HMAS Toowoomba arrived home from a five month deployment in support of Operation MANITOU.
The 191-strong ship’s company has spent 142 days assigned to the operation conducting maritime security and maritime interdiction operations as part of the multi-national Combined Maritime Forces.
During an extremely successful four months on operations Toowoomba has conducted 20 flag verification boardings comprising approximately 240 hours of boarding operations, which uncovered multiple hauls of illicit narcotics.
Toowoomba’s deployment was the first under Operation MANITOU and the fifth deployed to Middle East since her commissioning in 2005. The Operation is the Australian Government’s contribution to the international effort to promote maritime security, stability and prosperity in the Middle East Region.
HMAS Success took over from Toowoomba as the Royal Australian Navy’s representative in the region on 13 December. The return of Toowoomba concludes the 58th rotation of a Royal Australian Navy ship to the region since the first Gulf War in 1990.
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Press release, Image: Australian Navy