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Arunta
reaches boardings milestone
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HMAS
Arunta makes an impressive display steaming in their company
while on duty in the MIF. Her four RHIBs, Roy, HG, Fatso
and Cedric, have been named after sports characters, Roy
Slaven and HG Nelson.
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HMAS
Arunta has only been on station in The Gulf for two months and already
her ship’s company has done 150 boardings.
Helping the officers and sailors cope with the work is the fact
that she now carries not two, but four RHIBs.
She is the first RAN warship to carry four of the versatile high-speed
craft. Working with Arunta’s Seahawk helicopter, the RHIB crews
have worked well in support of the Maritime Interception Operations.
The ship is the first RAN vessel to reach the 150 boardings milestone
since Operation Slipper began.
The ships, on occasion, have boarded up to nine cargo dhows in a
day.
At night Arunta intercepted a tanker as it tried to run the gauntlet.
It was the first of its type to try to get clear in almost five
months. The ship carried heavy passive defences. Doors had been
welded shut and spikes attached to its side, in a bid to deter the
Australian sailors.
Boarding the vessel from RHIBs and with Seahawk co-ordination, the
boarding parties soon controlled the ship, directing her to a holding
area where the oil cargo (valued at about $1US million) was pumped
out and confiscated.
Two days later Arunta’s members were in action again this time
inserting into another steel hulled merchant ship which refused
to comply with the warship’s directions.
This time the boarding party fast roped on to her from the Seahawk
and headed her towards the UN holding point for further inspection.
The successful execution of these two non-compliant boardings further
enhanced the RAN’s reputation for operational excellence and
drew considerable praise from the US commanders.
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