not prove necessary to conduct an evacuation and Newcastle returned to Australia in late December 2006.