Taking the long way to Hawaiit
Ships ready for RIMPAC

]Volume 49, No 11, June 29, 2006

PREPARATION: Sailors onboard HMAS Manoora conduct readiness testing on the F88 Steyr.

Photo: ABPH Paul Berry

By Michael Brooke, CPOMT Claessens and CPOMT Rollinson
With the outgoing commanding officer’s words “take care of her” still ringing in his ears several months after the handover, the new man at the helm of HMAS Manoora stands ready for the next challenge posed by the RAN’s high operational tempo.

Since CMDR Charles McHardie assumed command from CMDR Andrew Rourke on April 7, Manoora has been extremely busy and “only the crew’s high morale and dedication to duty” have enabled her to meet the demanding schedule.

No sooner had Manoora completed her participation in the coalition maritime exercise Croix du Sud in New Caledonia and returned to her homeport at FBE when she was deployed on only a few hours notice to support the Amphibious Readiness Group’s deployment to East Timor.

After Manoora successfully completed her task of landing Australian peacekeepers and their equipment in East Timor, she returned to FBE to prepare for RIMPAC.

Such was the hectic pace of Manoora’s preparation for RIMPAC that her busy crew enjoyed only one day’s leave before departing FBE on June 17 for Hawaii.

HMAS Stuart (CMDR Peter Leavy) will join Manoora at RIMPAC
The Tartan Terror recently visited Auckland (New Zealand), Nuku’alofa (Kingdom of Tonga) and Apia (Samoa) as the ship and her crew continued to increase the pace of preparations for Hawaii.

After an uncomfortable Tasman Sea crossing, Stuart conducted Replenishment At Sea evolutions with, and was led into Auckland harbour by, HMNZS Endeavour.

After spending several days in New Zealand and a further week at sea, Stuart called into Nuku’alofa, Tonga, for the first time.
An official reception was held on the evening of arrival. The next day saw the combination of Stuart and Tongan Defence Services personnel battling out an afternoon of hotly contested soccer and touch rugby matches. Visits to the nearby islands allowed the crew to enjoy the turquoise colours of Fanga’uta Lagoon.

On its next visit, Stuart was led into the Samoan port of Apia by the Samoan patrol boat MV Nafanua.
The third port of Stuart’s five-month deployment provided opportunities for “R and R” and organised sport against the Samoan police.

The Ceremonial Sunset Guard, commanded by SBLT Michael Brown, treated local dignitaries to a superb display of gunfire volleys. Traditional Samoan fire-dancing and cuisine was enjoyed by many of the crew.

Tours of the ship were given to a various groups including local children keen to know more about Stuart’s embarked S70B Seahawk helicopter, Tiger 71.
As this edition of Navy News was going to press, the Tartan Terror was on her final leg to the Hawaiian Islands for RIMPAC.
Multiple daily doses of warfare training, action stations, damage control and flying operations have helped to hone the Terror’s skills to allow her to shine by the time she arrives in Pearl Harbor.

RIMPAC runs from June 26 to July 28 and will help the RAN and her maritime coalition partners make the quantum leap into next-generation naval warfighting.

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