This publication examines the impact of the Charles F. Adams class of guided missile destroyers on the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) circa 1956 to 2001. Acquisition of a United States Navy (USN) surface combatant constituted a significant change in naval policy direction for Australia, which had hitherto purchased its warships based on British designs of the Royal Navy (RN). Overall, the study spans a period of approximately half a century of considerable change for the RAN. It is the first examination of the impact of acquiring this new class of ships for the RAN from the United States. This examination also constitutes a case study of the influence which such a major force structure decision can have on a medium sized Navy.