Exercise SEA LION 13 came to a conclusion on 28 June in waters off North Queensland.
SEA LION 13 provided Australian Defence Force personnel with the chance to work closely together and develop the critical skills necessary for joint amphibious operations, including Humanitarian and Disaster Relief.
Personnel honed amphibious procedures for the ADF’s transition to a true expeditionary capability in 2014, with the arrival of the 27,000-ton Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD), scheduled to come into service in early 2014.
The exercise involved working up units in embarkation of troops and equipment, helicopter and landing craft operations, basic procedural training, ramp and crane operations, shipboard emergency procedures, driver training and life at sea experience for Army personnel.
HMAS Choules with an embarked MRH-90 helicopter was based offshore and provided a platform from which troops and equipment were embarked. Three Landing Craft Heavy HMA Ships Brunei , Tarakan and Labuan took part along with Army’s 3 rd , 6 th , 16 th and 17 th Battalions, and a RAAF P3 Orion.
The exercise leads to the next level of training on Exercise TALISMAN SABRE in July 2013.
[mappress] Press Release, July 3, 2013; Image: Australian Navy