18 May 2025
May 18 marks five years since the commissioning of the air warfare destroyer, HMAS Sydney V.
It was the first ship since World War 2 to be commissioned at sea and came into service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sailors on board celebrated the occasion by looking back at the ship’s journey of more than 130,000 nautical miles.
The legacy of the ship stretches back beyond the 500 days it has spent at sea since commissioning.
Sydney I, a Chatham-class light cruiser, was commissioned in 1913.
The cruiser took part in Navy’s first ship-to-ship engagement in World War 1. Nowadays, its mast is mounted at Bradley’s Head on the north shore of Sydney Harbour.
With past namesakes seeing action in numerous combat zones, Sydney V inherited 14 battle honours when it commissioned.
Some of these include the sinking of Emden (1914), Bartolomeo Colleoni at Cape Spada (1940) and Kormoran (1941), participation in the Korean War (1951-1952), the Vietnam War (1965-1972), Gulf War (1991), East Timor (1999) and the war in Iraq (2003).
The ship is living up to its motto, ‘Thorough and Ready’, while on an Indo-Pacific regional presence deployment.
'This is a special day for all who have served in Sydney, and it is my honour to share this special event with the current ship's company.'
Unlike its first anniversary, which was marked with a barbecue in waters off San Francisco, this year’s anniversary was spent at sea, celebrating with a huge birthday cake baked by the talented chefs.
Commanding Officer Sydney V Commander Ben Weller was the first to cut the birthday cake.
“This is a special day for all who have served in Sydney, and it is my honour to share this special event with the current ship's company,” Commander Weller said.
“I am very proud of their tireless efforts and dedication to themselves, their ship mates and the mission; they are continuing the momentous Sydney legacy.
“I cannot thank our families enough for their care and support during our time away from home in order to fulfil our tasking.”
One person who has a particular strong affinity to the ship is Able Seaman Harley Orpin. He spent two days in a chair getting an impressive Sydney V tattoo on his arm.
“If you look closely, you’ll see there’s something a little bit different on the forecastle … the gun’s not from this ship, it’s actually from Sydney II,” Able Seaman Orpin said.
Sydney V is the last of three Hobart-class guided missile destroyers built by the Air Warfare Alliance in Adelaide.
Over the past five years, Sydney V has deployed far and wide – participating in multinational exercises such as RIMPAC, Pacific Vanguard and Talisman Sabre, and sailing alongside regional and global partners to promote security, cooperation and peace.
From conducting live missile firings to strengthening Australia’s partnerships across the Indo-Pacific, Sydney V has consistently delivered on its mission with professionalism and pride, and will do so for many more years to come.
