Briefs

• South African
  Seapower Cape Town Symposium
  
  Sixteen African navies and coastguards were represented at an inaugural ‘Seapower for Africa’ symposium in Cape Town late last month.
  
  The navy chiefs will in future meet regularly to discuss the maritime interests and concerns affecting the continent. The next symposium will be held in Nigeria in 2006.
  
  
• New DCO website
  For ADF members and families
  
  DCO has launched a new web site to better ensure that its programs and services are accessible to all Defence members and their families.
  
  The site covers such subjects as postings and relocation, deployment and training, wellbeing and crises, bereavement and leaving Defence.
  
  The site can be found at www.defence.gov. au/dco.
  
  
• New Indonesia patrol aircraft
  First pilots train
  
  Indonesia will receive seven M28 maritime patrol aircraft by the end of 2006 under a new contract signed last month. They will be equipped with PIT ARS-400M radars and the first pilots are expected to be trained by the end of this year. Indonesia also received its first NC- 212 maritime patrol aircraft in May this year and will receive another two by the end of the year.
  
  
• India Russia to join forces
  Naval exercises set for next month
  
  India and Russian forces will conduct naval exercises next month in the Bay of Bengal. A Russian Akula-class Type 971 nuclear submarine will take part in the exercise.
  
  India is believed to have entered into an agreement with Russian to purchase two Akula-class boats. The first Akula is expected to enter service around 2006-7 and the second 18-24 months after that.

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