By
ABPH Kade Rogers
 |
|
Personnel
from HMAS Kanimbla and 1RAR work together during Exercise
Sea Eagle.
|
|
Photo:
ABPH Kade Rogers
|
|
|
|
The
medical team rush to assist the fictitious casualty of helicopter
crash.
|
|
|
It
was early in the morning.
The sun had just begun to peek over the horizon, bathing the camouflaged
figures before me in a gentle glow.
The low humming from the engine of our landing craft was just
audible over the chatter of the diggers she carried. It was almost
like neither wanted to drown the other out, man and machine synchronised,
united in a common aim.
As we glided swiftly over the waves closer toward the beach, the
combined mantra of voice and engine grew silent.
There was a heave, then a thud that signified that the craft had
beached. The gate opened onto golden sand and, with immaculately
kept weapons in hand, the soldiers disembarked.
This is the sharp edge of the exercise. If that is so, then HMAS
Kanimbla is the arm that swings the axe.
Mere moments before this landing, I observed the crew of this
proud vessel co-operate to achieve an aim many wouldn’t believe
possible had they not seen it with their own eyes.
Hundreds of people and thousands of tonnes of machinery moved
with such precision, in the dark, within a few short hours.
The deafening roar of trucks and armoured personnel carriers rumbling
through the tank deck does not deter their will, nor does the
searing blast from the down-draught of Blackhawk helicopters,
as they lifted Landrovers from the forecastle with their steely
talons.
There is no time for mistakes, no room for error, and none are
made.
An unfamiliar word here is “impossible”. As I waited on the beach
with my camera for the next serial to arrive, I spoke with some
of the Diggers.
These men had only a few hours sleep prior to our meeting and
their packs made their footprints deep. Yet, they laughed and
joked as if sitting in a pub over a beer.
The photos that I and my fellow photographer ABPH Karen Bailey
took of this event barely capture the spirit of the moment.
HMAS Kanimbla. Cry Havoc indeed.
Capability
put to the test
By
LEUT Cath Hayes
HMAS
Kanimbla is ready to soar after a successful Exercise Sea Eagle
last month, aimed at testing if Australia’s Amphibious Readiness
Element is at the minimum level of capability.
Tasked with conducting a non combatant evacuation operation of
Australians and approved foreign nationals from the fictitious
island of Cowley, HMAS Kanimbla deployed from Townsville having
embarked the Ready Company Group (C Company 1RAR), four 5Avn Blackhawk
helicopters, two LCM8 watercraft and the primary casualty reception
facility.
On arrival off the coast of Cowley, Kanimbla spent the following
10 hours delivering its embarked weapon in the form of the RCG
and its vehicles ashore.
The assault was executed by simultaneous operation of the four
Blackhawks operating to Kanimbla’s three helo spots and with two
LCM8s conducting concurrent stern door marriages.
With the force ashore, Kanimbla remained off Cowley at a heightened
force protection posture providing 24-hour casualty and evacuee
reception as well logistic support and sustainment for the forces
ashore.
HMAS Tobruk arrived in the area about 24 hours later, providing
humanitarian aid to Kanimbla before proceeding to another task.
RCG completed its tasking ashore and Kanimbla completed the extraction
by simultaneous air and surface means.
