More Defence news: 14 July- 20 July 2008
| Military Funeral for Signaller Sean McCarthy | HMAS Tobruk is in the Thick of Exercise RIMPAC 08 | Tobruk Plays Host to United States Navy Admiral | Aussie leads combined diving task group | Exchange sailor on USS Pinckney is “living the dream” | Military Work Experience | Minister for Defence Meets with United States Counterparts | 21-Gun salute for His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI | Return to Australia of Signaller Sean McCarthy | Crash of the Black Hawk 221 released | Exercise Singaroo commences | Minister for Defence meets with United Nations representatives for security and peacekeeping talks | Joint Strike Fighter progress | Working for a world free of nuclear weapons | |
Military Funeral for Signaller Sean McCarthy
Signaller McCarthy was from the Perth-based Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), serving with the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan when his life was taken. The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, Prime Minister of Australia; The Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP, Leader of the Opposition; The Hon. Dr Mike Kelly MP, The Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support; The Hon. Paul Lucas MP, Deputy Premier of Queensland; Lieutenant General David Hurley, The Vice Chief of the Defence Force; Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie, The Chief of Army; and Major General Tim McOwan, Special Operations Commander Australia, all attended the funeral to pay their respects. More: Media Release | Audio of media conference | Vale | Images | Ramp Ceremony | Audio | Video |
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HMAS Tobruk is in the Thick of Exercise RIMPAC 08
Amphibious forces from the United States and Canada rely on Australian support to conduct their operations during RIMPAC. HMAS Tobruk (Commander Brett Wolski) is in the thick of the action as the Australian Heavy Lift Ship provides the maritime transport for US Marine Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAVs). As Tobruk steams alongside Amphibious Assault Ship USS Bonhomme Richard, she is dwarfed by her counterpart’s 257 metre length and 40,000 tonne displacement. At half the length and about one sixth of the displacement, Tobruk seems small, even though the Aussie ship is capable of transporting 18 Leopard tanks, 40 Armoured Personnel Carriers or 40 Australian Light Armoured Vehicles. For the first time, US Marines’ AAVs were onboard Tobruk, and successfully embarking through the stern door while at sea. RIMPAC is held biennially in waters off Hawaii and concludes at the end of July. More: Image gallery |
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Tobruk Plays Host to United States Navy Admiral
This year was the first time that HMAS Tobruk became involved in RIMPAC, and it was the only foreign amphibious ship to participate in the exercise. Admiral Locklear watched as US Marines drove Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) from the waters of Pearl Harbour onto Tobruk’s tank deck through the stern door. The operation, a trial in preparation for amphibious exercises later in RIMPAC, came off without a hitch as the vehicles made it on board and were able to execute a three point turn on the tank deck in preparation for a land assault. This exercise was one of many great examples of interoperability that RIMPAC nations aim to achieve. More: Image Gallery |
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Aussie leads combined diving task group
Royal Australian Navy Commander, Dean Schopen, is in charge of almost 150 personnel from Australia, the United States, Canada, UK and the Netherlands as the task group works through its training and exercises in conjunction with the largest military maritime exercise in the world. It is the first time Australia has commanded such a diverse and skilled group of divers from these nations. The Australians, who are among world leaders in very shallow water mine countermeasures, shared their methods and techniques with other nations. The United States Marine Mammal Program was one of the more interesting systems, using trained dolphins to use their biological sonar (echolocation) to locate and detect mine-like objects. When a dolphin echolocates, it emits a series of clicks that bounce off an object, allowing the mammal to construct a mental image of the target. The dolphin reports back to its handler, giving one response if an object of interest is detected and a different one if no target object is detected. If a mine-like target is detected, the handler sends the dolphin back to mark its location so the object can be avoided by Navy vessels or dealt with by Navy divers. Other pieces of technology used by nations attending RIMPAC include Automated Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) which are programmed to search seabeds and return with sonar images. More: Image gallery |
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Exchange sailor on USS Pinckney is “living the dream”
Chief Petty Officer Young, who was selected from a group of Australian Combat Systems Operators to be the first sailor posted to this billet, says he’s about halfway through the best experience of his life. In Pearl Harbour for Exercise RIMPAC 08, USS Pinckney, is one of a number of United States Navy (USN) guided missile destroyers fitted with the Aegis Weapon System to make the trip over to Hawaii for the exercise. It has on board 35 officers, 300 enlisted men, plus one Australian sailor, The Aegis can react quickly and with enough firepower to destroy fast, intelligent targets in the most difficult electronic warfare and physical environments. It comprises four main components: the phased array multi function radar, the command and decision system, the Aegis display system and the weapon control system. Currently, Aegis Weapon Systems are on more than 70 cruisers, destroyers and frigates in service around the world. Plans are currently underway to install the system on an additional 30 US and international navy destroyers and frigates. More: Image gallery |
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| Military Work Experience 18 July – The Minister for Defence, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, has congratulated an Australian Defence Force Work Experience program taking place this week in Tasmania and said it could be a useful model for a national military work experience program. Twenty students from Huonville High, Hobart and Claremont College are participating in the program with Second Force Support Battalion based at Derwent Barracks in Glenorchy. During the week, the students will dress in Army uniforms, learn drills, undertake vehicle and workshop familiarisation, first aid, navigation, field craft and physical training. More: Media release |
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| Minister for Defence Meets with United States Counterparts 18 July – Yesterday the Minister for Defence, the Hon Joel Fitzgibbon MP, met with US Vice President, Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, and a number of US Government representatives in Washington to discuss Defence and International security issues, current operations, interoperability and the Asia-Pacific. In the discussions, the Minister highlighted the importance of the Australia-US Alliance and co-operation in promoting peace, security and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. He also noted the alliance between the two countries was in excellent shape. Vice President Cheney expressed appreciation regarding Australia’s role in Afghanistan. More: Media release |
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21-Gun salute for His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
The 105MM M2A2 Howitzers roared in a series of 5 second intervals across the harbour from the picturesque location of Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. The six guns faced the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge as precision drill movements let off the volley of rounds in honour of the Pontiff’s arrival. Around Sydney military personnel provided security, ceremonial drill and other important activities in support of the NSW Police and the City of Sydney for World Youth Day 08. |
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Return to Australia of Signaller Sean McCarthy
Signaller McCarthy, from the Perth based Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), was serving with the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) when he was killed in a road-side bomb attack in Oruzgan Province, in southern Afghanistan. More: Media Release | Audio of media conference | Vale | Images | Ramp Ceremony | Audio | Video |
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Report of the Board of Inquiry into the crash of the Black Hawk 221 released
On 29 November 2006, an Australian Army Black Hawk helicopter (Number 221) from 171 Aviation Squadron, crashed while operating with HMAS Kanimbla in international waters southwest of Suva, Fiji. Elements of the Australian Defence Force were on standby to possibly evacuate Australians from Fiji in the lead up to the military coup. The Black Hawk was carrying four crew and six soldiers from the Special Air Service Regiment when it crashed and sank. Nine of the 10 service personnel were rescued from the water. Of those nine personnel, Captain Mark Bingley, the pilot, later died from his injuries. Trooper Joshua Porter, a passenger, was unaccounted for and presumed dead. His body was recovered from the seabed on 5 March 2007. More: Media release | Audio |
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| Exercise Singaroo commences 14 July – Today, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) commenced Exercise Singaroo, a bilateral maritime warfare exercise with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), in waters north of Darwin. A range of Defence assets being provided for the exercise including: RAN’s Anzac Class Frigate Toowoomba, Adelaide Class Frigate HMAS Melbourne, and Armidale Class Patrol Boat HMAS Pirie. The Royal Australian Air Force is providing Hawks and an Orion. In addition PEL-AIR Aviation Australia is providing realistic maritime strike and air combat support. Exercise Singaroo will see RSN ships RSS Vigour and RSS Vengeance, two Victory Class Missile Corvettes take part, with one F50 Fokker maritime patrol aircraft providing support. The exercise which will conclude on Friday, aims to build warfare interoperability between the two navies. More: Media release |
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| Minister for Defence meets with United Nations representatives for security and peacekeeping talks 14 July – Last week, Minister for Defence, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, participated in a number of meetings with officials from the United Nations (UN) in New York. He met with:
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| Joint Strike Fighter progress 14 July – Last week Minister for Defence, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, visited Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas to view progress on the US-led Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program. Australia is looking for an aircraft that can meet the full range of future threats, as well as being affordable to acquire, sustain and upgrade; and that could replace Australia’s aging fleet of F-111 and F/A-18 A/B Hornet aircraft. Good technical progress has been made on the JSF Program, however some challenges may lay ahead. The final decision on the aircraft for Australia’s new air combat capability will be considered in the context of the new Australian Defence White Paper which is currently being developed. More: Media release |
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| Working for a world free of nuclear weapons 14 July – Recently Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, travelled to Pugwash, Novia Scotia in Canada to speak at the Parliamentarian for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament International conference. The Minister confirmed Australia’s commitment to global nuclear disarmament. Australia has a solid record in multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation, and as a middle power, is determined to reinvigorate the effort against nuclear weapons. Last month the Government announced that Australia would establish an International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament signalling the active role Australia intends to take in addressing global security challenges. More: Media release |
