At 0900 hours on Sunday 31 August, HMAS Sydney took the lead of ‘Blue Force’ Task Group 628.1, consisting of JS Hatakaze from Japan and BRP Ramon Alcaraz from the Philippines, sailing in formation from Darwin Harbour to kick off the sea phases of Exercise KAKADU 2014. Exercise KAKADU is focused on
The KAKADU 2014 fleet has sailed from Darwin to conduct major maritime warfare serials in the North Australian Exercise Area including gunnery, air defence, flying operations and more. The eight-strong fleet of warships includes the Royal Australian Navy’s HMA Ships Sydney, Stuart, Arunta and Newc
In preparation for Exercise KAKADU 2014 , HMAS Sydney and Japanese Navy Ship JS Hatakaze conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) en route to Darwin 22-24 August 2014. Throughout the time ‘in company’ together, the ships conducted Officer of the Watch Manoeuvres (OOWMANS), Replenishment at Sea Approa
US DoD Expresses Concern to China for Dangerous Intercept The US Defense Department has expressed its concern to Chinese diplomatic officials about an Aug. 19 incident in which an armed Chinese fighter jet conducted a dangerous intercept of a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft, Pentagon Press Se
HMAS Harman conducted a Youth Mental Health Awareness Session last week as the first of a number of joint initiatives by the Harman command team and Defence Community Organisation (DCO). Sponsored by the Harman Welfare Committee, the session was open to all Australian Military and Defence APS memb
Australian Minister for Defence Senator David Johnston announced the United States Navy has executed an Advanced Acquisition Contract for Australia’s P-8A Poseidon aircraft. Senator Johnston said this key Defence procurement would allow the withdrawal of the ageing AP-3C Orion fleet, and enable Bo
Taking hydrography to the sky is the unique task of the Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) flight is and one of the lesser known capabilities of the Royal Australian Navy’s Australian Hydrographic Service. The Navy’s hydrographic fleet is most visible through the fleet of two Hydrographic Survey
Known as the homeport for most of the Armidale Class Patrol Boat fleet of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Darwin’s HMAS Coonawarra is currently playing host to the Navy’s largest multinational warfare exercise, Exercise Kakadu. Coonawarra’s Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Mick Doncaster,
On Monday 25th of August 2014, members of the Royal Australian Navy’s 723 Squadron visited the Good Shepherd Lutheran College in Darwin as a part of Navy’s community engagement during Exercise Kakadu 2014. Kakadu 2014 is the Royal Australian Navy’s largest maritime warfare exercise for the year, o
Almost 200 members of the Australian Navy, Army and Air Force are joining forces with personnel from across the region in a major humanitarian relief exercise in the South Pacific. Exercise Croix du Sud, which is French for “Southern Cross’, is being hosted by France in New Caledonia. The scenario
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) will receive a state-of-the-art electronic warfare (EW) system as part of the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) capability, which will improve the ability to passively detect, identify and track threats including enemy ships, aircraft and anti-ship missiles. The AWD Allia
Lockheed Martin Bags F-35 Lightning II Contract, 2014 Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $232,7 million cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to the previously awarded F-35 Lightning II Low Rate Initial Production Lot VI contract. USS Sarat
Marking 40 years since she and her sisters, HMA Ships Brunei and Buna, last retracted, HMAS Labuan has beached at the exact place of their last mission at Lord Howe Island. Now on her decommissioning voyage, the Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) sailed into the Prince William Henry Bay on Sunday 9 August. L
NUSHIP Canberra, the first of two Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships being built for the Australian Defence Force, has sailed on her final contractor sea trials before delivery to the Australian Government. The ship departed Williamstown shipyard on 12 August as planned with the trials taking pla
