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 of information of interest, not just to the extended navy community of Victoria,
serving and ex-serving, but also to the wider Australian navy community.
Latest News for our Navy Network

Download the June edition of our newsletter BROADSIDE
 
  29 June
Coast Guard Recovers Titan Debris, Including Potential Human Remains
The Coast Guard has potentially recovered the remains of the five passengers who died aboard the Titan submersible after it imploded while attempting to visit the wreck of RMS Titanic.  The Coast Guard on Wednesday took possession of debris and evidence from the seafloor belonging to Titan after M/V Horizon Arctic, the ship that deployed a remotely operated vehicle that found pieces of the submersible, arrived in St. Johns, Newfoundland, according to a news release from the Coast Guard.  Horizon Arctic‘s ROV was able to recover pieces of Titan, including its tail cone, which allowed the Coast Guard to conclude that the submersible likely imploded.  The Navy’s underwater detection systems also picked up a noise that was likely the Titan implosion.  More.....
29 June
Personnel push-up for mental health
Fifteen sailors and officers took part in the Push-Up Challenge for mental health, raising over $3300 for Lifeline.  The Maritime Geospatial Warfare Unit personnel each completed 3144 push-ups from June 1-23, with each push-up marking the life of an Australian who lost their battle with mental ill-health in 2021.  Each day’s total push-ups varied in line with key statistics regarding mental health in Australia.  The unit also had critical conversations about mental health.  More.....
29 June
French Destroyer presence in South China Sea shows France’ Support for Liberty of Navigation
France has assured nations with territorial claims in the South China Sea they will not get involved to fuel the situation, citing the deployment of the newest ship in the Marine Nationale (French Navy) is not an aggressive and provocative action, France's military operations chief in the Asia-Pacific region said Wednesday.  Rear Admiral Geoffroy d’Andigné, Joint Commander of the French Forces in the Asia-Pacific (ALPACI) and Commander of the French Polynesia maritime zones, told reporters during a press briefing aboard the French Destroyer Lorraine their presence in the South China Sea showed their support for liberty of navigation.  More.....
28 June
Japan, Australia Drill Together in South China Sea for Trident Exercise
Australian and Japanese forces conducted exercise Trident 2023 over the weekend in the South China Sea.  The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force participated in the exercise as part of its Indo-Pacific Deployment 2023. The exercise followed a port visit in Vietnam.  JMSDF helicopter destroyer JS Izumo (DDH-183) and destroyer JS Samidare (DD-106), which form the main body of the first surface unit of IPD23, carried out the exercise with Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Anzac (FFH150) and a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) in the South China Sea, according to a Tuesday JMSDF release. The exercise focused on tactical operations, including anti-surface and anti-air warfare.  More.....
28 June
A century of fighting fit
Physical Training Instructors (PTIs) don’t march on parade, they run.  It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, but those in the know say it comes from the Royal Navy.  Same with the dress.  The crossed-clubs emblem on their student uniform dates back to the mid-1800s and the use of Indian clubs for strength training.  The newest graduates of ADF Physical Training School at HMAS Cerberus wore their training gear for the final time last month, before showing off the latest edition to their wardrobe: PTI hats, shirts and shorts.  More.....
28 June
Aiming for perfect landings from sea and air
The Whitsundays were the perfect setting last week for the start of the Australian Defence Force’s largest amphibious exercises in North Queensland.   The ability for the ADF to function in a joint environment will be tested across the Sea Series of exercises - Sea Explorer and Raider - with a full range of capabilities including infantry, armour, artillery, naval, aviation and logistics elements in a complicated littoral environment.  More.....
27 June
Strengthening partnerships at sea and ashore
From South Korea to Japan, HMAS Anzac has continued to conduct important exercises, operations and engagement activities.  The crew supported an exercise off the coast of South Korea, conducted a series of cooperative activities at sea with other navies and conducted monitoring and surveillance as part of Operation Argos.  A port visit to Kure, Japan, afforded the crew an opportunity to rest, recuperate and explore the sights and sounds of the thriving port city.  More.....
27 June
Patrol boats welcomed to homeport
Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Cape Naturaliste and ADV Cape Capricorn have officially been welcomed to their homeport of HMAS Coonawarra with a ceremony conducted at Larrakeyah Defence Precinct.  On June 20 the crews of Naturaliste and Capricorn were led by their respective Commanding Officers – Lieutenant Commander Jeremy Evain and Lieutenant Commander Alec Fieldsend – in parade past Reviewing Officer Captain Simon Cannell, Commander Mine Warfare, Clearance Diving, Hydrographic, Meteorological, Oceanographic and Patrol Force.  More.....
27 June
Navy's newest ship opens to visitors
HMAS Sydney opened the gangway to more than 1600 visitors during a recent port visit to Fremantle.  Visitors came to see one of the Navy’s newest and most advanced warships during its first visit to Western Australia.  The crew of Sydney were proud to show off their ship, with locals taking the opportunity to take tour the ship, and gain hands on experience with damage control and small arms displays on the flight deck.  More.....
BROADSIDE - June 2023 Edition
NOTE:
  To read Broadside in Flipbook form, click on the "Full Screen" button.

27 June
Increased supports for Defence families
The Government is continuing to invest in Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and their families through improved health and wellbeing services.  The recently announced Defence Strategic Review reinforced that personnel are our most important capability, and the importance of investing in the growth and retention of a highly skilled Defence workforce.  We’re prioritising Defence people, and their families.  That’s why Defence families will have access to increased allowances and more health and wellbeing services under a further expanded ADF Family Health Program from 1 July.  More.....
26 June
Stress control canine in trials with US Navy
The US Navy has begun trialling the use of an expanded operational stress control canine on the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.  Sage, a three-year-old Labrador Retriever, has been specially trained to help sailors cope with stress associated with deployment and to provide comfort and morale boost as part of the ship’s warfighter toughness mental health and resiliency team.  The USS Gerald R. Ford’s facility dog begun the pilot program throughout a deployment earlier this month in the Mediterranean Sea.  More.....
26 June
HMA ships Adelaide and Choules depart for Exercise Sea Explorer
In June 2023 the Australian Defence Force conducted Exercise Sea Explorer across the coast of North Queensland.

26 June
No one knows the cost of Titan submersible search for US military
The cost of the unprecedented search for the missing Titan submersible will easily stretch into the millions of dollars, experts said Friday.  The massive international effort by aircraft, surface ships and deep-sea robots began Sunday when the Titan was reported missing.  Searchers raced against a 96-hour clock in the desperate hope to find and rescue the vessel’s occupants before their oxygen supply ran out.  But all hope was extinguished Thursday when officials announced the submersible had suffered a catastrophic implosion, killing all five aboard.  More.....
23 June
HMA Ships Benalla, Shepparton to be replaced by unmanned vessels
Remotely controlled unmanned vessels with autopilot capabilities will replace naval ships HMA Ships Benalla and Shepparton, which were decommissioned earlier this month.  The Paluma Class vessels were based at HMAS Cairns and operated as pairs to collect data regarding the charting of Australia’s northern coastline for more than 30 years.  They make way for robots, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence that will form the Navy’s new optimised hydrographic survey capability.  More.....
22 June
Russian Navy Attempts To Disguise Its Most Powerful Warship In Black Sea
One of the Russian Navy’s two Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates in the Black Sea has received a radical new paint scheme.  Satellite images confirm that the bow and stern have been painted out.  The dark paint applied over the uniform gray scheme is intended to deceive the onlooker.  The attempt at deceptive camouflage is likely a response to the Ukrainian Navy’s maritime drone threat.  These use cameras to identify the target.  Possibly the scheme is intended to confuse the drone operators into mistaking it for a less valuable target.  The satellite images, from Planet, were shared online by Ukraine war observer MT Anderson.  More.....
22 June
UPDATED: Titan Submersible Debris Found Near Titanic Wreck; Navy Sensors Detected Implosion
The remains of the Titan submersible were found 1,600 feet away from the wreck of the RMS Titanic in what the Coast Guard is calling a catastrophic implosion.  Speaking at a Thursday afternoon press conference, Rear Adm. John Mauger, commander of the First Coast Guard District, said that parts of the submersible, including the tail cone, were found by a remotely operated vehicle.  The debris indicates that the submersible likely experienced a failure, which ultimately resulted in the deaths of the five passengers aboard, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush.  “The debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber,” he said.  More.....
22 June
Austal delivers fifth evolved Cape-class patrol boat to RAN
The 58-metre aluminium monohull patrol boat, the ADV Cape Woolamai, is the fifth of eight to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy since the project commenced in May 2020.  The vessel was launched in February this year.  The first four evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats, Cape Otway, Cape Peron, Cape Naturaliste, and Cape Capricorn were delivered within a twelve-month period, from March 2022.  More.....
21 June
Report to Congress on AUKUS Progress
From the report

AUKUS Pillar 2 refers to a suite of cooperative activities conducted by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia to develop and field “advanced capabilities” under the AUKUS security pact.  To date, Pillar 2 activities have been coordinated among the three governments by means of working groups.  Eight such groups are currently active; six of them address technological areas, and the remaining two address broader functional areas. The current working groups are:  More.....
21 June
HII execs visit Australia, prepping for ‘generational partnership’ for AUKUS
Executives of the company that builds half of America’s Virginia-class submarines are paying their first visit to Australia since the AUKUS announcement, touring the facilities at sub base HMAS Stirling, visiting the yards near Adelaide and ending with time in Canberra to speak with key political leaders.  “We very much view this as a generational partnership, one that we’re leaning into, and one that we believe will help generate capability and capacity in Australia,” Eric Chewning, HII’s executive vice president for strategy and development, told a group of reporters.  More.....
21 June
Submariners take a step in the right direction
On a picturesque spring day in the United Kingdom, a team of Australian submariners participated in a 40-mile (60km) walking event to support charities in the Cumbria community.  The submariners walked from Keswick to Barrow (K2B) – an idea sparked in 1966, while Royal Navy submarine HMS Resolution was under construction at the Barrow shipyard.  The submarine installation manager challenged the commanding officer of Resolution to form a team and walk from Keswick to Barrow, with the aim of building relationships between the submarine crew and shipyard workers.  More.....
20 June
Sailor shoots for the stars
A lack of available apprenticeships in Townsville almost put an early end to Leading Seaman Esther Melvin’s career aspirations when she moved there in 2014.  She wanted to be an electrician, and it was an ad for Navy trades discovered by her mum that provided the initial spark to join.  Leading Seaman Melvin was drawn to the water and thought being paid full-time to learn what she wanted was an opportunity too good to pass up.  More.....
20 June
Canada steps up naval deployments and exercises in Indo-Pacific
The Canadian government will step up naval deployments and investment in the Indo-Pacific as part of a new national strategy to promote a more influential “bigger footprint” beginning this year.  The country will boost its annual naval deployments in the Indo-Pacific from two warships to three, deploy two additional frigates to the Pacific coast in the summer and increase multilateral exercise participation, according to Canadian Minister of National Defence Anita Anand.  More.....
20 June
Ship returns to smiles and waves
HMAS Toowoomba has been welcomed back to its home port of Fleet Base West, following a period of operations and international engagements.  During the deployment, Toowoomba performed border protection duties as part of Operation Resolute, participated in Exercise Komodo and represented the Royal Australian Navy at the International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX) in Singapore.  The recently upgraded Anzac-class frigate’s service in Resolute was part of the ADF’s contribution to protecting Australia's borders and offshore maritime interests under Maritime Border Command.  More.....
19 June
Humble personnel lead the way at Invictus Games
Flight Sergeant Nathan King and Able Seaman Taryn Dickens have been announced as the co-captains of Team Australia for Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023.  The duo will lead the combined team of 31 current and former military personnel, along with more than 90 of their family and friends, at the Games from September 9-16.  Able Seaman Dickens, a weapons rate electronics technician who is currently posted to HMAS Harman, said she was excited but surprised to be named a team captain.  More.....
19 June
Awards worth winning for reservists
Applications are open for the 2024 Prince of Wales Awards, which recognise the contribution made by reservists and their civilian employers to Defence capability.  Award-winning reservists from each state and territory receive financial assistance of up to $10,000 to undertake a professional development activity that directly benefits their civilian employment or profession.  Previous winners, which have been running for 39 years, have travelled internationally to attend universities and completed world-renowned courses in their specialised fields.  More.....
19 June
Next-gen missilemen ready to fire
The first guided missile Navy took to sea was the Seacat in the 1960s, on board the brand-new destroyer HMAS Derwent.  The anti-air weapon, manually steered using a joystick, was cutting-edge technology at the time and ushered in Navy’s missile age.  Now, with the transition to long-range precision guided weaponry, the targeting and control of missiles has evolved to precise and accurate placement of targets via precise point mensuration (PPM), a process in which the first two sailors were certified recently.  More.....
19 June
U.S., Canadian Coast Guards Searching for 5 Aboard Missing Submersible on Titanic Dive
The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard are searching for five people who were aboard a submersible that was reported missing Sunday afternoon, officials have told USNI News.  The submersible was reported missing around 6 p.m. and was carrying five on an expedition for an undersea tour of the wreck of RMS Titanic about 1 hour and 45 minutes into the dive.  More.....
16 June
Navy rescues injured mariner
HMAS Sydney personnel have conducted a medical evacuation of a civilian mariner from an oil tanker, hundreds of nautical miles off the West Australian coast.  The initial request for Navy Maritime Operations assistance came from the Rescue Coordination Centre Australia within the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.  With advanced on-board medical capabilities, speed and range, Sydney was promptly re-tasked from training exercises at sea and directed by Maritime Operations to render assistance.  More.....
16 June
Long Tan Bursaries awarded to veteran families
50 years on from the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War, the advocacy of Vietnam veterans lives on.  In recognition of the sacrifices made by Vietnam veteran families, the Long Tan Bursary was established to provide the descendants of Vietnam veterans with support for the cost of tertiary education, ensuring they gain the skills and qualifications needed to pursue their chosen career.  In 2023, thirty-seven children and grandchildren of Vietnam veterans have been awarded $12,000 bursaries to continue their education post-secondary school.  More.....
15 June
Brett Crozier, ‘maverick’ fired as carrier CO, wouldn’t change a thing
These days, retired Navy Capt. Brett Crozier comes across as a man who accepts the decisions he made to save his sailors in 2020, ending his military career in the process.  Crozier knew the possible consequences of sending that March 2020 email from Guam to higher-ups while he was commanding the COVID-stricken aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, a message in which he begged Big Navy to speed up its efforts to get his sailors off the ship during those uncertain early days of the pandemic.  “We are not at war.  Sailors do not need to die,” Crozier wrote in the message.  “If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our Sailors.”  More.....
15 June
High-flyer boosts aerial workforce
Optimising Navy’s future uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) workforce was just one of the achievements that landed Lieutenant Fiona Nguyen a Conspicuous Service Medal (CSM) in this year’s King’s Birthday awards.  Lieutenant Nguyen was acknowledged for producing "an exemplar of workforce plans" after her recommendations on growing Navy’s UAS personnel to more than 170.  She engaged with many stakeholders to find the best way to optimise the workforce and provided capability sponsors with significant market analysis on UAS equipment.  More.....
14 June
US military granted unimpeded access to key Papua New Guinea defence facilities in new security agreement
The United States military has been given "unimpeded access" to key PNG defence facilities, including the joint PNG-Australia Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island, as part of a sweeping Defence Cooperation Agreement.  The 15-year agreement has been made public for the first time since it was signed last month after it was tabled in PNG's parliament.  The agreement grants "unimpeded access" for "mutually agreed activities" to facilities including the Lombrum Naval base, the Port Moresby Seaport, as well as airports in Port Moresby, Lae and Momote.  More.....
14 June
ADF Cadets Kings Birthday Government House, Sydney
Cadets from the Australian Navy, Army and Air Force made up the Royal Guard at the King’s Birthday Ceremonial Parade at Government House on 10 June 2023.

14 June
$20 Million in Grant Funding for improved Veteran and Families Support
With so many organisations around the country doing fantastic work to support the wellbeing of veterans and families, the Australian Government is delivering a $20 million targeted funding program to improve veteran and families services, supports and coordination at local and regional levels.  This one-off program will complement and build on the existing Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veterans’ & Families Hub program, in support of large scale projects that will benefit the health and wellbeing of veterans and families.  Ex-service and veteran focused organisations will be invited to apply for grants ranging between $150,000 and $5 million to benefit local veteran communities.  More.....
14 June
Meet Amelia, the US Navy’s conversational AI tech-support tool
The U.S. Navy will begin rolling out a conversational artificial intelligence program known as “Amelia” that’s capable of troubleshooting and resolving the most commonly asked tech-support questions from sailors, Marines and civilian personnel.  The full rollout, expected in August, is the latest step in the $136 million Navy Enterprise Service Desk venture, meant to modernize and consolidate more than 90 IT help desks into one central node.  Sailors, Marines and civilians with a common access card and who can be verified through the Global Federated User Directory will be able to contact Amelia via phone or text.  More.....
13 June
House committee boosts shipbuilding plans despite budget caps
A panel of House lawmakers has previewed a shipbuilding spending plan above what the Navy requested for fiscal 2024, but it’s unclear how the government might pay for additional ships and submarines following the bipartisan budget agreement reached this spring to avoid a debt ceiling breach.  The House Armed Services Committee included in its annual defense policy bill an amphibious warship the Marine Corps wants but the Navy did not request, and provided authorization to buy 13 attack submarines over the next five years instead of the request for 10.  More.....
13 June
Always striving to do better
Not happy with the status quo, Petty Officer Nathan Spilling’s drive to do better was infectious.  The then senior maintainer was instrumental in bringing a culture of initiative to his communications workshop, resulting in a significant increase in tasks completed per maintenance period.  His work was recognised this month, receiving a Conspicuous Service Medal for his achievements while posted to Fleet Support Unit (FSU) – South East.  “We kept pushing to do more and showing that we wanted to do more,” Petty Officer Spilling said.  More.....
12 June
King’s list honours exceptional personnel
A broad range of outstanding contributions to Defence have been recognised through awards announced in the King’s Birthday honours list.  This year’s honours and awards list recognises 72 ADF personnel – 19 in the Order of Australia’s military division and 53 for distinguished and conspicuous service, as well as a Public Service Medal recipient.  The Chief of Navy, the most senior woman in the Australian Army and an “aviator of rare skill and ability” lead the list.  More.....
09 June
London service honours historic links
In a remarkable service in London, an Australian WW2 veteran presented a Royal Navy ensign to the captain of Britain’s most powerful warship, aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.  Overseeing the presentation, Australian Submarine Task Force’s UK Liaison Officer Commodore Allison Norris said the link between Australia and Prince of Wales was a personal one.  “The relationship goes back to World War 2, when retired Australian Rear Admiral Guy Griffiths was starting his career,” she said.  Rear Admiral Griffiths’ formidable career began as a midshipman in 1937.  “I’ve seen a few scraps in my time,” he said.  More.....
09 June
Final Bluebottle surveillance craft welcomed to Navy fleet
The Royal Australian Navy has welcomed its fifth and final Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessel during a meeting of manufacturer staff, Navy personnel, and Assistant Minister for Defence Matt Thistlethwaite.  Bluebottle manufacturer Ocius Technology showcased the fifth edition of its seven-metre-long autonomous solution for maritime surveillance in Randwick, Sydney on 9 June.  The craft is powered by three propulsion units using wind, waves and the sun; as it covers long distances and stays at sea for extended periods of time.  More.....
09 June
House Dems introduce bill to allow Virginia sub transfer to Aussies
Three Democratic House lawmakers today introduced legislation aimed at granting the necessary authorities for the United States to transfer Virginia-class fast attack submarines to Australia as part of the trilateral security agreement dubbed AUKUS.  The bill, the AUKUS Undersea Defense Act, was introduced by Rep. Gregory Meeks N.Y. and sponsored by Reps. Joe Courtney, Conn. and Ami Bera, Calif.  In addition to providing authorities for the submarines to be transferred, the legislation would also enable the US to train Australian private sector defense personnel and integrate Australian financial contributions to the US defense industrial base.  More.....
09 June
U.K. Considering Adding Catapults, Arresting Gear to Aircraft Carriers
The U.K. Royal Navy is studying the introduction of aircraft launch and recovery systems onboard its two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers to “open up” the flight deck to a broader range of crewed and uncrewed air systems.  Speaking at the Defence Leaders’ Combined Naval Event 2023 conference in Farnborough on May 24, U.K. Royal Marine Col. Phil Kelly, the head of carrier strike and maritime aviation within the Royal Navy’s Develop Directorate, outlined a plan to retrofit the arresting gear and assisted launch equipment as part of a broader Future Maritime Aviation Force (FMAF) vision.  More.....
09 June
Royal Navy protects world’s largest warship in Arctic exercise
The Royal Navy formed a protective ring of steel around the world’s largest warship in the Arctic Circle during combined security exercises in the high north.  Submarine hunter HMS Northumberland, Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender and tanker RFA Tideforce are well-versed in escorting Britain’s aircraft carriers, and joined the US Navy’s Carrier Strike Group 12, whose flagship is the largest warship ever built, the goliath USS Gerald R Ford.  More.....
09 June
Inspiring journey of a passionate engineer
Captain Sean Feenan's Navy career is characterised by his dedication, humility and passion for engineering.  At the age of 16, he attended night school to improve his maths skills before joining the Navy in January 1986 as an apprentice marine technical hull.  Although he was identified as having the potential to become a naval officer early in his career, his primary focus was to obtain a trade and finish what he started.  More.....
07 June
I spy with my little eye:  BAE presentation reveals interesting next-gen Destroyer concept
Australia isn’t alone in facing questions about the amount of firepower available to our surface fleet and recognising this, it appears that BAE Systems has been quietly working away on a next-generation destroyer concept building on the Type 26 base, with some impressive results.  As an island nation, Australia’s sovereignty, security, and prosperity is intrinsically linked to our maritime surrounds and the uncontested and unmolested access to the global maritime commons.  More.....
07 June
Memorial service marks Sydney sub attack
On the evening of May 31, 1942, a distant war was delivered to Sydney’s doorstep.  Three Imperial Japanese Navy midget submarines entered Sydney Harbour to target allied warships.  One torpedo aimed at the American heavy cruiser USS Chicago missed its intended target and sank the converted Sydney ferry HMAS Kuttabul.  The attack resulted in the deaths of 19 Royal Australian Navy sailors and two Royal Navy sailors who were asleep on board Kuttabul.  More.....
07 June
Launny's crew bids emotional farewell
Ship’s company, VIPs and onlookers said farewell to 15-year-old HMAS Launceston, as the vessel was decommissioned at HMAS Coonwarra in Darwin on June 1.  Launceston is the latest Armidale-class patrol boat to be decommissioned, and has conducted a wide variety of operations alongside Australian Border Force, Australian Fisheries and the Australian Federal Police.  Commanding Officer Launceston Lieutenant Commander Adrian Hicks said he felt privileged to be ship's final commanding officer.  More.....
07 June
The power of knowing your people
In 1995, a young able seaman writer from Ballarat joined HMAS Perth, and was put to work maintaining technical publications.  Like many of the 18-year-old sailors living on board in those days, Able Seaman Dennis Bentley found himself frequenting pubs and clubs with his messmates and spending a significant portion of his salary out on the town.  As a country boy, living in a big city like Sydney with all of the entertainment and attractions, it was a hard temptation to resist, albeit a fascinating and amazing experience for a young sailor.  More.....
06 June
Sailor brings vital skills ashore
A career at sea has proved to be a perfect training ground for Petty Officer Rachel Lauchlan, as she now supports other ADF members ahead of their overseas deployments.  Petty Officer Lauchlan had done numerous sea postings in her 15-year career with Navy, before recently moving to a joint role as a training coordinator with 39th Operational Support Battalion (39OSB).  She said the move from a sea to land posting has given her a new perspective on her career.  More.....
06 June
Britain, Germany give update on future Indo-Pacific naval deployments
The defense ministers of Germany and the United Kingdom have pledged to keep up their respective military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, while also outlining their plans for military deployments, at a regional security summit in Singapore.  Britain’s Ben Wallace and Germany’s Oscar Pistorius were speaking at their respective plenaries during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, an event organized by the International Institute of Strategic Studies that ran June 2-4.  More.....
06 June
US Navy says Iran boats ‘harassed’ ship in Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. Navy said Monday its sailors and the United Kingdom Royal Navy came to the aid of a ship in the crucial Strait of Hormuz after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard “harassed” it.  Three fast-attack Guard vessels with armed troops aboard approached the merchant ship at a close distance Sunday afternoon, the U.S. Navy said in a statement.  It offered black-and-white images it said came from a U.S. Navy Boeing P-8 Poseidon overhead, which showed three small ships close to the commercial ship.  More.....
06 June
Australian Navy Cadets join HMAS Adelaide for a sea ride
Sixty Australian Navy Cadets (ANC) supported by ANC staff and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) staff joined HMAS Adelaide for a sea ride between Sydney and Melbourne to experience what life is like at sea. The cadets split into groups and worked their way around the various departments with a focus on Maritime Operations, Maritime Support and Maritime Engineering.

06 June
AUKUS: three partners, two pillars, one problem
Much of the AUKUS discussion to date has focused on Pillar 1, the trilateral effort to support Australia acquiring conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.  Yet achieving Pillar 2, the technology programs, is arguably both of greater long-term value and more strategically challenging.  Pillar 2 aims to enhance the US, UK and Australia’s technological edge—and, implicitly, to counter China’s technological advancements—by pooling resources in advanced military capability areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cyber technology, undersea capabilities, hypersonics and counter-hypersonics, electronic warfare, and information-sharing.  More.....
05 June
Career on the move after gap year
With a career where she never stops learning, Leading Seaman Marine Technician Ginger Pigot gets to visit foreign cities as a senior propulsion maintainer on board HMAS Anzac.  Specialising in electricity within the marine engineering department, Leading Seaman Pigot and her shipmates look after everything that makes the ship move.  This includes many of the things required to live comfortably at sea including bathrooms and showers, refrigerators, laundry and the galley.  “We always take a lot of care of all of our equipment to try and prevent defects. We don’t like defects,” she said.  More.....
05 June
Trilateral response to Top End "disaster"
Australian forces joined partner forces from the United States and Indonesia for a major international humanitarian aid and disaster relief exercise.  Exercise Crocodile Response, designed to enhance interoperability, was conducted in Indonesia and Australia, concluding in the Northern Territory.  Commander Headquarters Northern Command, Royal Australian Navy Captain Mitchell Livingstone, said military representatives and government agencies shared and refined their combined disaster relief skills during complex scenarios.  More.....
05 June
Navy divers assist with massive cocaine bust
Navy clearance divers have assisted Australian Border Force, Australian Federal Police and Western Australian Police Force in a joint operation resulting in the seizure of about 800kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of $AUD320 million.  The Western Australian-based Australian Clearance Diving Team Four responded to a request from Australian Border Force to search a flooded ballast tank in the 32,000-tonne Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier MV St Pinot, detained while berthed at the bulk terminal at Kwinana, WA.  More.....
03 June
Defence Community Dogs
A helping paw goes a long way!
We love seeing the smiles and joy that Defence Community Dogs bring out in our people. We hear from Able Seaman Taryn Dickens on how being paired with her dog, Gigi, has helped her serve as part of the Navy, despite having a vision impairment.

June
OUR JUNE HERO
AB Francis Joseph McGOVERN OAM

Frank McGovern was born on 01 October 1919 in Paddington, Sydney, NSW. He grew up playing cricket and hockey in the back lanes, attending the Christian Brothers’ School in Edgecliff then the Marist Brothers High School at Darlinghurst. He began looking for his first job just after the Great Depression and started at Winns department store in Oxford Street. He then worked for the board of water supply from 1936 until he enlisted just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War.

In 1939 when, aged nineteen, he and a group of mates decided to enlist in the Naval Reservists, describing his service experience simply as “quite good prior to the war”. Initially deployed with the HMAS Westralia for eighteen months, Frank later joined his older brother Vincent, who worked in the engine rooms on the HMAS Perth. The ships were regularly tasked with convoy and patrol duties in the Pacific.

Sydney Morning Herald - 25 May 2023
World War Two’s great survivor dies at 103
FRANK McGOVERN: October 1, 1919 - May 24, 2023


World War Two veteran Frank McGovern, the last survivor of HMAS Perth, has died in Randwick Rehabilitation Hospital aged 103. He was an Able Seaman sunk in Perth by a Japanese convoy in 1942, then spent two years on Thai/Burma railway as a POW. He was sunk again in the Philippine Sea by a US submarine and bombed while working in Kawasaki as a forced labourer.

The true remarkable element of Frank McGovern’s wartime experience lies not only in the extraordinary level of endurance he exhibited in his six and a half years of service, three and a half of which were spent in Japanese POW camps, but the number of times in which he narrowly evaded death.
Read this fascinating story in our Hero Section.....
02 June
Chinese ship accused of looting iconic WWII shipwrecks
An illegal Chinese salvage operation seized by Malaysian authorities Sunday is suspected to have looted two iconic World War II shipwrecks, USNI first reported.  Scrap steel, aluminum, brass fittings and ammunition believed to have belonged to the British ships HMS Prince of Wales and the HMS Repulse — both designated war graves — were discovered by Malaysian authorities aboard the Chinese cargo ship Chuan Hong 68, according to the BBC.  The ship was boarded and searched after authorities found the vessel was not authorized to anchor in the waters under Malaysian jurisdiction.  More.....
02 June
HMS Defender destroys drone in exercise which paves the way for future of air defence at sea
A Royal Navy warship destroyed a jet drone during the world’s largest test of naval and missile defences.  HMS Defender deployed to Scotland’s Outer Hebrides for Formidable Shield 2023 to test missiles, systems, sensors and software against ballistic, subsonic and supersonic targets, alongside 13 NATO and partner nations.  The Type 45 led the Royal Navy’s participation as a dedicated air defence destroyer designed to shield a task group, culminating in a firing of her Sea Viper missile system – the £1bn warship’s primary weapon – during a mission to locate, and destroy a drone designed to be difficult to track and intercept.  More.....
02 June
Memorial honours Indigenous service
Indigenous soldiers have been honoured for their sacrifice during annual ceremony in Sydney’s Hyde Park.  In 1941, a German spy, disguised as an Australian, sent soldiers from the 2nd and 15th Battalion into a German trap.  Among them was Private Eddie Albert, a Yidinji Girramay man from North Queensland, who escaped a POW camp and cheated death when his group was recaptured and three executed.  More.....
02 June
Chaplain values a Tongan homecoming
In a reunion that bridged generations, Royal Australia Navy Officer Chaplain Simote Finau recently returned to his childhood school in Tonga to share his story and offer guidance to students.  Visiting the Pacific Island nations of Samoa and Tonga in support of Operation Solania, Chaplain Finau embarked on a personal mission to reconnect with his roots.  Chaplain Finau shared his unique experiences as an ADF Chaplain with the students at Tonga College, in the village of Ha’ateiho, Tongatapu.  More.....
BROADSIDE - May 2023 Edition
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DIARY OF EVENTS
(What's happening around Victoria)
Please refer to our Calendar
for full details of the coming
events listed below.

05 May – 1230 – HMAS Castlemaine Service – Shrine Sanctuary

07 May – 1200 – Battle of the Coral Sea Service – Shrine Cenotaph

20 May – 1130 – Battle of Crete & Greek Service – Shrine – Cenotaph

22 May – 1900 – NHSA meeting – Waverley RSL

31 May – 1100 – Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service – Shrine – Cenotaph

14 Jun – 1200 – NWOA luncheon – Angliss Restaurant

18 Jun – 1100 – N Class destroyers Service – Shrine – Sanctuary




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