Navy News, February 22, 1999

Welcome aboard Royal Australian Navy News, the official newspaper of your Navy.

Navy News is published fortnightly with its basic charter to inform and entertain our sailors wherever they are serving, in ships or on shore, at home or overseas.

February 22, 1999

		You're Nabbed! HMAS GEELONG, under the command of LCDR Matt Cawsey, has started the new year as she ended the old…with a dramatic foreign fishing vessel apprehension. While on patrol in the vicinity of Ashmore Reef, Coastwatch aircraft reported an Indonesian Type II FFV well inside the Australian Fishing Zone.

		Chief's Charting Uncertain Waters It is only 18 months since the South Pacific island of Bougainville has begun to emerge from a traumatic eight years of violence and conflict. Two hundred and fifty Australian peacekeepers are in Bougainville leading a multinational force from New Zealand, Vanuatu and Fiji to monitor the former warring parties' compliance with the April 30 ceasefire agreement and promote confidence in the organisation peace process.

		Missile Spot On HMAS NEWCASTLE (CMDR Steve Hamilton) is the first Australian warship to fire at the RAN's new target towing drone the Kalkara - and it hit the target first go. The successful target exercise was executed 30 kilometres off Jervis Bay last month. Controllers launched a Kalkara towing a TRX 17 target from the Jervis Bay airfield.

		Divers Take Out Wartime Bombs The discovery of unexploded WW2 ordnance, including a 250 pound British made aerial bomb at the entrance to one of Australia's most popular recreation ports saw the diving and demolition experts from AUSCDT ONE go into action on a number of occasions last month.

		Navy For The Girls Too Defence Chiefs said last year they would like to see more women in the Forces. The Navy hasn't let them down. On January 23, half of the 20 prospective Navy officers accepted for training at the Australian Defence Force Academy were young women.

		Patrol Boats Get New Lease Of Life The Royal Australian Navy's 15 patrol boats are to get new engines and gearboxes and new 'seaboats' as part of the program to extend their operational lives by eight years.

		ADELAIDE's Pair Of Cups The Royal Australian Navy's highest efficiency award, the Gloucester Cup, was formally presented to HMAS ADELAIDE by the Governor General, Sir William Dean. The 4,100 tonne FFG and her complement of 210 officers and sailors, also received the Commodore Wardle Cup.

		Nearly Scooped Pool The 333 officers and men of HMAS PERTH ( CAPT Lou Rago) almost scooped the pool when it came to awards last year. The 4,720 tonne DDG was runner-up in the prestigious Gloucester Cup for overall efficiency.

		In the Stew We've all heard of the term "head on a platter" ... but what about "head in a saucepan"?

		They Were Not Forgotten When tropical cyclone Rhona with 140 kph winds and torrential rain bore down on Cairns last week the personnel at HMAS CAIRNS knew it had to look after the wives, families and homes of serving personnel, particularly those away at sea.

		At The Volley FIMA Sydney has played a courageous fighting back to come form just about out to win the midweek volleyball competition.

		Drawn Match A Costly Loss For CAIRNS HMAS CAIRNS Logistics missed out on a chance at the annual touch football knockout cup at Mann St Oval in Cairns by scoring second in a drawn match. The hot weather had once again set in with constant driving rain and a waterlogged field.