C.1974. AERIAL BOW VIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER HMAS MELBOURNE (II) (21) AS SHE APPEARED AFTER ...

C.1974. AERIAL BOW VIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER HMAS MELBOURNE (II) (21) AS SHE APPEARED AFTER HER 1968-1969 HALF LIFE REFIT. HER LW02 AIR SEARCH AND TYPE 293Q AIR/SURFACE SEARCH RADARS HAVE BEEN MOVED FROM THE MASTHEAD, THE FORMER TO THE ISLAND AND THE LATTER TO A PLATFORM HALFWAY UP THE MAST. AT THE MASTHEAD A TACAN DOME HAS BEEN FITTED WITH TWO ECM DOMES BENEATH. SHE RETAINS ONLY ONE TYPE 277Q HEIGHT FINDING RADAR, MOUNTED ABOVE THE BRIDGE. A RADOME FOR A SPN35A CARRIER CONTROL APPROACH RADAR IS SITED AT THE REAR OF THE ISLAND. THE CLOSE RANGE BLIND FIRE DIRECTORS HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED AS HAS THE TWIN 40M MM BOFORS AA GUNS PREVIOUSLY MOUNTED BEFORE THE ISLAND. A BRIDLE CATCHER HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE FORWARD END OF THE FLIGHT DECK. DOUGLAS A4G SKYHAWK FIGHTERS, GRUMMAN S2E TRACKER ANTI SUBMARINE AIRCRAFT AND WESTLAND WESSEX MARK 31B HELICOPTERS ARE DRAWN UP ON THE FLIGHT DECK. (NAVAL HISTORICAL COLLECTION)