By
LCDR Antony Underwood
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MIDNs
Barton Harrington and Fletcher Wall with LCDR Tony Stringer
on the Bridge of HMAS Kanimbla. MIDNs Wall and Harrington
are completing their Seaman Officer Phase Two training.
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Photo:
POPH Kev Bristow
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Exercise
Crocodile 03 which was held from the end of August until September
25 was a welcome opportunity for the RAN’s participating
units to practise the full range of skills required in maritime
warfare, an opportunity that has been on hold in recent months
because of the operational tempo.
It also provided an opportunity to test the high-end warfighting
skills in a joint and combined environment.
According to COMFLOT, CDRE Matt Tripovich, Croc 03 was one of
Navy’s largest training exercises for a number of years and
an important part of the Navy’s Reconstitution Plan for 2003-04.
“Ships and submarines worked up as they approached the north
Queensland coast from WA, Sydney and the north Pacific. Members
of 4RAR and other Army forces were embarked in Tobruk and Kanimbla
and the entire maritime force then ‘fought’ its way
across the Coral Sea towards Legais (a notional country represented
by the Shoalwater Bay training area).
“There was a full range of threats from the (enemy) Kamarians
to contend with - submarines, surface combatants, mines, land
forces and aircraft - before the embarked Army forces were successfully
lodged into Legais.”
CDRE Tripovich considers Croc 03 achieved its aims of providing
practice in high-end warfighting skills and interoperability.
“It was a fantastic training opportunity for the RAN,”
he said.
“An important element was doing such a full range of activities
with the Army and the RAAF, the USN and the USMC.”
It was the first time that the RAN had employed the full capability
of the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters (Maritime).
“DJFHQ(M) staff were embedded within the Deployable Joint
Force Headquarters at the Army base at Enoggera, Brisbane under
MAJGEN Mark Evans.
“Command of naval forces was exercised at sea by the Commander
Australian Surface Task Group, Commander Australian Amphibious
Task Group and Commander Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance
Diving Task Group.
“We also achieved excellent integration with Army and RAAF
- ashore, in headquarters and at sea. We had more than 500 soldiers
in Tobruk and Kanimbla, and Army and RAAF personnel were part
of the embarked Task Group Commanders’ staffs.”
A total of around 2700 members of the RAN and USN were involved
in the exercise. RAN assets were HMA Ships Canberra, Melbourne,
Stuart, Rankin, Success, Kanimbla, Tobruk, Gascoyne, Norman, Melville,
Benalla and Shepparton, and the MSAs Wallaroo and Bandicoot.
US assets were US Ships O’Brien and Curtis Wilbur and the
submarine USS Helena. AUSCDTONE, the US Navy’s mobile EOD
Team and the Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) flight also participated.
During the exercise Success, Melbourne and O’Brien detached
to participate in the maritime interdiction exercise Pacific Protector
from September 12 to 14 as reported in the last edition of Navy
News.
