HMAS Gascoyne (M 85) was the fourth of six Huon-class minehunters constructed for the Royal Australian Navy, serving from 2001 until its decommissioning in 2024. Built by Australian Defence Industries (ADI) at their Newcastle shipyard, Gascoyne was launched on 11 March 2000 and commissioned on 2 June 2001. Named after the Gascoyne River, the vessel was designed to replace earlier, problematic Bay-class minehunters, featuring a modified Gaeta-class hull. The vessel measures 52.5 meters (172 feet) in length with a beam of 9.9 meters (32 feet) and a draft of 3 meters (9.8 feet). It has a full load displacement of 732 tons. Propulsion was provided by a single Fincantieri GMT BL230-BN diesel engine delivering 1,985 brake horsepower, powering a controllable-pitch propeller that allowed a maximum speed of 14 knots. For minehunting operations, Gascoyne relied on three Riva Calzoni azimuth thrusters, with two at the stern and one behind the variable-depth sonar, enabling a maximum speed of 6 knots during such missions. Its range was 1,600 nautical miles at 12 knots, with an endurance of 19 days. The ship's armament included a MSI DS30B 30mm cannon and two 0.50 caliber machine guns. Its sensor suite comprised a Kelvin-Hughes Type 1007 navigational radar, GEC-Marconi Type 2093M minehunting sonar, AWADI PRISM radar warning system, and Radamec 1400N surveillance system. For countermeasures, Gascoyne was equipped with two Wallop Super Barricade decoy launchers. The vessel's hull was constructed from glass-reinforced plastic in a monocoque design with no ribs or framework, which helped withstand mine detonations near the ship. It also featured a small recompression chamber to support clearance divers. Throughout its service, Gascoyne participated in notable events, including the 2009 ceremonial fleet review in Sydney Harbour, the 2013 International Fleet Review, and the 2024 Fleet Review. It was decommissioned at HMAS Waterhen, Sydney, on 5 December 2024, marking the end of a notable operational career in mine countermeasure operations for the Royal Australian Navy.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.