HMAS ''Protector'' (ASR 241) was a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) trials and submarine rescue ship. Built in 1984, the ship was initially operated by the National Safety Council of Australia as MV ''Blue Nabilla''. She was purchased by the RAN in 1990 for use as a surveillance, training, and diving support vessel. During her military career, ''Protector'' supported the trials of the s, and was involved in a search for the shipwreck of the World War II cruiser . The ship was decommissioned in 1998 and, while still owned by the Commonwealth, she is provided to

Defence Maritime Services DMS Maritime, formerly Defence Maritime Services, is a company providing port services to the Australian Defence Force and Marine Unit. It is a subsidiary of Serco. History Defence Maritime Services was founded in 1997 as a 50:50 joint ventu ...

to allow them to support Navy activities under contract. Renamed ''Seahorse Horizon'', the ship is operated by

out of as a training and Fleet support vessel.

Construction

The ship was constructed by

Stirling Marine Services Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, ...

in Western Australia, and was completed in 1984.

Operational history

She operated as MV ''Blue Nabilla'' for the National Safety Council of Australia until 1990. The ship was purchased by the RAN on 18 October 1990, fitted with a LIPS dynamic positioning system, two Remotely Operated Vehicles and a

recompression chamber A diving chamber is a vessel for human occupation, which may have an entrance that can be sealed to hold an internal pressure significantly higher than ambient pressure, a pressurised gas system to control the internal pressure, and a supply of ...

. She was commissioned as HMAS ''Protector'' in November 1990. She supported the trials and acceptance process from 1992. On 10 June 1995, ''Protector'' was slightly damaged when a switchboard malfunction aboard caused the submarine to ram the trials ship. The vessel also performed in the surveillance, training, and diving support roles. During 1997, ''Protector'' undertook a brief and unsuccessful search for the remains of the World War II cruiser . When ''Protector'' was decommissioned in 1998, she was provided to the RAN's support craft contractor,

, for use in the provision of Fleet and training support operating out of under the name ''Seahorse Horizon''. In 2002, ''Seahorse Horizon'' took part in Exercise Dugong, laying and recovering mines. In May 2018 ''Seahorse Horizon'' was put up for sale to the public by the Commonwealth.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Protector Auxiliary ships of the Royal Australian Navy Training ships of the Royal Australian Navy 1984 ships Ships built in Western Australia