Australian Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence unveiled the long-awaited 2016 Australian Defence White Paper February 25. The plan is set to increase defence spending by AUS $29.9 billion (approx. US $21.5 billion) over the following ten years. A Defence Industry Policy Statement (DIPS) and a
The Royal Australian Navy is contributing to the humanitarian assistance mission to Fiji in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Winston with three helicopters. Two MRH-90 helicopters will depart HMAS Albatross to join another MRH-90 from 808 Squadron onboard HMAS Canberra in Brisbane, Australia before
Boarding party teams of the Royal Australian Navy’s Adelaide-class frigate HMAS Darwin recently sharpened their counter-terrorism skills as the ship begins maritime patrols in the Middle East region with Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). During Darwin’s stopover in Bahrain, the Australian sailors cond
Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac class frigate HMAS Ballarat recently started sea trials in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia, after undergoing the Anti-Ship Missile Defence Upgrade. The sixth frigate of its class built for the Royal Australian Navy, Ballarat was the fifth vessel to proceed to mariner
The Australian government is offering industry assistance to small and medium-sized businesses from the defence and shipbuilding sector under its Industry Facilitation and Support Program (IFSP). The government of Western Australia has announced the ninth round of the IFSP which offers $30,000 in ma
Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, told media during her recent visit to Japan that volatility in the region required a closer co-operation between Australia and Japan. This comment was widely interpreted as a sign of inclination towards the Japanese bid for the Australian A$40 billion subma
Having seized almost a tonne of heroin and made more than 50 boarding operations, Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Melbourne is now returning home to Australia. The guided missile frigate handed over maritime security responsibilities to sister ship, HMAS Darwin, after five months of operations in
The crew of the Royal Australian Navy’s guided missile frigate HMAS Melbourne made their fifth drug seizure in Operation Manitou as they seized around 65kg of heroin from a dhow in the Indian Ocean. The hidden drugs were discovered when Melbourne’s boarding party searched a suspect vessel during Mel
Australian engineering company Civmec announced February 2 that the company has completed the acquisition of one of Australia’s largest major engineering and shipbuilding companies, Forgacs. In November 2015, Civmec announced it would acquire ‘certain assets and the Forgacs name’ with the aim of exp
A Royal Australian Navy Admiral last week transferred the command the Australian Defence Forces’ Joint Task Force 633, which operates in the Middle East to an Air Marshal. During a transfer of authority ceremony held at Camp Baird, Australia’s main operating base in the Middle East, Rear Admiral Tre
Royal Australian Navy’s newest warship, HMAS Adelaide, took part in the Sydney Australia Day celebrations, hosting many of the Australian officials and prominent people. The 27,500 tonne ship dwarfed other ships in harbour as she took prime position in Circular Quay for the midday ‘Salute to Austral
On this day in history, January 20, 1942, the Bathurst class corvette, HMAS Deloraine led by Lieutenant Commander DA Menlove (Royal Australian Naval Reserve) attacked and sunk the Japanese submarine I-124 north of Darwin, Australia. Another two of the overall sixty Australian minesweepers, commonly
HMAS Dechaineux returned to her home port at Fleet Base West just before Christmas, following a six month deployment to Asia and the east coast of Australia. Her return marked 176 days since leaving her home port and she steamed 24,000 miles in what was a busy period. A large number of sailors and o
Australian Navy’s Adelaide-Class frigate, HMAS Darwin, has conducted a passage exercise with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy Escort Task Group 152 off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Darwin departed Sydney on December 30 to assume duties as part of Operation MANITOU, which is the Austr
