▁States ▁military ▁training ▁exer cis es . ▁ ▁Ac quisition ▁During ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁the ▁Australian ▁Government ▁and ▁Royal ▁Australian ▁Navy ▁( R AN ) ▁considered ▁options ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁aircraft ▁car rier ▁H MA S ▁Melbourne , ▁and ▁her ▁air ▁group . ▁While ▁Melbourne ▁had ▁only ▁been ▁commission ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁the ▁de ▁Hav ill and ▁Sea ▁Ven om ▁f igh ters ▁and ▁F aire y ▁G ann et ▁mar itime ▁pat rol ▁aircraft ▁operated ▁by ▁the ▁Fle et ▁Air ▁Arm ▁( FA A ) ▁were ▁becoming ▁ob sole te . ▁It ▁was ▁believed ▁that ▁Melbourne ▁was ▁too ▁small ▁to ▁operate ▁more ▁modern ▁aircraft ▁types , ▁and ▁the ▁R AN ▁investig ated ▁options ▁to ▁buy ▁a ▁larger ▁car rier . ▁The ▁Government ▁jud ged ▁that ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁aircraft ▁car rier ▁was ▁too ▁high , ▁especially ▁given ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁Army ▁and ▁Royal ▁Australian ▁Air ▁Force ' s ▁( RA AF ' s ) ▁proc ure ment ▁programs ▁at ▁that ▁time , ▁and ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁F AA ▁would ▁ce ase ▁to ▁operate ▁fixed - wing ▁aircraft ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁inter vention ▁by ▁the ▁Minister ▁for ▁the ▁Navy , ▁Senator ▁John ▁G orton , ▁the ▁Government ▁eventually ▁agreed ▁to ▁purchase ▁new ▁fixed - wing ▁aircraft . ▁G orton ▁had ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁f ighter ▁pilot ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II