Royal Australian
Navy (RAN) frigate, HMAS Sydney recently transited the Thames bring
part of Northern Trident 09, a six-month international deployment
that will support Australian Government diplomatic, international
security and defence industry interests in Western Europe, North
America and North Asia.
A highlight of the deployment includes visiting a multitude of
overseas ports in countries such as India, France, Spain, Canada,
the United States, Japan and of course the United Kingdom. The
deployment will also enable passage exercise opportunities with
other Navies.
During the voyage from Australia, Sydney and HMAS Ballarat came to
the aid of a merchant vessel "MV Dubai Princess" after she raised
distress signals in the Gulf of Aden. The MV Dubai Princess claimed
it was under attack from pirates who were reported to be firing
rocket propelled grenades and attempting to board the vessel by
force.
The 2 warships , after leanding assistance, ensured that the alleged
pirates soon fled the scene.
Interestingly, the ship's watchman conveyed a very different feeling
to many Australians who believe our troops should not be serving in
Afghanistan!
London is a key plank of a visit to the United Kingdom, which also
includes time alongside in Plymouth and Portsmouth.
“Northern Trident 09 is providing outstanding opportunities for the
Royal Australian Navy to meet and work with many foreign Navies and
really opens the door for information sharing on best practice and
how we can all work more efficiently and effectively against common
threats,” said Sydney’s Commanding Officer, Captain Peter Leavy.
“Sydney recently underwent a period of training with the RN in
Plymouth. Our core warfare skills and seamanship were
|
scrutinised by
staff from the Royal Navy’s Flag Officer Sea Training organisation,
so after plenty of hard work, my crew is really looking forward to
spending a few days in London.
“On the lighter side, as keen sportsmen and women, the ship’s
company is also keen to continue the healthy sporting rivalry that
exists between the UK and Australia, and we will be taking every
opportunity to play some soccer, cricket and even AFL football
whilst visiting the UK ports.
“The RAN will also field a side later in the year in the 2009
Commonwealth Navies Rugby Cup Tournament in Plymouth, so we are keen
to lay down some good groundwork before we sail,” he said.
Sydney was berthed at the West India Dockyard, before she sailed for
Portsmouth to continue with Flag Officer Sea Training, before
crossing the Atlantic for St. John’s, Labrador and Newfoundland.
A second Australian ship, HMAS Ballarat, remained in the Plymouth
area to do two weeks of benchmarking to compare the RAN and RN sea
training systems, before sailing to Canada.
Sydney is one of the four Adelaide Class Guided Missile Frigates in
service with the Royal Australian Navy, and was the first to undergo
an extensive systems upgrade of the Adelaide Class ships. She is a
long-range escort with the ability to provide area air defence,
anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, surveillance,
reconnaissance and interdiction. She can counter simultaneous
threats from the air, surface and undersea.
Ballarat is an Anzac Class Helicopter Carrying Fast Frigate
commissioned into service for the RAN on the 26 June 2004. In her
five year career Ballarat has travelled extensively, including a six
month active service deployment to the Persian Gulf in 2006.
|
