By
Graham Davis
More
than 1200 defence sailors and civilian aviators from two nations
have successfully completed one of the largest exercises in Australian
waters - Exercise Singaroo 2004.
Participants were ships and planes from Australia and ships of
the navy of the Republic of Singapore. For the RAN’s 3,400 tonne
HMAS Anzac was most important.
CAPT Richard Menhinick and his ship’s company were able to use
the exercise to attain their Unit Readiness Evaluation.
It didn’t come easy with an attacking RAAF fighter getting through
her defences, making a mock strike which led to “fires”, floods”
and 11 mock casualties onboard.
The emergency drill continued well into night with ship’s members
having to cope with a mock toxic incident.
Exercise Singaroo is a bilateral maritime warfare exercise involving
Australian and Singaporean forces. This year it was held between
August 11 and 20 in Darwin and the North Australia Exercise Area
(NAXA).
Australian assets committed included HMA Ships Canberra, Melbourne,
Wollongong, Bendigo, Kanimbla, Dechaineux and Westralia.
Three Seahawks and 55 personnel operated from LPA Kanimbla while
Canberra and Anzac had embarked Seahawk flights.
The Singaporean Navy sent a pair of its sleek 595 tonne Victory
Class corvettes, Vigilance and Victory each with a ship’s company
of 50.
The RAAF provided Hawks from No 79 Squadron and Hornets from No
75 Squadron.
The jets provided maritime strike and air combat support. Civilian
aircraft were also involved in the drill, two Learjets from Pelair
and an EWTS aircraft provided by Raytheon Electronic Warfare Training
Squadron.
The exercise was conducted in four phases, a harbour training
phase, a sea phase involving serialised events, a controlled free
play warfare exercise (WAREX) using “Orange” and “Blue” opposing
forces and a post sea phase.
A full day of sport was conducted during the harbour phase with
teams from both navies participating in basketball, soccer and
volleyball.
The competition was held at the Berrimah Defence Establishment
(formerly HMAS Coonawarra).
The Singaporeans had star players and defeated the Aussies in
basketball while the RAN won the soccer.
As the exercise continued all ships did boarding operations against
each other.
The Singaporeans exploited the use of their various language skills
to make boarding scenarios more challenging for the RAN members.
Sailors and officers crossdecked extensively, the RAN members
returning with stories of great food and hospitality on the well-equipped
corvettes.
CMDR Brad White of 816 Squadron led a contingent of aviators and
maintainers with three Seahawks to the north and alighted upon
and operated from HMAS Kanimbla.
In a “first” the helicopters operated simultaneously from the
three helipads which were built into the ship when she was converted
by Forgacs in Newcastle.
The simultaneous operation provided another clear indicator of
how versatile Kanimbla and her sister ship Manoora are to ADF
operations.
The entry into the WAREX phase of the drill added much pressure
to CAPT Menhinick and his people in Anzac.
They had been “working up” in the eight weeks prior to the exercise,
they had the “wreckers”, the Sea Training Group on board, and
they had to pass their Unit Readiness Evaluation.
Anzac sailed as the “Blue” task group command ship. In consort
were Melbourne led by CMDR Vern Dutschke and Victory with MAJ
David Lee.
Opposing them were the “Orange” group led by LTCOL Soh Cheow Guan
in Vigilance.
With Vigilance was Canberra, (CMDR Ray Leggatt), Kanimbla (CMDR
Steve Woodall) and 816 Squadron with (CMDR Brad White).
Adding to the drill were the operations of two RAN patrol boats
Bendigo (LCDR Anthony Campbell) and Wollongong (LCDR Iain Jarvie).
They were used as mock mine smuggling ships and were each boarded
and inspected. Earlier, during operations in Darwin Harbour, speedboats
were sent in to harass ships.
The first of many air attacks started with RAAF FA-18s and Hawks
zooming in. One fighter got through the defences, struck Anzac
and started a major damage control exercise.
“The Machine” (SSFB) swung into action and dealt with fires, floods
and 11 casualties.
Operations continued throughout the night with the first of two
toxic hazard exercises getting emergency teams moving early.
Anzac’s training was far from over.
At 6am action stations were piped again with more strikes.
The final surprise came when the “enemy”submarine Dechaineux (LCDR
Simon Rusiti) was seen on the surface.
Anzac sunk her with her guns. With the URE “passed” COMFLOT commented,
“ it was an impressive result which highlights the partnership
between Sea Training Group and the ship.”
The exercise concluded on August 20 with some ships returning
home while others headed north to take part in further inter nation
exercises in South East Asia.
Among the largest will be Bersama Lima off Singapore, a drill
targeting mine
countermeasure
procedures.
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LSCIS
Clayton Barrett of HMAS Canberra on the flag deck.
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Kanimbla’s
Boarding Party prepare to board RSS Vigilance as part of
Ex Singaroo.
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Bendigo’s
ABMT Geoff Harris maintaining the sea boat’s outboard motor.
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RSS
Vigilance alongside Darwin Naval Base wharf, with RSS Victory
approaching.
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AB
Murray, bowman from Kanimbla’s Boarding party.
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Ship’s
company from RSS Vigilance in Darwin Harbour.
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AB
Kira Dubell on the bridge of HMAS Canberra.
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Wollongong’s
LSBM Keith McLackand with his decorative rope-work.
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A
sailor from RSS Victory raises the Singaporean flag.
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RSS
Victory arrives in Darwin Harbour.
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HMAS
Canberra’s SMNCIS Pyne looks through the ‘big eyes’ while
LSCIS Carden signals other vessels during Officer Of the
Watch manoeuvres.
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AS
Dechaineux, one of the RAN’s six Collins Class submarines,
put many of the ships involved in Exercise Singaroo to the
test. LEUT James Lybrand took this rare image through the
periscope of his boat. It shows HMAS Canberra with her embarked
Seahawk ( Tiger 76) flying above.
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Photos
by LSPH Kaye Adam
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