Sydney coming home

By Graham Davis

HMAS Sydney parts company with her brief travelling companion the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. RADM Locklear USN invited COMFLOT CDRE Matt Tripovitch and CO Sydney CMDR Van Balen aboard.

Ring on the homeward bounders, HMAS Sydney (CMDR Michael Van Balen) is coming home.

After nearly 100 days in the Arabian Gulf, Sydney is once again steaming home, with Operations Falconer and Catalyst behind her.

In the extreme summer heat and humidity, Sydney sent her boarding teams out day after day to patrol the waters of the North Arabian Gulf.

Eighty two boardings were conducted in as many days, on vessels of every size and description.

As well as the boarding teams the evolutions parties were pulling their weight, 18 replenishments to be precise.
The Flight wore their suits thin on countless sorties.

The job was done well, in the now well-established Australian style of “can do” and “no problem”.

The praise and gratitude from the coalition partners was warmly received as she headed for the line.

An invitation for some in-company time with USS Nimitz was too tempting to pass up as the ship transited south for her final port visit.

Some air defence exercises and planeguard duties provided a wealth of photo opportunities.

COMFLOT (CDRE Matt Tripovitch) and CMDR Van Balen had a much closer view of proceedings during their brief visit to the flat top at the invitation of Commander Task Force 50 (RADM Locklear).

Watching the carrier in action was an exciting finale for a wearied crew, anxious to be on their way.

After handing over the reins to HMAS Newcastle the ship will conduct short visits to Stirling and Hobart before entering Sydney on August 28.

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