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Latest News for our Navy Network Download the MAY edition of our newsletter BROADSIDE |
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OUR JUNE HERO Vice
Admiral Sir Roy Russell DOWLING, KCVO, KBE, CB, DSORoy Russell Dowling was an outstanding leader in the Royal Australian Navy. Born on 28 May 1901 at Condong, on the Tweed River, NSW, he joined the navy as a teenager and served with great devotion for over forty years. During World War II, Dowling showed incredible courage. In 1942, his ship, HMS Naiad, was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the Egyptian coast, and sank in just over twenty minutes. Dowling remained in the water for an hour and a half before being rescued. Having survived he went on to command the cruiser HMAS Hobart. He led successful island invasions in the Pacific, earning the prestigious Distinguished Service Order for his bold wartime leadership. After the war, Dowling moved into vital planning roles. He served as the Chief of Naval Personnel and by 1955, he rose to become the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS). He successfully guided the fleet through the tense early years of the Cold War. Then in 1959 he became Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), the forerunner of the role of Australia's Chief of Defence Force (CDF). For his outstanding service, he was knighted twice by the Queen. Continue reading about one of Australia’s finest naval heroes..... |
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16 June Last
living USS Indianapolis survivor turns 99Just after midnight on Monday, July 30, 1945, the first Japanese torpedo slammed into the USS Indianapolis’s starboard bow. Then another. Within 12 minutes, the heavy cruiser sank — taking hundreds of its crew with it. Only 316 men of the original 1,195 were alive, making the sinking the greatest loss of life at sea in American military history. Among those 316 sailors was Seaman Second Class Harold Bray, who today is the last living survivor of that wartime catastrophe. More.... |
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15 June Comfort
in the Pacific familyWhen Cook Islands’ Lieutenant Commander Tuariki Henry was growing up on the island of Aitutaki, being on the ocean was his passion. From a young age he wanted a job at sea where he could give back to his community and keep them safe. Because of this, both he and his older brother Kau joined the Police Service, and the proud Cook Islander is now the commanding officer of the Guardian-class patrol boat Te Kukupa II. More.... |
15 June U.K.
Forces Seize Russian Shadow Tanker in English ChannelU.K. forces interdicted a Russian shadow tanker on Sunday in the English Channel, marking the country’s first seizure since announcing in March that the U.K. military had been given authority to interdict and board shadow fleet ships. MT Smyrtos was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency in a military operation that lasted six hours, the Ministry of Defense announced late Sunday. More..... |
15 June HMAS
Sydney departs on regional deployment ahead of RIMPACRoyal Australian Navy Hobart class destroyer HMAS Sydney sailed from Fleet Base East in Sydney Harbour last week commencing the third Regional Presence Deployment for 2026. HMAS Sydney will participate in Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 in the United States next month before sailing onwards for training activities and engagements with allies and partners to maintain Australia’s presence in the Indo-Pacific region. More..... |
15 June AUKUS
submarine force moves closer as HMAS Stirling expansion
acceleratesAustralia, the United States and the United Kingdom have taken another major step towards establishing the AUKUS Submarine Rotational Force - West, with key support infrastructure and personnel arrangements now being put in place at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia. The development marks a significant milestone in the trilateral AUKUS partnership and Australia’s long-term transition towards operating its own conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine fleet. More..... |
12 June Pragmatic
approach reaps rewards for logistics leaderFrom shaping the Navy’s future logistics capability to enabling operations across the joint force, Captain Christopher Searle’s career has been defined by turning strategy into real-world results. As part of the 2026 King’s Birthday honours, Captain Searle was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross for his outstanding service and leadership as Director of Navy Strategic Logistics. More..... |
10 June Navy
sailor lands dream photography gigPerseverance and patience was rewarded when a young creative sailor was given the opportunity to pursue her passion for photography in the Royal Australian Navy. Seaman Imagery Specialist Genae Kelly grew up in Bendigo, Victoria. At 17, she moved to Darwin to complete her schooling, where she learned about the Navy from a close family member. “I finished high school and joined the Navy as a Gap Year sailor,” Seaman Kelly said. More..... |
10 June Crew
is one with ship's missionHMAS Sydney welcomed Head of Navy Capability Rear Admiral Stephen Hughes on board for a missile firing and flight integration before the ship embarked on a regional presence deployment. Rear Admiral Hughes said he was impressed not only with the uplift in capability of the Hobart-class ships, but more importantly how Sydney’s crew had brought to life the aspirations of the Aegis missile systems and upgraded technology on board. More..... |
09 June Task
group elevates cooperation on exerciseThe realistic and complex nature of the Royal Australian Navy’s annual Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise (ASWEX) gave Australian and Japanese participants the ideal environment to hone operational skills and build capabilities. Commander of the Australia Maritime Task Group Captain Darin MacDonald praised all units involved for their dedication to practising and perfecting skills during the week-long activity off Australia’s east coast. More..... |
09 June A
visit to Canberra in SydneyThe family and friends of HMAS Canberra’s ship’s company and NSW government personnel attended an open day in late May as a thank you for their support during this year’s Kakadu Fleet Review. The guests had the unique experience of arriving at the ship via landing craft before being greeted by Canberra’s Commanding Officer Captain David McPherson, who welcomed them on board and gave them a quick brief about the ship and her role in the Royal Australian Navy. More..... |
09 June Building
a digital advantage for DefenceDefence leaders, industry experts, engineers and technology innovators from across Australia came together in Canberra for a pivotal symposium on the growing influence of digital engineering in Defence. The Defence Digital Engineering Industry Forum on May 28 highlighted the burgeoning role of digital engineering in delivering mission-ready capability in an increasingly complex, data-driven environment. More..... |
09 June Austal:
First Evolved Cape-class patrol boat launched for ABFAustralian shipbuilding company Austal has launched the first Evolved Cape–class patrol boat (ECCPB) for the Australian Border Force (ABF). This is the first of six evolved Cape-class patrol boats (ECCPBs) Austal is contracted to deliver to the Australian Border Force, following the addition of two vessels to the original order of four in early May 2026. More..... |
09 June HMS
Medway completes midwinter mercy dash to world’s remotest
islandPatrol ship HMS Medway has completed a midwinter mercy mission to help prevent a viral outbreak on one of the world’s most remote islands. The vessel is back in the Falklands having battled her way through rough seas and past icebergs on a 5,000-plus-mile round trip to Tristan da Cunha, delivering aid and collecting medics who had to be parachuted on to the tiny island to treat a suspected case of hantavirus. More..... |
08 June U.S.
Navy Establishes NSA Stirling in AustraliaAs of May 30, the U.S. Navy has established a new naval support activity(NSA) in Perth, Western Australia as part of AUKUS. NSA Stirling will provide support services and programs for U.S. service members, civilian personnel, contractors, and their families assigned to SRF-West, which will support the rotational presence of U.S. and U.K. nuclear-powered fast attack submarines at Australia’s HMAS Stirling base. More..... |
08 June Sailor
transforms recruit swim trainingImproving training outcomes, redesigning milestone activities and collecting recruit swim-test data earned Chief Petty Officer Michelle Bush a Conspicuous Service Medal. She received the award as part of the King's Birthday honours for her contribution to recruit training at the Royal Australian Navy Recruit School at HMAS Cerberus. More..... |
08 June King’s
Birthday military honours span DefenceFrom shipbuilding and engineering to operations and international peacekeeping, ADF members from Navy, Army and Air Force have been recognised in the 2026 King’s Birthday military honours list. This year, 97 ADF members have received honours for distinguished and conspicuous service. Recipients range in rank from leading seaman to rear admiral, reflecting contributions made at every level of the Australian Defence Force. More..... |
05 June Accelerating
capability through digital transformationDefence is accelerating its digital transformation with a $15 million investment aimed at enhancing capability development and decision-making across the Australian Defence Force. Under the three-year program, Australian technology company Kompozition will deliver a digital mission engineering capability, enabling Defence to design, test and evaluate systems using advanced digital models in a secure virtual environment. More..... |
04 June Royal
Navy mourns the loss of three service personnel following a
helicopter training exerciseThe Royal Navy can confirm the names of the three people who tragically died following a helicopter training exercise during the early hours of Wednesday, 3 June in Sourton, Devon. They are: Lieutenant Commander Chris Gayson Lieutenant Lily-Mae Fisher Petty Officer Owen Green More..... |
04 June U.S.
Eyes Warships from Japanese and South Korean ShipyardsThe United States may be on the verge of an unprecedented step: procuring major naval vessels from allied shipbuilders in Japan and South Korea to help address growing capacity constraints in the U.S. naval industrial base. A proposed $1.85 billion funding request included in the Pentagon’s fiscal year 2027 budget is increasingly being viewed not merely as a study effort, but as a potential precursor to future warship procurement from allied shipyards. More..... |
04 June Warship
opens its doors to Brisbane communityHMAS Brisbane returned to her namesake city for a port visit that combined tradition and community engagement as part of the Navy’s commemoration of 125 years of service. The visit began on May 28, when the ship cut a majestic silhouette on a grey autumn morning, making her way through Moreton Bay to the Port of Brisbane. More..... |
04 June The
seabed is becoming a battlefield. Taiwan has field notesAs Australia strengthens the protection of critical seabed infrastructure, it should draw on Taiwan’s frontline experience. Taiwan has been battling this problem for three years. At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on 30 May, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles warned that ‘the seabed is becoming a battlefield’ and asked whether hostile actors may be testing response times, attribution thresholds and political will. More..... |
04 June Launching
careers beyond earthAble Seaman Mark Rogers and Flying Officer Nandini Rajpurohit were among 16 graduates of the Australian Defence Force’s inaugural Space Initial Employment Training (IET) course held from January 28 to May 14. The course focused on effective decision‑making in the space domain under information saturation, training personnel to convert complex technical data into clear mission intent through a mix of individual and team‑based activities and assessments. More..... |
03 June Sister
ships provide and protect at seaHMAS Supply has conducted a replenishment at sea with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force frigate JS Kumano during Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise (ASWEX). The complex at-sea evolution demonstrated the interoperability of Supply-class auxiliary oiler replenishment ships working in company with Mogami-class frigates, reinforcing the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) ability to sustain integrated, partnered operations at sea. More..... |
03 June French
Navy Seizes Sanctioned Russian Tanker, 4th Since SeptemberThe French Navy seized sanctioned tanker MT Tagor on Sunday while it operated in the Atlantic, marking the service’s fourth shadow fleet seizure since September. The tanker was seized on suspicion of flying a false Cameroonian flag and diverted to France, arriving Tuesday in Douarnenez Bay where the ship is detained, the Maritime Prefecture of the Atlantic announced Monday. More..... |
03 June New
Mystery Submarine Signals China’s Rapid Undersea ExpansionChina is launching submarines at a pace unmatched by any other nation. Its latest design, a distinctive and innovative vessel that dispenses with the traditional sail, marks another step in the evolution of an increasingly capable and technologically advanced submarine force. With little official information available, understanding the purpose and capabilities of this new class depends largely on intelligence gathering and expert analysis. More..... |
03 June US
tried to compel Australia to spend extra billions on an
unwanted SSNThis is the extraordinary position of the Australian government in explaining why the plan to acquire 8,000 tonne nuclear powered Virginia class attack submarines was changed on May 30. Previously, Australia had been working towards the purchase of two second hand Virginias in about 2032 and 2035 followed by a new one around 2038. There is – or was – also scope for the purchase of another two new SSNs after that. More..... |
02 June Chinese
Carrier Strike Group Conducts 170 Sorties During Drills in
Philippine SeaThe People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Liaoning Carrier Strike Group has conducted 170 sorties in the past week as the group trains in the Philippine Sea east of Luzon while shadowed by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Embarked fighter aircraft and helicopters were observed doing 80 take offs and landings May 26, 50 on Wednesday and 40 on Thursday, according to Japan’s Joint Staff Office. More..... |
02 June Non-disclosure
agreements to be waived for landmark military sexual
violence inquiryGag orders imposed on former and current Defence personnel who have experienced sexual violence will not be enforced, allowing them to participate in a landmark military sexual violence inquiry. The affirmation has been made by Veterans Affairs Minister Matt Keogh in response to a letter penned by the Human Rights Law Centre last month. More..... |
02 June Warfighting
lab opens in SydneyNavy has significantly enhanced its training capability for high-end synthetic warfighting with the recent opening of the Fleet Battle Lab. Deputy Fleet Commander and Director General Fleet Lethality and Force Generation Commodore Anita Williams said the lab at Fleet Headquarters in Sydney would play a key role in strengthening readiness, interoperability and warfighting excellence across the fleet. More..... |
02 June AUKUS
partners launch Pillar II projectAustralia, the United Kingdom and the United States have announced the first AUKUS Pillar II signature project, marking a significant step forward in trilateral cooperation on advanced military capabilities. The project will focus on developing cutting-edge payloads and enabling systems for uncrewed undersea vehicles (UUVs), with delivery starting in 2027. More..... |
01 June Australian
Navy commissions second Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel
HMAS EyreThe Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has commissioned Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel HMAS Eyre into the fleet in a ceremony at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia. HMAS Eyre is the second of six planned Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels (OPV) to enter service, following the commissioning of sister ship HMAS Arafura last year. More..... |
01 June Royal
Navy’s new mine disposal system tested, ready for Hormuz
missionRoyal Navy divers will use a new leading-edge submersible remote-controlled-vehicle – battle-proven in Ukraine – should they encounter mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Specialists from the Diving Threat and Exploitation Group have undergone rapid-fire training over the past few weeks mastering the small – and supremely effective – Video Ray Defender-Viper system. More..... |
01 June Defence
Minister says Australia could still buy five US submarines
under AUKUSDefence Minister Richard Marles says the United States is still open to providing Australia with up to five Virginia-class submarines, but has declared the government remains confident it can bridge the gap to the next-generation AUKUS submarines with just three. More..... |
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BROADSIDE - MAY 2026 Edition NOTE: To read Broadside in Flipbook form, click on the "Full Screen" arrows. |
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