Nine boardings in one night
Taste of what's to come for Arunta
August 05, 2002
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A silhouetted
HMAS Canberra on the job in the Arabian Gulf. She is currently
on her way home after a busy time with the Maritime Interception
Force. Photo by LSPH Damian Pawlenko.
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The 150-member ship's company of HMAS Arunta got a real
taste of what's to come when it conducted nine boardings in just one
night, last month.
The 3,600-tonne ANZAC class frigate had only been on station a week when her radar detected a mass breakout of 16 cargo-carrying dhows.
The incident occurred on Kha Ab Allah (KAA), the waterway between Kuwait and Iraq.
The KAA is in the Northern Arabian Gulf and is part of the patrol zone for Maritime Interception Force (MIF) ships charged with enforcing the United Nations sanctions on Iraq exporting some products including oil.
Among the MIF ships are Melbourne and Arunta.
Arunta's boarding members went into action and in the first 90 minutes crossed to five non-compliant dhows.
Four of the dhows had passive defences, including spikes, aimed at deterring the Australians.
Arunta did another four boardings over a following three-hour period.
Other coalition ships boarded three other dhows while the remaining cargo vessels turned back to the KAA of their own accord.
About 1050 metric tonnes of oil were found through the boardings.
All but two of the boarded vessels were sent back up the KAA.
Arunta was one of four Coalition ships involved in the July 19 operation.
Australian CAPT Peter Sinclair, who was stationed on a US Navy ship, commanded the interception force.
Under an agreement, the MIF forces are commanded alternatively, month by month, by an American and an Australia.
HMAS Melbourne has been on station for more than a month.
The 3,600-tonne ANZAC class frigate had only been on station a week when her radar detected a mass breakout of 16 cargo-carrying dhows.
The incident occurred on Kha Ab Allah (KAA), the waterway between Kuwait and Iraq.
The KAA is in the Northern Arabian Gulf and is part of the patrol zone for Maritime Interception Force (MIF) ships charged with enforcing the United Nations sanctions on Iraq exporting some products including oil.
Among the MIF ships are Melbourne and Arunta.
Arunta's boarding members went into action and in the first 90 minutes crossed to five non-compliant dhows.
Four of the dhows had passive defences, including spikes, aimed at deterring the Australians.
Arunta did another four boardings over a following three-hour period.
Other coalition ships boarded three other dhows while the remaining cargo vessels turned back to the KAA of their own accord.
About 1050 metric tonnes of oil were found through the boardings.
All but two of the boarded vessels were sent back up the KAA.
Arunta was one of four Coalition ships involved in the July 19 operation.
Australian CAPT Peter Sinclair, who was stationed on a US Navy ship, commanded the interception force.
Under an agreement, the MIF forces are commanded alternatively, month by month, by an American and an Australia.
HMAS Melbourne has been on station for more than a month.
By Graham Davis