Aircraft of the Royal Australian Naval Fleet Air Arm

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Current aircraft

Since 2000, when the last pair of HS748s were retired, the Fleet Air Arm has been an entirely rotary winged force. Air defence of the fleet is primarily the task of the Adelaide class guided missile frigates, armed with the SM-2 Standard SAM; these are supported when possible by the F/A-18 Hornets of the Royal Australian Air Force.

The most numerous aircraft is the Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk, with sixteen operated by 816 Squadron; these operate primarily in the anti-submarine warfare role from the Adelaide class frigates, but have supplementary roles in search-and-rescue and troop transport.
In 2001, eleven SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopters were purchased to operate from the Anzac class frigates, which led to the re-formation of 805 Squadron (which had been the FAA's last fast jet squadron). The project to upgrade these aircraft and introduce them into service proved unsuccessful, and was cancelled in March 2008.
The Sea King provides the fleet's medium lift capability, but also performs over the horizon targeting for anti-surface warfare, and search and rescue capability. Prior to 1982, the Sea King was also used in the ASW role from the aircraft carrier Melbourne.
The Squirrel was used in an operational capability aboard the guided missile frigates prior to the purchase of the Seahawk. Now, they are used by 723 Squadron for conversion training, as well as deployment from the RAN's hydrographic vessels.

Picture Below, Sea Hawk

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Now these days much of the technical maintenance of the Fleet Arm Arm copters are carried out by civilian contractors.
Here you see a team at the Royal Australian Naval air station at Nowra New South Wales, searching for cracks in a Sea Sprite.