 |
|
LCDR
Tony Powell stands proudly in front of the new Iraqi Coastal
Defence Force patrol boats at Umm Qasr Naval Base.
|
|
Photo:
LEUT Ian Lumsden
|
A
team of 12 RAN sailors stationed in Iraq has completed the first
half of its mission with the commissioning of the Umm Qasr Naval
Base and its transfer to local control.
Defence Minister, Senator Robert Hill, and the Chief of Navy,
VADM Chris Ritchie, travelled to Iraq last month for the handover
ceremony.
VADM Ritchie captured the feeling for everyone at the port of
Umm Qasr when he said: “It’s not every day you get to witness
the birth of a Navy”.
The historic raising of the Iraqi Coastal Defence Force on June
12 was attended by senior military officers from the four nations
that contributed to the training of the men who form the newest
Navy in the world.
Australia, Britain, the United States and Poland contributed to
the training of the Iraqi sailors over the past seven months,
itself a mammoth task.
The handover marked the culmination of many months of work to
equip the newly-created Iraqi Coastal Defence Force with five
patrol boats and refurbish its naval facilities.
“One of the first tasks for the Coalition Military Assistance
Training Team (Maritime) at Umm Qasr was to bring together a single
way of doing things out of four distinct and long standing naval
traditions,” VADM Ritchie said.
“This has meant a lot of work and to be able to undertake operational
patrols just a few months after starting is a great credit to
everyone involved.”
The Australian patrol boat and small vessel specialists under
LCDR Tony Powell have been training the Coastal Defence Force
in vessel acceptance trials, patrol boat operations, leadership,
tactics, safety and general seamanship.
LCDR Powell said the work had been extremely rewarding, with the
Iraqi students very enthusiastic and eager to get on with the
task of protecting Iraqi waters.
“One of the Iraqi Coastal Defence Force (ICDF) sailors has been
sunk three times during his Naval career - the last time he was
swimming for two days before he was rescued, yet he is still keen
to serve in the ICDF.”
Iraq’s five Nasur patrol boats, about the size of the Fremantle
class, were purchased from China under the Saddam Hussein regime
but were intercepted during shipping and stored in a third country.
Although new, the Coalition funded refits for the boats in Kuwait.
The first underwent her sea trials and was sailed to Umm Qasr
in April by a Coalition crew.
The Coalition team hope to salvage and refit a sixth patrol boat
for the Coastal Defence Force, which consists of about 125 men.
Senator Hill said the boats would enhance the new Iraq’s ability
to look after offshore security and protect its economy by deterring
smuggling of oil and other contraband.
