Two decommissioned Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Adelaide-class frigates have been formally handed over to the Chilean government.
Ex-HMAS Melbourne (pictured) and ex-HMAS Newcastle will replace two former Royal Netherlands Navy air defence ships that entered service with the Chilean Navy in 2004 and were themselves recently decommissioned.
The ex-RAN frigates have begun undergoing a refit at Garden Island shipyard in Sydney to remove some of the ships' weapons systems prior to sailing to Chile.
