UNSC Newcastle

"There was never a point where we had any technological advantage. Destroyers like the Newcastle were long outgunned, outmanoeuvred, and outperformed by ships built in the 2150s, let alone those built after the Rainforest Wars. We only got lucky - those kills we got were thanks to either support from other ships, or in combination with mines. And even with them, she took her casualties - but in spite of all the hull breaks, she kept pulling through in ways the Perth or Sydney couldn't... (It will) be a sad day when the Admiralty decides to scrap her. The Sydney deserves immortalisation."

- Captain (ret.) Christine Knowles, during an audio interview, c. 2184

The UNSC Newcastle (: DDG-73), originally commissioned with the HMAS prefix, was the sole surviving pre- that was originally for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) before being transferred over to the. Named after the port-city of Newcastle, New South Wales, the Newcastle was the second ship of the Canberra-class to be built. Like all members of her class, she was constructed in the Simpson desert-based Anderson Shipyards, with many of her components and superstructure blocks manufactured by BAE Systems Australia and the Australian Shipbuilding Corporation. Despite beginning construction in 2127, issues with the development of a self-sustaining, Australia's inexperience with shipbuilding and the required imports of many necessary components meant that she suffered numerous construction and testing delays. She was finally launched in 2131, and was commissioned following a lengthy set of space trials in 2135.

At that point in time, the HMAS Newcastle was the third-largest ever owned by the RAN, behind only her sister the HMAS Sydney and the seaborne  HMAS Queensland. As part of her duties, she participated in training exercises alongside the much larger United Republic of North American fleet, performed extended border-patrol duties, and guarded the merchant vessels travelling between Earth and Mars. Her defining moment before the was during the Belt Piracy Crisis, where she proved her necessity by capturing or destroying twelve hijacked freighters and fighting a rogue Indian frigate to a standstill.

Unfortunately, technology quickly overturned the few refits the Newcastle had, and by 2158 she was among the ships being considered for decommissioning in favour of a. Thankfully, the eruption of the in  and the escalation in conflict saw her potential scrapping being put on hold for the duration of the. Already seeing some action unlike many of her later and more capable successors, she would be donated to the newly-emerged as part of the Australian contribution. She would see most of her time in combat against the remnants of the Martian People's Republic, either guarding the vulnerable logistical ships they preyed upon or screening the carriers. Despite the skill of her crew, she was forced back for repairs on six occasions due to ambushes from their adversaries before being relegated to a training ship.

When the Interplanetary War finally came to a close, the UNSC initially considered decommissioning her for good or using her as a target ship. Fortunately, a concerted effort by Australian naval veterans saw them volunteering as the caretakers of the long-obsolete Newcastle. Set down in a dock between Newcastle and, she became a museum ship dedicated to the lives all Australian servicemen lost in space. Kept in working condition, she would remain spaceworthy even by the. It was here that the Newcastle was finally destroyed, being used as a fireship in a vain attempt to stop the invasion of Sydney. There are currently no plans in place for a replacement replica, and due to the cost of rebuilding the country, there likely will never be.