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Features
UNDER
THE PUMP
Minors
put through their paces
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MIDN
Danny Redondo (middle) and LSCIS Ricky Dobson (right) onboard
HMAS Fremantle.
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On
Fremantle’s flying bridge, SBLT Mark McKenzie (right), the
Navigator LEUT Megan Fowler (middle) and LSCIS Ricky Dobson
(left).
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Fremantle’s
CO LCDR Ainsley Morthorpe (right), MIDN Danny Redondo (middle)
and SBLT Whitehead (left).
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LSMT
Bob Moxey controls the throttles in Fremantle’s Main Machinery
Room.
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HMAS
Fremantle conducts a TOWEX with Bendigo. SBLT Ben Weller
(middle) helps with the line handling.
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On
Fremantle’s Flying Bridge, SBLT Mark McKenzie takes a bearing.
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Preparing
Fremantle’s 40/60 gun for firing are LSBM Jarrah Parker
(left), LSETW Wayne McCallum (right) and ABBM Clinton Murphy
(seated).
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ABCIS
Patty Casey preparing flags for hoisting on Fremantle’s
flagdeck.
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By
LEUT Jane Landon and CPL Cameron Jamieson
They
may be small, but together they packed an awesome punch.
A powerful, efficient, and - if need be - deadly, punch, available
24 hours a day.
Six patrol boats from Darwin and Cairns recently gathered for
the minor war vessels concentration period, operating from HMAS
Coonawarra at Darwin.
HMA Ships Fremantle, Wollongong, Dubbo, Gawler and Bendigo and
Warrnambool practiced many essential skills, such as gunnery,
ship to helicopter transfers, boarding drills and man-overboard
drills.
The week-long shore phase comprised exercises in Force Protection
and Damage Control as well as an inter-ship sports day.
The sea phase of MWVCP included boardings, seamanship evolutions,
helicopter operations, tactical manoeuvring, mediumrange gunnery
and boatwork.
A highlight of the training was the surprise presentation of a
ship-in-distress scenario.
The survey ship HMAS Leeuwin played the role of a merchant vessel
that had suffered an onboard explosion, which resulted in a fire
and numerous casualties.
The lack of prior warning for the scenario meant the patrol boat
crews had no time to prepare in advance, so they had to deal with
it in real time.
The boats made best speed to HMAS Leeuwin, arriving just after
sunset.
Six emergency teams went on board the pseudo merchant vessel to
tackle the fires and attend the casualties. Having saved the ship,
it was back to more drills and scenarios.
The week’s indisputable highlight was a set of General Drills;
a series of creative tasks which the boats raced to complete.
Drills included hoisting the Maritime Commander’s birth date on
the outer halyards, rowing the RHIB around the boat and playing
an ABBA song over main broadcast.
CSTMWV CMDR Mark Burling said the current high-level of tasking
of the patrol boat fleet meant there were reduced opportunities
for the ships to spend time in company with other ships, particularly
with a large group of ships.
As such, the concentration period allowed them to improve their
multi-ship formation skills.
“The concentration period is exactly that ... it provides a concentration
of ships which allows for the training in fundamental mariner
and war fighting skills that make the patrol boat fleet a part
of the wider Navy,” he said.
The concentration period also provided another opportunity for
patrol boats to provide one of their greatest services to the
Navy - a training system within a training system.
The training with multi-ship formations and activities builds
the skills required for later service with major vessels.
This last concentration period may prove to be the final one conducted
only by Fremantle class patrol boats, with the Armidale class
due to enter service later this year.
CMDR Burling is pleased with the sterling service provided by
the Fremantle-class but is keen to see the impact of the new Armidale
class patrol boats on the fleet’s capability.
“I was onboard HMAS Fremantle during the training and it has provided
24 years of service.
“The class has provided a great generation of service, and I looking
forward to a change in the guard and the improvement in capabilities
and performance that the Armidale-class will bring to patrol boat
operations,” CMDR Burling said.
HMAS Gawler scraped through to win the General Drills by one point.
Minor War Vessel Sea Training Group wrapped up the fortnight with
a barbecue and presentation at Coonawarra’s Arrow Bar.
The MWVCP Shield for the best performance overall was awarded
to HMAS Bendigo.
It was Bendigo’s second successive MWVCP win. HMAS Wollongong
was awarded the Sports Day Shield.
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