RIMPAC 2008
| 08 July 2008 RIMPAC 08 MINDEF Visit HMAS Waller The Minister for Defence, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, will visit the US from 6 to 16 July 2008, taking in Hawaii, Texas, New York and Washington. The purpose of the Minister’s visit is to reaffirm the strength of Australia’s bilateral relationship with the US and to advance Australia’s security, defence and foreign policy interests in the Asia-Pacific region. In Hawaii, the Minister will attend roundtable discussions and meet with the Commander of the US Pacific Command, whom he met with during the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations in Canberra earlier this year. The Minister will also visit HMAS Waller, a Royal Australian Navy Collins Class submarine and the ANZAC class frigate, HMAS ANZAC, which are part of Australia’s fleet participating in Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), a combined and joint exercise of 10 nations in the Pacific region. |
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| 20080706adf8185016_0012 Commanding Officer HMAS Waller, Commander Brett Sampson (right) welcomes the Minister for Defence, The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP (left) aboard HMAS Waller for a guided tour of the submarine. (Date taken: 06 July 2008) low-res | high-res |
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| 20080706adf8185016_0031 The Minister for Defence, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, will visit the US from 6 to 16 July 2008, taking in Hawaii, Texas, New York and Washington. (Date taken: 06 July 2008) low-res | high-res |
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| 20080706adf8185016_0039 Commanding Officer HMAS Waller, Commander Brett Sampson (right) gives the Minister for Defence, The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP (left) a quick run down on the operation of the submarines periscope during a visit to HMAS Waller in Pearl Harbour. (Date taken: 06 July 2008) low-res | high-res |
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| 20080706adf8185016_0044 Minister for Defence, The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP (left) prepares to take a look at Pearl Harbour through the periscope of HMAS Waller during a guided tour of the submarine. (Date taken: 06 July 2008) low-res | high-res |
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| 20080706adf8185016_0051 Minister for Defence The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP (right), chats with Commodore David Jonston (left) and Lieutenant Commander Jack Tha (center) about life on a submarine during a visit to HMAS Waller in Pearl Harbour. (Date taken: 06 July 2008) low-res | high-res |
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| 20080706adf8185016_0053 The Minister for Defence ,The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP watches on as Chief Petty Officer Tyronn Gunn-Brockhoff (left) explains his role as a weapons console control operator, during a visit to HMAS Waller in Pearl Harbour. (Date taken: 06 July 2008) low-res | high-res |
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| 20080706adf8185016_0060 The Minister for Defence, The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP (right) watches on as Chief Petty Officer Tyronn Gunn-Brockhoff (left) explains his role as a weapons console control operator, during a visit to HMAS Waller in Pearl Harbour. (Date taken: 06 July 2008) low-res | high-res |
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| 20080706adf8185016_0071 The Minister for Defence, The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP (left) chats with the crew of HMAS Waller, during a visit to the submarine while in Pearl Harbour. (Date taken: 06 July 2008) low-res | high-res |
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| 20080706adf8185016_0078 Commanding Officer HMAS Waller, Commander Brett Sampson (right) presents the Minister for Defence, The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP (left) with an HMAS Waller hat during a guided tour of the submarine in Pearl Harbour. (Date taken: 06 July 2008) low-res | high-res |
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| 20080706adf8185016_0091 Minister for Defence, The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP prepares to disembark HMAS Waller through the main hatch after a guided tour of the submarine in Pearl Harbour. (Date taken: 06 July 2008) low-res | high-res |
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