On 10 November, Australian Navy’s HMAS Melbourne commenced her Mariner Skills Evaluation. This was an essential point in the preparation for her post refit, and the culmination of the hard pre-work up training the ship’s company had conducted. Later on in the week HMAS Melbourne’s Seahawk detachment
Senior leaders from U.S. 7th Fleet visited Colombo, Sri Lanka and Male, Maldives and attended the Galle Dialogues international Maritime Conference Dec. 1-6, building relationships to improve maritime security in the Indo-Asia Pacific. While in Sri Lanka, 7th Fleet leaders met with officials from th
Littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) stopped in Guam to refuel before continuing on to Southeast Asia, Dec. 11. Fort Worth is on her maiden 16-month rotational deployment in support of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Building on USS Freedom’s (LCS 1) inaugural 10-month deployment from March to
On 6 December, HMAS Tobruk sailed through Sydney Heads after five months away, and was welcomed alongside her home port, Garden Island by family and friends. Commanding Officer, Commander Leif Maxfield said since sailing in mid June, the ship has maintained a high tempo: We spent a significant perio
HMAS Sirius recently returned home to the Diamantina Wharf, Fleet Base West following a busy seven month deployment. It has been a very busy year for Sirius with two extended maintenance availability periods, including several months in dry dock in Sydney, before an assessment period in October, par
Papua New Guinea held a commissioning ceremony for its new Landing Craft Heavy HMPNGS Lakekamu yesterday in Port Moresby. HMPNGS Lakekamu was formerly the Royal Australia Navy Landing Craft Heavy HMAS Labuan, which was decommissioned from Australian service at a ceremony in Cairns last month. Defenc
Forty-nine naval officers graduated initial training yesterday during a formal passing out parade for New Entry Officers’ Course 51 at the Royal Australian Naval College, HMAS Creswell. Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett reviewed the parade which was the culmination of 20 weeks’ training in lead
Coastal Mine Hunter HMAS Huon and Armidale Class Patrol Boat HMAS Launceston conducted a rendezvous in Australia’s northern waters recently to allow their bridge teams and junior watchkeeping officers to conduct a series of training manoeuvres. Both ships have been operating in support of Operation
This week the crew of a Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) P-3 Orion from the Royal New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) completed their support to NATO’s counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD (OOS) Task Force 508 (CTF-508). Between 13 and 30 November, the NATO partner nation’s detachment of more than 50 cr
HMA Ships Sydney, Parramatta and Stuart sailed from Fleet Base East on 24 November with the next generation of warfare officers and sailors embarked. Having completed several months of classroom theory at the School of Maritime Warfare, and practical training in the warfare simulators at HMAS Watson
Australian Navy Commander Ashley Papp relinquished command of HMAS Choules, handing the weight of command to Commander Chris Aulmann on 15 November in Brisbane. HMAS Choules is a Landing Ship Dock which originally served with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as RFA Largs Bay from 2006-2011. Choules is a la
One of Australian Navy’s most comprehensive implementation programs aimed at improving ships’ seaworthiness and fleet sustainability and preparedness has been completed. The Rizzo Reform Program, a joint Navy and Defence Materiel Organisation initiative, was established in response to the Plan to Re
As the Australian Navy’s newest ship’s company prepared for her commissioning ceremony, two Navy helicopters marked a different milestone by making the first deck landings on Australia’s largest warship. A MRH90 ‘Taipan’ from 808 Squadron and an S-70-B Seahawk from 816 Squadron flew to Fleet Base Ea
Australia’s first Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) Canberra III was welcomed into service in the Royal Australian Navy on November 28. The Australian White Ensign was raised for the first time, signaling that HMAS Canberra III was formally commissioned into the Fleet. Navy, Army and Air Force members o
