The Five Power Defence Arrangements exercise Bersama Lima 2016 concluded on October 21. Bersama Lima was conducted in Malaysia, Singapore and over the South China Sea, and involved air, maritime and land elements from the five member nations; Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the Unite
With an order book of over $3 billion, Austal is the only Australian company to make it into the top 100 defence companies in the world. Operating shipyards in Australia, U.S. and the Philippines, the company constructs ships for both the defence and commercial sector. Defence is at the company’s co
The Australian Department of Defence and Boeing Defence Australia have signed a contract for the next four years of sustainment for the Australian next generation of maritime patrol and response aircraft, the P-8A Poseidon. Australia plans to operate a total of 15 P-8A Poseidon aircraft. 12 P-8A Mar
Royal New Zealand Navy’s multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury has returned from Sydney, Australia having completed a nine-week dry-docking period. After harbor acceptance trials were completed, the ship sailed into Devonport on October 10. The ship’s crew will now rest for two weeks alongside Devonpor
Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Vancouver arrived in Singapore October 11 for a goodwill visit as part of Westploy 16. Westploy 16 is HMCS Vancouver’s deployment aimed at building ties between the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the navies of Asia-Pacific countries. Since departing its home port of
Australian submarine and shipbuilder ASC announced October 11 that the Australian Government decided to separate the company into three businesses. According to the decision, ASC is splitting into separate shipbuilding, submarine sustainment and infrastructure companies. The board and management of
Navy ships departed the Singaporean Sembawang Naval Base today to begin the naval component of exercise Bersama Lima 16, the Royal Australian Navy announced. The ships will operate out of the South China Sea for the next two weeks for maritime field training exercises. The at-sea phase will involve
Australian shipbuilder Austal has announced that it was contracted to deliver a mid-life remediation program to the Royal Australian Navy’s Armidale Class patrol boat (ACPB) fleet. The company said it would undertake a number of hull remediation and configuration changes as well as planned and corre
Following a five month deployment to south-east Asia, Australian Navy submarine HMAS Sheean returned to Fleet Base West, in Rockingham, Western Australia last week. Sheean’s deployment included visits to Singapore, Kuantan, Subic Bay and Darwin as well as involvement in Exercise Kakadu, held in the
A month-long multinational mine clearing operation has destroyed over 10 tonnes of World War II munitions in the Solomon Islands. Led by Australia, operation Render Safe aimed to remove explosive remnants of war which continue to pose a potential danger to local communities across the South West Pac
Singapore-hosted exercise Bersama Lima 2016 (BL16) was officially opened today at Changi Naval Base, Singapore. The combined joint military exercise runs until October 21 and involves the military forces from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom operating together under
Australian Minister for Defence Marise Payne announced September 30 that Lockheed Martin Australia has been selected as the preferred Combat System Integrator for Australia’s Future Submarine Program. Financial details of the contract are subject to further discussion, it was noted. According to the
The fourth iteration of the joint maritime surveillance operation Ika Moana involved more than 100 personnel from Tonga, the Cook Islands and Samoa, New Zealand and Australia and included Cook Islands Police patrol boat Te Kukupa, Samoan patrol boat Nafanua and Tongan vessels Voea Late and Pangai. T
The Royal Australian Navy has hosted the 16th iteration of the Asia-Pacific submarine conference discussing submarine survivability, escape and interoperability of rescue assets. The conference was conducted at the Western Australian Maritime Museum, in Fremantle from 19 to 21 September, with 53 rep
