More Defence news: 17 December - 23 December 2007
| Parliamentary Secretary takes to RAAF base | Operation gets Aussie soldier home | Air Force accepts its third Globemaster | Recycling former Navy ships in the 21st century | First Multi-Role helicopters accepted into service | Repatriation of Lance Corporal John Gillespie | PM gets wind of Operation ASTUTE | Manoora comes to rescue of 'Mumbo' | Christmas countdown begins in Middle East | |
| Parliamentary Secretary takes to RAAF base 20 December - The Hon Greg Combet MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement, visited RAAF Base Williamtown today where he met Defence personnel and received briefings on a number of Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) projects based out of Williamtown. As Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement, Mr Combet will oversee the DMO in its efforts to provide the best possible equipment and support to the Australian Defence Force. “RAAF Base Williamtown and the DMO elements here are a great asset for the local area providing many opportunities," he said. “I’m very impressed with the dedication of the staff at Williamtown, their professionalism, enthusiasm and the capability that they are going to deliver for the ADF,” Mr Combet added. More: Imagery | Read media release | Defence Materiel Organisation |
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Operation gets Aussie soldier home
The remains of Lance Corporal Gillespie, a medical assistant, formerly of 8th Field Ambulance, were repatriated from Hanoi to Australia today. In recent times, a group of former servicemen formed an organisation, Operations Aussies Home (OAH), dedicated to finding and repatriating the remains of the six Australian servicemen left in South Vietnam after Australia withdrew from the country. So far, OAH, in conjunction with the Australian Army, has identified and repatriated three of the missing servicemen. More: Imagery | Repatriation from Hanoi |
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Air Force accepts its third Globemaster
This aircraft will spend the New Year period being fitted with defensive countermeasure equipment before delivery to Australia in early February. Air Force will accept its fourth Globemaster in mid-January. It is due for delivery to Australia in early March. “The Globemaster has undergone a rapid acceptance into RAAF service, but already the first two aircraft are more than pulling their weight in support of ADF tasks at home and abroad,” Commander Air Lift Group, Air Commodore Jack Plenty said. “Disaster relief was one of the reasons we purchased this aircraft, and last month a C-17 supplied 14 pallets of aid relief at short notice into Port Moresby as part of Operation PNG Assist, following Cyclone Guba. The Globemaster is operated by No. 36 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley at Ipswich. It is capable of carrying more than 70 tonnes of cargo, or up to three Black Hawk helicopters, a single Chinook helicopter, or five Australian Light Armoured Vehicles (ASLAVs). More: Read media release | Imagery |
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| Recycling former Navy ships in the 21st century - DEFENCE NEWS IN FOCUS -
Since 1999, more than 20 RAN vessels have been withdrawn from service. While this reflects a peak as a consequence of the 15 older Fremantle Class Patrol Boats being replaced by 14 far more capable Armidale Class Patrol Boats, it nonetheless poses a question – what is being done with the retired warships? Ensuring that retired vessels are treated with appropriate respect and dignity is a key part of the inevitable disposal process, as aged vessels make way for new and far more capable warships. More: Read article in full | Navy News Article |
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First Multi-Role helicopters accepted into service
Acquired under Project AIR 9000, the MRH 90s will ultimately replace the Navy’s Sea King and Army’s Black Hawk fleets in the coming years. "The MRH 90 will provide our sailors and soldiers with a new troop lift helicopter designed to meet the demands of modern combat operations over land and from ships at sea. The fleet will also provide valuable additional air mobile support for the wider Australian Defence Force," Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence Mr Greg Combet said. Forty-two of the helicopters will be assembled in Australia, while the project will create more than 150 new jobs, mostly in South-East Queensland. The project also assures the continuation of more than 250 jobs that were coming to an end with the completion of other Defence projects. The MRH 90, the first true fly-by-wire helicopter in the world, is equipped with a forward-looking infra-red system for flight in low light and has the same pilot helmet-mounted sight and display as used in the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter. It has a larger cabin than the current troop lift aircraft and can lift greater loads and carry more troops than the helicopters it is replacing. A period of test and evaluation, training and aircraft development will now be conducted leading to initial operational capability for Navy in 2010 and Army in 2011. More: Read media release | Imagery |
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Repatriation of Lance Corporal John Gillespie
Lance Corporal Gillespie, a medic with 8th Field Ambulance, will be officially received home to RAAF Base Williams in Victoria in a military ceremony on Wednesday, 19 December 2007 at 10.00am, after a solemn ramp ceremony where his remains boarded a RAAF C-130 Hercules in Hanoi on 17 December. The reception ceremony at Point Cook will be attended by Lance Corporal Gillespie’s family and veterans of the Vietnam War. Official dignitaries who travelled with the family to Hanoi, including the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, the Hon Alan Griffin, MP; the Repatriation Commissioner, Brigadier William Rolfe (ret’d); Commander 1st Division, Major General Richard Wilson; and Mr Jim Bourke, Operation Aussies Home will also be present. Members of the 1st Combat Services Support Battalion will provide the bearer party. More: Read media release | Imagery |
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PM gets wind of Operation ASTUTE
The special guests ate lunch with troops and Australian Federal Police officers before the Prime Minister addressed the crowd. After lunch, the Prime Minister received a briefing from the Commander of the ISF, Brigadier John Hutcheson. The Prime Minister also met the President of Timor-Leste, José Ramos-Horta and the Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmão. More: Imagery | Operation ASTUTE website |
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| Manoora comes to rescue of 'Mumbo' 17 December - Royal Australian Navy amphibious transport ship HMAS Manoora has come to the aid of a civilian yacht 'Mumbo' off the coast of Newcastle today. The vessel’s position was nine nautical miles north of Manoora, which contacted the Newcastle Coastal Patrol and was directed to liaise directly with the vessel. HMAS Manoora was transiting to Fleet Base East in Sydney after participating in Exercise Pacific Reach. When Manoora established communications, it was determined that the vessel’s keel had been damaged and the skipper requested an evacuation of four crew members. At this time, Manoora altered course and proceeded to the vessel’s position to provide assistance. Shortly after, Newcastle Water Police arrived at the scene to escort the vessel back to Newcastle harbour. Manoora handed over the situation to the Newcastle Water Police and continued to Sydney. |
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Christmas countdown begins in Middle East
The Christmas trees and trimmings have arrived, grand plans have been made for the Christmas meal and presents have arrived by the tonne. Major General Mark Evans, the Commander of Australia’s Joint Task Force 633 in the Middle East, said the troops certainly intend to make the most of Christmas despite continuing tasking over the festive season. “It will be a time to reflect on the importance of our mates and our families,” he said. “While we are a long way from home, our families will be very much in the forefront of our thoughts.” Many Diggers will enjoy an Aussie barbecue for lunch or dinner, followed by a slice of Lions Club Christmas cake. The cakes have been generously donated by Lions Australia, which has shipped 1000 1kg cakes to Australian Defence Force personnel scattered across the globe on operations. Even His Royal Highness Prince Charles chipped in with a couple of boxes of Highland Shortbread for the Overwatch Battle Group (West) in south-east Iraq. Where possible there will be a one-off ration of a couple of beers per person, and for those who can’t enjoy an ale there is always the option of “near-beer”, the non-alcoholic beer available in the Middle East. Sport will also be a feature of the day, with the 3rd Reconstruction Task Force arranging a sports carnival with their Dutch comrades at Kamp Holland. Naturally there will also be a range of church services, including a “Carols by Cylume Light” service in the helicopter hanger of HMAS Arunta. Christmas presents shouldn’t be a problem, with a staggering 13 tonnes of mail arriving since mid-November. More than six tonnes has left the Middle East bound for families and friends back home, so there will still be plenty of happy faces opening presents around the Christmas tree despite the absence of so many service personnel as they serve on active duty during the holiday period. More: Imagery | Operation CATALYST website | Operation SLIPPER website |
