Take it to the Top
Exercise Kakadu VII was the culmination of many month of planning and cooperation between different nations.
SBLT Anthony Lutz reports on the action up north.

 

HEAVY LOAD: AB Troy Norris from HMAS Coonawarra Naval Stores lowers the strops from a crane. During the exercise, HMAS Coonawarra’s staff worked around the clock to keep ships supplied and fuelled.

Photo: LA Owen King

BERTHED: Australian and international ships alongside at HMAS Coonawarra during harbour phase of Exercise Kakadu VII. Pictured from left to right, front to back are Australian ships HMAS Launceston, HMAS Warnambool, Papua New Guinea Ships HMPNGS Tarangau, HMPNGS Dreger, and Singaporean corvettes RSS Valiant and Valour.

Photo: LA Owen King

CLOSE LOOK: ABBM Steve Irving looks for contacts using ‘big eyes’ during Exercise Kakadu VII held off of Darwin in August.

You wanted to see some serious navy training. You asked for outstanding workups, interoperability, boat work, jackstay evolutions, replenishments at sea, gunnery, air sorties, anti-submarine warfare, anti-air warfare and navigation.

Well Exercise Kakadu VII provided the lot.

The highly successful Exercise Kakadu VII, held off Darwin until August 12, ensured the setting of new benchmarks for naval skills, defence cooperation and general training across all Navy jobs.

“After months of planning, the exercise really came down to the skills, dedication and enthusiasm of all participants,” said the Commander of the Task Group, CAPT Steve McDowall.

“The exercise promised to be the best Kakadu yet, and I feel we have achieved previously unattained levels of professionalism and interoperability,” he said.

CAPT McDowall also said that Navy could take a lot of confidence from the excellent training all participants received during the exercise.

Exercise Kakadu VII began with a harbour phase in Darwin and progressed through to a graduated phase of individual ship work ups to more demanding combined naval and air force evolutions.

The exercise culminated in a war exercise phase with different teams facing off and putting their freshly honed skills to test.

Integral to the exercise was the participation of Navy elements from Indonesia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Papua New Guinea. Air Force elements from New Zealand and Singapore also supported the exercise. More than 11 surface craft, a submarine, 30 aircraft and a total of 1,700 personnel – mostly from the RAN and RAAF participated in Kakadu VII.

The truly multi-national nature of Kakadu VII was also reflected in the participation of observers from India, France, Thailand and South Korea.

One of the outstanding successes of the exercise was the highly successful work and levels of interoperability achieved with the Indonesian Navy frigate KRI Fatahilla.

The value of Kakadu was also reflected in visits to participating ships by the Member for Fisher, Peter Slipper, and Member for Charlton, Kelly Hoare. Both visited naval ships and participated in exercise activities as part of the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program.

The program is designed to give Senators and Members an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the Defence Force at a working level. Peter Slipper said: “It was important for us to look through the window at service life.”

According to Kelly Hoare, the exercise was an “amazing experience” that was “a credit to Navy.”

She said she was also impressed with how everyone went about their tasks. CAPT McDowall also agreed that he was fortunate to have a “first class team” working tirelessly to produce significant results.

If readers are still wondering why exercises such as Kakadu VII are so invaluable to the Navy, and Defence generally, the final say should be left to those at the coalface – the engine rooms, bridges, galleys, operation rooms, hangers and flights – of Navy.

HMAS Kanimbla’s AB David Gates said it was great to be on a naval exercise.

“We get to practise what being in the Navy is all about: Skills like boat work, RAS and live firing. Best of all though is at the end of an exercise we then know that we can do all that is required of us, and do it well,” he said.

“To gain that sort of confidence is a great feeling.”

 

 

SUB SUNTAN: HMAS Farncomb buoyed during the harbour phase of the exercise. Photos: LA Owen King	GOOD SHOT: HMAS Ballarat gets some practice firing her five-inch gun during Exercise Kakadu VII. Photo: ABPH Justin Brown

 

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