Royal Australian Navy’s Adelaide-class guided missile frigate HMAS Darwin has started patrols under Operation Manitou having replaced sister ship HMAS Melbourne. The crew of HMAS Darwin has benefited from mission-specific training in the Kingdom of Bahrain, prior to setting out on the ship’s first p
Royal Australian Navy’s Adelaide-class guided-missile frigate HMAS Melbourne returned to her Sydney homeport on February 28 after 203 days of deployment and five narcotics seizures. In the five interceptions, the frigate seized a total of 977 kg of heroin valued at approximately $390 million. Melbou
The Royal Australian Navy is relocating two of its decommissioned ships so that new ships, primarily the 27,500 tonne, 230m long Canberra class amphibious ships, HMA Ships Canberra and Adelaide, have more space. Decommissioned Navy ships Tobruk and Sydney will shortly be moved to the eastern side of
Representatives of the U.S. Navy and other Pacific Partnership nations gathered in Singapore February 22-26 for a planning conference in preparations for the 2016-mission. Now in its 11th year, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief prepare
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
The Chinese Navy has received a new-generation indigenously-built guided missile frigate, the People’s Liberation Army official news site said yesterday, February 24. The new 140-meter long and 16-meter wide vessel was named Xiangtan, after a city in the Chinese Hunan Province. The report further sa
On Saturday February 20, 2016 Operation Atalanta ships visited the Tanzanian port city Dar es Salaam. While in port, Rear Admiral Stefano Barbieri, Op Atalanta Force Commander received the mission’s Deputy Commander Rear Admiral Jonas Wikström aboard the EU Naval Force flagship, ITS Carabiniere. Thi
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
A Lithuanian Navy Lieutenant was awarded an Operation Atalanta Medal for his service as part of the EU NAVFOR-Atalanta, European Union operation for countering piracy and armed robbery at sea. “Be proud of this medal, it is recognition of your outstanding commitment, professionalism and efforts,” th
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
820 Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, whose Merlin’s are set to be the first helicopters on the Queen Elizabeth carrier, now have a new commander. On February 8, Commander Jon Holroyd took the helm of RNAS Culdrose’s 820 Naval Air Squadron from his predecessor Commander Ros
