In 1985 the Royal Aust Navy decided to scrap the aircraft carrier HMAS MELBOURNE, on the grounds that the govt decided Aust didn't need a naval airborne force projection capability, and the A4 Skyhawks which formed our Fleet Air Arm were transferred to the Kiwis. Now, WI the govt had decided to retain the MELBOURNE ? How much of a difference would the carrier's continued presence up to the present day have affected Aust's ability to respond to regional crises like East Timor and the Solomon Islands ? BTW, I know a guy who used to be a RAN bandsman, and served onboard the MELBOURNE back then.