ABSTRACT
The Korean War not only provided an ideal test of interoperability, but it also established a benchmark from which to judge future progress. Throughout the entirety of the war, the United States Navy (USN) shouldered the majority of the burden. However, the Commonwealth commitment was extremely significant. The second largest Commonwealth commitment was made by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), which provided nine ships: one carrier, four destroyers and four frigates. That the conflict represented such a major undertaking for the RAN, Royal Navy (RN) and USN and was conducted in a coalition environment provided a significant test of interoperability. As there were only a limited number of interoperability fora in existence during the conflict, and those that had been initiated were in an embryonic stage, integration during the Korean War posed a number of challenges; many of which were addressed progressively throughout the conflict and following its cessation.
