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HMAS Melbourne '98
Description Discussions0 Comments12 Change Notes
   
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Timeframe and Location: 1990s, 2000s, Pacific, Middle East
Mod Type: Kitbash, Reskin, Overhaul
Object Type: Ship, Aircraft Carrier
Alignment: NATO
File Size
Posted
Updated
205.098 MB
10 May @ 3:59pm
1 Aug @ 10:20pm
11 Change Notes ( view )
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Peter Garrett
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HMAS Melbourne '98

In 2 collections by Peter Garrett
Peter Garrett's RAN Alt-History Mods
8 items
Peter Garrett's Mod Collection
9 items
Description
HMAS Melbourne (1998) — Expansion Pack for HMAS Melbourne (1984)

“One last cruise.”

This standalone expansion builds on the HMAS Melbourne (1984) mod and represents the final operational configuration of Australia’s iconic light carrier at the end of her extended alternate-service life. She is tired, at the edge of her operational limit and due for decommissioning by late 1999. But with her upgraded systems and upgraded air wing, she is still very potent for her size and punching above her weight.

In this timeline, Melbourne received continuous upgrades through the late 1980s and 1990s to maintain relevance alongside newer RAN vessels and emerging regional threats. This mod introduces her final configuration as of 1998, prior to her decommissioning towards the end of the 90's — including new weapons, sensors, and air wing enhancements.

Key New Features in This Expansion:
  • Revised CIWS suite: A third Phalanx CIWS has been added on the starboard quarter (as was common with other upgraded light carriers globally), and the four remaining crew-intensive obsolete 40mm Bofors mounts have been replaced with a pair of manually operated 25mm Mk 38 Mod 0 autocannons, fitted ahead of Desert Storm to improve close-in defence
    (features a kitbashed Bushmaster mount)

  • Updated sensors & radar systems: Final upgrades to onboard electronics and radar performance.
Expanded and modernised air wing, featuring:
  • A-4AU Super Skyhawk Mk.3 — Improved radar, engine overhaul, targeting pod integration, revised loadouts with upgraded Harpoon, AIM-7P, AIM-9M, upgraded Mavericks and laser-guided bombs (features a kitbashed laser pod and ECM pod in a few loadouts, new, modern low-vis livery with tail art)

  • S-2T Mk.1 Tracker — Turboprop engines, new radar, improved ASW and patrol capabilities (upgraded stats only to reflect Turbo upgrade, visually the same as S-2G)

  • Sea King Mk.50B (ASW) — Ocean Master radar, upgraded sonar and electronics also fully replacing the Wessex by 1989 - now can perform the SAR minigame

  • Sea King Mk.50B AEW.5 — Searchwater 2000 radar for long-range airborne early warning

Scenarios with this mod can now reflect very late Cold War and post–Cold War conflicts, including Desert Storm and East Timor (1999), the latter being one of Melbourne’s final operational sorties before potential retirement. Although ultimately you can decide on including her in general 1990's era scenarios or if she stays on longer into the early 2000's or whatever other missions she might undertake.

Designed For:
✅ Post Cold War, Gulf War,1990s and 2000’s scenarios
✅ Blue water operations and carrier group deployments
✅ Commonwealth-themed naval campaigns and alt-history builds
✅ Pairs well with the Gallipoli class DDG mod if you want to give her a high end Australian escort
✅ Create the ultimate alt-history two-carrier RAN fleet and pair with the 1998 variant of the HMAS Australia mod

Whether supporting coalition forces in the Gulf or flying overwatch off East Timor, HMAS Melbourne (1998) represents the final evolution of a Cold War veteran — she might be tired and pushed to the edge of her operational limit, but she is upgraded, refitted, and ready for a few more missions.

Special thanks and full credits to the following mod authors, please check out their work:

Royal Australian Defence Forces - by Skyblazer
Royal Navy Mod Pack (Team) - especially petrouvis01 for the AEW Sea King asset
New Threat Upgrade - by nuclearstonk
RAN and RCN Sea Kings MOD - by plasm@n


Please let me know of any issues, leave a bug report!

This mod requires Sealifter, Anchorchain, and Preloader.zip to be installed to work, please see guides below:

Installation Guides:
(You will need to look these up on YouTube, I am not sure if the automated content checker is still having issues with links)
Simple Install Guide by Skyblazer
Sealifter and Anchor Chain guide by Brothermunro
12 Comments
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Peter Garrett  [author] 16 Jul @ 2:48am 
@TheCoolishNerd - this has now been fixed, there was a folder naming error in my last update. Make sure you go into your user folder, then into aircraft, and then delete the folder there named 'A4A' - the bugged out red textures get stored in the user folder that way and can sometimes mess with things.
Peter Garrett  [author] 15 Jul @ 5:12pm 
@TheCoolishNerd

Did they show up fine while on Melbourne?

Red means an issue with finding the texture or along those lines. I’ll check later and only load this mod to see if there’s an issue as I did update the mod recently.
TheCoolishNerd 14 Jul @ 2:50am 
Was using the super skyhawks on another carrier, and I found both squadrons are showing up with a bright red livery
Peter Garrett  [author] 30 Jun @ 5:35am 
Minor update: Added AIM-7P Sparrow to Air to Air loadout, considering the aircraft are multirole and have the compatible AN/APG-66 (upgraded further in this mod vs. baseline model) derived radar and avionics hump to support SARH missiles. Special rails added to give Sparrow and Shrike a more visually realistic mounting. Trackers have had some rails added for the rocket pods and Harpoons to give them a more visually realistic mounting too.
Peter Garrett  [author] 31 May @ 5:20am 
@YorT, they have now been updated to be able to perform the new SAR minigame
YorT 28 May @ 4:56am 
Glad to see the Melbourne get her Seakings
Peter Garrett  [author] 17 May @ 5:25am 
@mfgp2 - Thanks for your feedback, appreciate that you're using all four of them! Only thing I can recommend is maybe mod load order, I have mine down pretty low at the moment. unsubbing and resubbing might help, but it could very well be a mod conflict. I tested launching all 4 at once, the Trackers and seemed ok
mfgp2 16 May @ 5:41pm 
Peter Garrett, Thanks for your reply. I still can't get the F-4s to take off. They stay in a waiting state all the time. There may be a problem with the number of MODs I'm using, which must be around 50 by now. If you say it's normal, then I'll try to remove some mods in the future. Thanks for your work, I saw that I'm using all 4 of your mods so far and I started following you. Cheers.
Peter Garrett  [author] 15 May @ 2:20am 
@mfgp2 - I did some testing and the aircraft launch fine, however I did notice one time when the ship was banking hard to one side in a turn, the first A-4 got stuck on an angle when exiting the deck park and would not launch. All takeoff/landing in the files is unchanged from the base Melbourne mod, so this could be a general bug not even I had noticed. Do let me know if you have any other issues
Peter Garrett  [author] 14 May @ 8:11pm 
@Easty75 - If I have time I might consider doing that as a bit of a ‘for fun’ version, but I have tried to stick to realistic aircraft suited for this carrier (also considering it’s unlikely she would serve past the 2000’s as in reality she was a very outdated and worn out ship)

@mfgp2 - thank you for letting me know, when I am back at my computer I will check it out and see if there is an issue with this