24 July 2025
If HMAS Sydney looked like it was sailing with a twin, that’s because it was.
The Royal Australian Navy’s guided missile destroyer sailed with Spain’s ESPS Méndez Núñez as part of the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group deployment.
Both warships were built by Spanish shipbuilder Navantia and share the same hull design. The difference is that they were commissioned 14 years apart.
While at sea, the crews of both ships were able to take part in a cross-deck experience.
Crews traded ship patches and ball caps, as is tradition, with a few sailors proudly donning each other’s insignia in the passageways.
The exchange was especially meaningful for Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO) Daniel Saco Goday, of Méndez Núñez, as it marked his first time in an Australian warship.
“It’s like stepping back in time,” SCPO Saco Goday said.
“Sydney’s only five years old, while our ship entered service in 2006 so it looks like there are improvements on board.”
The Spanish sailor felt comfortable on board the Australian ship, already knowing exactly where everything was.
“I am jealous of Sydney’s gym," he said. "Ours is in a different area of the ship and a bit smaller than this one.”
On the flip side, Australian sailors spent the day on board Méndez Núñez, and for maritime logistics chef Able Seaman Kedsara Sathukan, the experience was surreal.
“Méndez Núñez had the same vibes as HMAS Sydney, but it was almost like travelling to an alternate universe,” Able Seaman Sathukan said.
“The walls were painted a bit brighter than our ship and there were dried sausages hanging up in the junior sailors (mess).
“Something else their ship had that I wish we had on board Sydney was legs of ham, like you could carve and eat it whenever you felt like it.”
The two ships continued sailing with the Carrier Strike Group before joining Australia’s largest bilateral military exercise, Talisman Sabre.
