Give
to worthy cause
A senior sailor who was seriously injured when he fell into a
ravine in the Solomons while serving in Operation Anode has been
permanently incapacitated. The Executive Officer of HMAS Tarakan,
WOB Ian Chill, was conducting a routine village visit in early
June when the accident happened. He was transported by a Royal
New Zealand Air Force helicopter and is now in the spinal care
unit at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital, where medical
specialists have told him he will be confined to a wheelchair.
Tarakan CO LEUT Alan Willmore said a credit union account had
been established and fund raising activities were being planned
to help WO Chill and his young family. “This support is being
offered in the finest Australian and Navy tradition of mateship,”
LEUT Willmore said. “Any support from the wider Navy and
civilian community will be most welcomed and appreciated,”
he said. Donations towards WO Chill’s fund can be lodged
in Australian Defence Credit Union account number 672628, BSB
number 802397.
Missile upgrade
Four of Australia’s Adelaide class guided missile frigates
will be capable of firing the SM-2 missile after a $550 million
upgrade of their area air defence missile systems. Defence Minister
Senator Robert Hill has announced an upgrade to HMA Ships Darwin,
Melbourne, Newcastle and Sydney by early 2009. It would significantly
improve the Navy’s air warfare capabilities, he said. “The
SM-2 missile is a member of the Standard Missile family produced
by Raytheon and a highly capable modern variant of the ageing
SM-1 missile system currently used on the FFGs,” Senator
Hill said. “SM-2 benefits from significant improvements in
communication techniques, advanced signal processing and propulsion
improvements.”
Cadet intake
Thirteen new members have been welcomed into the Australian Navy
Cadets in NSW and the ACT. They have just completed seven days
of intensive training, including a Staff New Entry Course, comprising
Equity and Diversity, Occupational Health and Safety and instructional
delivery modules. The course was at HMAS Penguin. The 13 new cadets
attended the intensive training from their home cadet units.
