List of warship classes of the Royal Australian Navy

This is a list of major classes of warship operated by the Royal Australian Navy. Included are capital ships, amphibious vessels, cruisers, destroyers and frigates.

Aircraft carriers
Following the Second World War, the RAN began a policy of blue water operations built around an aircraft carrier. Two light fleet carriers were purchased from the Royal Navy, one of which, HMAS Melbourne (R21), was modified with all the latest enhancements in carrier design. Melbourne continued as the RAN's flagship until 1982, when it was planned to replace her with a STOVL carrier, again purchased from the Royal Navy. However, the sale of HMS Invincible (R05) was cancelled by the British Government after the Falklands War. Soon after, the Australian Government decided to end aircraft carrier operations.

Conventional aircraft carriers

 * Majestic-class aircraft carrier
 * HMAS Sydney (R17)
 * HMAS Melbourne (R21)
 * Colossus-class aircraft carrier
 * HMAS Vengeance

Seaplane

 * HMAS Albatross (1928)

Capital ships
When the RAN was first founded, it was decided that a capital ship would be constructed to serve as the fleet flagship. Initially conceived as a unit of the Royal Navy, the second Indefatigable-class battlecruiser was paid for and crewed by Australians, and was thus commissioned as HMAS Australia. Australia was the only true "capital ship" to serve in the RAN.

Battlecruiser

 * Indefatigable-class battlecruiser
 * HMAS Australia (1911)

Amphibious assault shipping

 * Landing Ship Infantry
 * HMAS Kanimbla (1936)
 * HMAS Manoora (1935)
 * HMAS Westralia (1939)
 * Mark III Landing Ship Tank – six ships
 * Landing Craft Heavy
 * Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy - eight ships
 * Heavy Landing Ship
 * HMAS Tobruk (L 50)
 * High Speed Catamaran
 * HMAS Jervis Bay (AKR 45)
 * Kanimbla-class landing platform amphibious
 * HMAS Kanimbla (L 51)
 * HMAS Manoora (L 52)
 * Bay-class landing ship dock
 * HMAS Choules
 * Canberra-class landing helicopter dock
 * HMAS Canberra (LHD 02)
 * HMAS Adelaide (LHD 01)

Heavy cruisers

 * The RAN ordered two County-class cruisers in 1924 which were included with the Royal Navy's order for five; the loss of Canberra during the Second World War. Shropshire was transferred from the RN to the RAN to replace the lost ship.
 * HMAS Canberra (1927)
 * HMAS Australia (1927)
 * HMAS Shropshire (73)

Protected cruiser

 * HMAS Encounter (1902)

Light cruisers

 * Pelorus-class cruiser – two ships
 * Town-class cruiser – four ships
 * Leander-class cruiser – three ships

Destroyers

 * River-class torpedo-boat destroyer (1910) – six ships
 * S-class destroyer (1919) – five ships
 * Marksman-class flotilla leader (1919) – one ship
 * V class (1933) – three ships
 * W class (1933) – one ship
 * Scott-class destroyer (1933) – one ship
 * N-class destroyer (1940) – five ships
 * Q class (1942) – five ships
 * Tribal-class destroyer (1942) – three ships
 * Battle-class destroyer (1950) – two ships
 * Daring-class destroyer (1957) – four ships
 * Perth-class destroyer (1965) – three ships
 * Hobart-class destroyer (2017) – three ships

Frigates

 * River-class frigate (1943) – twelve ships
 * River-class destroyer escort (1961) – six ships
 * Adelaide-class frigate (1980) – six ships
 * Anzac-class frigate (1996) – eight ships

Corvettes

 * Bathurst-class corvette (1940) - fifty-six ships

Sloops

 * Flower-class sloop – three ships
 * Grimsby-class sloop – four ships