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Latest News for our Navy Network Download the DECEMBER edition of our newsletter BROADSIDE |
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BROADSIDE - DECEMBER 2024 Edition NOTE: To read Broadside in Flipbook form, click on the "Full Screen" arrows. |
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21 December U.S.
Super Hornet Shot Down Over Red Sea in Friendly Fire
Incident; Aviators SafeTwo U.S. Navy aviators are safe after their two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet was shot down by an American ship by mistake, according to a late Saturday statement from U.S. Central Command. The Super Hornet, assigned to aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), was flying over the Red Sea when guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) fired upon it, according to the CENTCOM statement. “Both pilots were safely recovered. Initial assessments indicate that one of the crew members sustained minor injuries,” reads a statement from CENTCOM. “This incident was not the result of hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway.” More..... |
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21 December ‘I am a Submariner’ marketing campaign launches to entice deep sea recruits Australians will be seeing new “I am a Submariner” advertising under the most recent marketing campaign to gather recruits for the Australian Defence Force. The campaign, expected to be the last ADF asset made from media company VML, focuses on filling recruitment targets for the nation’s incoming nuclear submarine fleet demands. |
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20 December Sailor of the Year 2024 Highlighting our superstar Sailor of the Year for 2024. Able Seaman Georgia Spulnik-Ross started training with Australian Navy in early 2020, and is now an Aviation Technician in our Aviation Support Unit. |
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20 December Great
progress and greater potential: Australia needs to
accelerate programs for uncrewed naval vesselsAustralia is doing well in developing uncrewed naval vessels. Now it needs to redouble efforts to get them into service faster. Application of asymmetric technology is a declared outcome of the Defence Strategic Review (DSR) to generate deterrence by denial, so these systems should be moved to the front of the queue. The Australian Defence Force has designs for three uncrewed vessels in development: the extra large uncrewed submarine Ghost Shark by Anduril Australia in Sydney, the smaller Speartooth submarine by Melbourne’s C2 Robotics, and the Bluebottle boat by Sydney’s Ocius Technology. More..... |
20 December China
Expanding Pacific Operations, Taiwan Invasion ‘Not Possible’
by 2027, Say DoD OfficialsThe People’s Liberation Army Navy is “gradually expanding its operational reach beyond East Asia into a sustained ability to operate at increasingly longer ranges, including a continuous presence in the Gulf of Aden,” the Pentagon reported in its latest assessment of Beijing’s military power. Ely Rattner, assistant secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs, said the report released this week recognizes that China has “both the will and capability to alter the international order in its favor.” China’s announced military budget is $220 billion, but actual spending is running 40 to 90 percent higher, he said at the event at CSIS. More..... |
20 December From
surfer to surface warfareLieutenant Jack Hawkins’ decision to join Navy was an easy one, despite his hometown of Port Stephens having a large Army and Air Force presence nearby. “I knew I wanted to join the military but wasn’t sure which branch initially and growing up by the beach I thought ‘I’ll go with the water I think’,” he said. “My whole family grew up near the ocean. My old man is a surfer as well, so I was keen to stay working by the coast, which the Navy provides.” He was a surfer from a young age and a beach lifeguard before joining Navy as a surface warfare officer in January 2020. More..... |
20 December Australia
takes leading role in Middle East maritime securityAs Houthi attacks on shipping intensified in the Red Sea, Australia stepped up its commitment to maritime security, assuming command of Combined Task Force 153 (CTF 153) on October 1. It’s the first time Australia has led CTF 153, which was established in April 2022 to enhance international maritime security and capacity-building in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden. The 14-member Australian contingent, drawn from all three ADF services, joins a 31-strong multinational task force operating out of the US Naval Support Activity in Bahrain. More..... |
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20 December Multi-Ship Commissioning Ceremony On Thursday 12 December 2024, four Evolved Cape Class Patrol Boats (eCCPB) were commissioned in a single ceremony at their home port of HMAS Coonawarra, Darwin, Northern Territory. |
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20 December India
commissions Russian-built warship amid enduring ties with
MoscowEleven years after its keel was laid, India has taken receipt of a 3,900-ton guided missile frigate from Russia. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called it a “significant milestone in the longstanding friendship between India and Russia,” with the two nations bound together by “mutual trust and a special and strategic privileged partnership.” The warship was originally destined to join the Russian Navy, but it was diverted to Delhi after India contracted for two frigates in October 2016. Sister ship INS Tamala is due for handover in the first quarter of 2025. More..... |
20 December More
than a change of titleFour Evolved Cape-class patrol boats were recently commissioned in a ceremony at their home port of HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin, Northern Territory. These vessels had been operating under the Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) designation and have now been commissioned into the permanent naval force as His Majesty’s Australian Ships (HMAS). Commander Australian Fleet Rear Admiral Christopher Smith said the commissioning of HMA Ships Cape Pillar, Cape Naturaliste, Cape Woolamai and Cape Capricorn recognised the great work carried out by their crews. More..... |
20 December Christmas
performance hard to beatAble Seaman Ritnarong Coomber, a drummer with the Royal Australian Navy Band in Sydney, has participated in a special Christmas event at the State Theatre in Sydney on December 9. Originally from Smithton, Tasmania, Able Seaman Coomber moved to Sydney five years ago to pursue a full-time career as a musician in the Navy Band. His journey was inspired by friends in the Navy Reserve Band who recognised his drumming talent and encouraged him to join. The event, titled ‘The Little Drummer Boy’, featured six military drummers – two each from Navy, Army and Air Force – performing a prepared piece of music from the musical Hamilton. More..... |
19 December Another
successful year for the ADF CadetsPatron of the ADF Cadets General (retd) Sir Peter Cosgrove has reflected on some of the cadet activities he attended in 2024, thanking the 31,000 Navy, Army and Air Force cadets, and the volunteer staff and families who support them, for their ongoing commitment. The former Chief of Army and Chief of the Defence Force has attended a range of events around Australia, engaging with members and lending his support to highlight the pivotal role these initiatives play in developing youth and supporting local communities. More..... |
19 December How
to fill gaps in AUKUS communication effortsGaps in AUKUS communication strategies limit public understanding of its benefits and allow malign actors, such as China and Russia, to sway public opinion. A roundtable held by ASPI’s Washington office on 3 December served as a forum to address these gaps. It involved experts from academia, government and think tanks, and was the first in a series of roundtables aiming to improve AUKUS messaging strategies and public understanding through open and inclusive dialogue. More..... |
18 December Proud
to represent multinational guardA deployment to South Korea has brought many 'pinch me moments' for Able Seaman Alexandra Manthey, who represents Australia in the United Nations Command (UNC) Honor Guard. The multinational guard was formed in 1945 and provides security to the UNC, Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea commander, as well as ceremonial guards of honour and guards to visiting dignitaries. Able Seaman Manthey said it was a privilege to take part in commemorations, celebrations and ceremonies around the Korean Peninsula, including in the capital Seoul. More..... |
17 December Japan
pitches 'superior' warships in bid to clinch $10 billion
Australian contractJapanese officials have made their first public pitch to win a lucrative Australian shipbuilding prize, claiming their Mogami frigate is faster, stealthier and better suited to operate alongside the United States than a rival warship offering from Germany. Australia is now assessing whether to buy an upgraded and larger version of Japan's Mogami 30 FFM, which is yet to enter service, or to instead select a variant of Germany's smaller MEKO A-200, which is already operated by the Egyptian navy. More..... |
17 December For
First Time, Australian Submariner Earns US DolphinsThe U.S. Navy qualified the first Royal Australian Navy officer on a nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarine at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Dec. 12. In a pier-side ceremony, Rear Adm. Chris Cavanaugh, commander, Submarine Group 7 awarded Royal Australian Navy Lt. Cmdr. James* the first U.S. Navy Submarine Warfare Device earned by a Royal Australian Navy submariner. James earned the warfare device, or “dolphins”, while embarked aboard the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Vermont (SSN 792) during a deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, demonstrating another significant milestone for the Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership. More..... |
17 December Veteran
scholarships available to study in the USAIf you are a veteran with an interest in further study or research in the United States of America, then the annual American Australian Association (AAA) Veterans’ Fund Scholarships could be for you. In 2025, applications for scholarship to study in the USA will be open from 1 January to 31 March. For Australian veteran Alwyn Johnson, the scholarship provides him with the chance to work on a Master of Supply Chain Management qualification with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). More..... |
15 December Treasurer
blames $1.8bn budget 'slippage' on veteran payoutsA worsening budget position to be handed down on Wednesday is due in part to $1.8 billion in extra money being paid out to veterans, the treasurer says. Treasurer Jim Chalmers blamed the former government denying entitlements claimed by veterans for the $1.8 billion slippage, which the government has committed to paying to clear a backlog of veteran claims. The money is on top of $6.5 billion that was already spent at February this year to clear a backlog of 42,000 unallocated claims, ahead of a March deadline set by the royal commissioners into defence and veteran suicides. More..... |
13 December Memorial
service to honour fallen nursesOn its return home from Singapore after Indo-Pacific Endeavour, HMAS Adelaide sailed to Bangka Island where personnel commemorated sacrifices made by nurses in the Second World War. The embarked Maritime Operational Health Unit led the Australian Amphibious Force in a memorial service for the 21 nurses killed on Radji Beach. On February 14, 1942, 65 Australian Army nurses were evacuated from Singapore on the SS Vyner Brooke due to the pending Japanese invasion. More..... |
13 December Australian
Government Lists Collins Submarine As Product Of ConcernFollowing a recommendation from Defence, Collins class submarine sustainment has been listed as a Product of Concern to enable enhanced ministerial oversight of this critical capability. The Collins class sustainment program has experienced challenges in recent years. With the submarines required to operate beyond their original design life, it is essential that increased sustainment requirements are met to ensure the Collins class remains an effective and formidable capability until it is withdrawn from service. Defence will now develop a remediation plan as a priority, to allow a Product of Concern Summit to be held in early 2025. More..... |
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12 December Chef’s Cook Off together in Singapore for Indo Pacific Endeavour Cooking in regional partnership. ADF and SAF in Singapore competed in a Chef’s Cook Off at the Sun Rice Global Chef Academy as part of Indo Pacific Endeavour 2024. The talented chefs whipped up some incredible Singaporean and Australian dishes, with creativity, strategy and teamwork on display to come out on top. Our lucky judges had their work cut out for them! The winning dish was a Singaporean-inspired barramundi fillet. |
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11 December HMAS Brisbane test fires Tomahawk missile Australia has joined the US and UK as one of the tiny club of countries that can launch the Tomahawk cruise missile, with its legendary accuracy and range of more than 2,500 kilometers. |
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11 December Tech
cooperation between Australia and South Korea will bolster
regional stabilityGreater alignment between Australia and South Korea in critical technologies would produce significant strategic benefit to both countries and the Indo-Pacific. Overlapping and complex regional challenges, such as climate change, economic shocks and pandemics, underscore the need for international cooperation in critical technologies. Although these technologies have a range of beneficial social, economic and security outcomes, they are increasingly being deployed by regional adversaries for malign purposes, including espionage, cyberattacks and spreading disinformation. More..... |
10 December Invictus
team captains namedFormer ADF personnel Doug Griffiths and Kaz Gladysz have been named team Australia co-captains for Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, being held from February 8 to 16. The pair will lead the 33-strong Australian contingent, which will participate in the international adaptive multi-sport competition for former and serving military personnel who have been wounded, injured or become ill during their service. Mr Griffiths said he was honoured to lead his teammates. More..... |
10 December Satellite
Photos Show Russian Navy Exodus From Syria, Syrian Missile
Boats Sunk at PierNew satellite photos from the Tartus naval base on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea show Russian Navy ships anchored off the coast of Syria after abandoning Moscow’s only overseas naval base. Photos also show the destruction of Syrian Navy missile boats at the in Latakia. According to photos from satellite provider Maxar, three Russian Navy guided-missile frigates and at least two support ships were in port in Tartus on Dec. 5. On Tuesday, those ships had left port and at least two of the Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates were operating off the coat of Syria. More..... |
10 December With
first test fire, Aussies joins tiny Tomahawk club with US,
UKAustralia has joined the US and UK as one of the tiny club of countries that can launch the Tomahawk cruise missile, with its legendary accuracy and range of more than 2,500 kilometers. The Royal Australian Navy test fired the weapon for the first time from HMAS Brisbane, the second of three Hobart-class destroyers, during a test and evaluation event “off the west coast of the United States,” according to a statement issued today. More..... |
10 December China’s
space moves: Highly mobile satellites stalking GEO spook
Space ForceNot only has China’s space fleet ballooned over the past decade, but Beijing is increasingly using maneuvering satellites to crisscross geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) in order to keep eyes on, and potentially do harm to, their US counterparts, according to Space Force and industry officials. Chinese satellites are “zigzagging” from altitudes above GEO, through the belt and then to slightly lower altitudes, often coming uncomfortably close to US satellites, Clint Clark of sky-watching firm Exoanalytics said today. More..... |
09 December Dwarfed
by China in shipbuilding, US looks to build its defense baseThe U.S. severely lags behind China in shipbuilding capacity, lawmakers and experts have warned, as the Biden administration tries to build up the country’s ability to develop and produce weapons and other defense supplies to fend off war. Speaking at a congressional hearing Thursday, Rep. John Moolenaar, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said the country lacks the capacity to “deter and win a fight” with China and called for action. More..... |
09 December Bonds
shared as stewards of the oceanADV Reliant has visited the Pacific nation of Palau to mark 30 years of diplomatic relations with Australia. Reliant is Australia’s Pacific support vessel and provides a unique capability as a whole-of-government vessel, primarily operating in Australia’s near region. During the visit from November 22 to 27, the crew held corrosion control training with Palau’s Division of Marine Law Enforcement to help maintain PSS Remeliik II, a Guardian-class patrol boat gifted by the government in 2020 under the Pacific Maritime Security Program. More..... |
09 December Growing
& skilling Australia's submariner workforceToday, the Government has reached another major AUKUS milestone, with construction commencing on a new Training Centre at HMAS Stirling. This world-class facility will support the skilling of Australia’s submariner workforce, through local submarine crew training and certification for work on Virginia class submarines, which Australia will acquire and operate from the early 2030s. This $200m project forms part of the Government's $8 billion investment in infrastructure at HMAS Stirling. More..... |
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08 December OUR DECEMBER HERO  Commander
Warwick Seymour BRACEGIRDLE DSC** Mid* US Legion of Merit Warwick Seymour Bracegirdle, (Braces), was born on 22 December 1911 at the family home in High St, Newcastle, New South Wales, the eldest of two sons to RADM Sir Leighton Seymour Bracegirdle, (see our July 2021 Hero), and his wife Lilian Anne (née Saunders). Warwick was educated at Melbourne Grammar School (Grimwade House) during 1918-19 and 1923-24, St Peters College, Adelaide during 1919-21 and Cranbrook School, Sydney during 1921-22, moving frequently to follow his father’s naval career. He entered the Royal Australian Naval College (Jervis Bay) in February 1925, as a Cadet Midshipman, graduating in 1928 with sporting colours for rugby and hockey and winner of the welter-weight boxing competition. An average scholar, he was nevertheless awarded the King's Gold Medal for exemplary conduct, performance of duty and good influence amongst his peers. 'Braces' was highly regarded by his men who described him as... ..."a great one-eyed gunnery officer, never failing in his enthusiasm and who had a significant effect on the training and devotion of duty to them." His personal reports told a different story. Captain John Collins, commanding HMAS Shropshire, stated... ..."He has not an agile brain and rapidly changing situations are rather bewildering to him, however he plods on and gets things sorted out eventually." One reporter described him as... ...“A breezy, cheery type, for whom the troops will do anything.” Read the full story about this fascinating hero at: https://navyvic.net/heroes/bracegirdle_ws.html |
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05 December Former
defence boss to examine the Australian Submarine Agency amid
concerns over its performanceThe newly formed agency overseeing Australia's $368 billion AUKUS nuclear submarine program will be scrutinised by a veteran bureaucrat, less than two months after the ABC revealed widespread dissatisfaction inside and outside the government organisation. Former Defence Department secretary Dennis Richardson has been asked to oversee the structure and provide advice on the direction of the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA), which has been led since its establishment in July last year by Vice-Admiral Jonathan Mead. More..... |
05 December Success
in the Indo-PacificIndo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE), Australia’s flagship regional engagement activity, has come to a close with HMA Ships Adelaide and Stuart leaving Singapore for Darwin. From late August to early December, IPE involved four ships and more than 2000 personnel. The contingent visited 13 countries including Brunei, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. More..... |
04 December A
great honour for new and oldSteady rainfall and gloomy skies did not dampen spirits as Navy personnel paraded through Canberra on November 30 in a tradition that dates back to medieval times. More than 250 officers and sailors from HMAS Canberra III exercised their freedom of entry – a mark of trust and respect, and the highest accolade a town can award a military unit. Commanding Officer Canberra Captain Brendan O’Hara said these activities strengthened bonds between Defence and the Australian people. More..... |
04 December Chefs
cook off in SingaporeSingapore is renowned for being one of the great gastronomic capitals of the world. It was only fitting that Singapore’s At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy hosted ADF and Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) chefs in a cook off as part of Indo-Pacific Endeavour. The competition began with team leaders from the ADF and the SAF drawing names to select their respective teams, with equal numbers of ADF and SAF personnel in each team. More..... |
03 December Stealth
destroyer to be home for 1st hypersonic weapon on a US
warshipThe U.S. Navy is transforming a costly flub into a potent weapon with the first shipborne hypersonic weapon, which is being retrofitted aboard the first of its three stealthy destroyers. The guided-missile destroyer Zumwalt is at a Mississippi shipyard where workers have installed missile tubes that replace twin turrets from a gun system that was never activated because it was too expensive. Once the system is complete, the Zumwalt will provide a platform for conducting fast, precision strikes from greater distances, adding to the usefulness of the warship. More..... |
03 December Identity
of WW2 submarine found in the Mediterranean confirmed as HMS
TrooperRoyal Navy experts have confirmed the wreck of a World War 2 submarine found in the Mediterranean as HMS Trooper. Until now the location of the T-class boat had been a mystery since she disappeared 81 years ago after delivering supplies and three secret agents to Athens in Nazi-occupied Greece. Greek diver and researcher Kostas Thoktaridis and his team found Trooper after many attempts and countless hours of meticulous research, eventually discovering the wreck lying at a depth of more than 800ft between the islands of Ikaria and Donousa in the Icarian Sea, part of the Aegean Sea in the approaches to Athens. More..... |
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02 December Taking it to the limit  Winning
the gravity enduro and landing fourth in downhill had Chief
Petty Officer Cameron Schmid awarded overall gravity
champion at the ADF National Cycling Carnival south of
Melbourne in November. However, he missed out on
defending the cross-country title due to his flight being
delayed. While Chief Petty Officer Schmid couldn’t
practise in the You Yangs, he felt primed after competing in
the AUSCycling Mountain Bike National Series the week before
in Perth, placing 10th despite a broken chain. More..... |
02 December Mandatory
discharge for ADF members convicted of sexual offences as
government responds to royal commissionMilitary personnel found guilty of sexual offences face mandatory expulsions, but a formal recommendation to award similar compensation payments to permanently impaired veterans regardless of where their injuries occurred will not be accepted. Three months after the landmark findings of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, the federal government has unveiled its formal response, accepting most of the 122 recommendations and promising "real, meaningful and enduring reform". More..... |
02 December Navy
band rocks DarwinThe Royal Australian Navy Band Northern Territory (RAN Band NT) has rocked its debut cover band performance supporting the Top End community. The ensemble performed several sets of popular hits for the No One Left Behind-sponsored International Men’s Day Lunch in Darwin on November 15. The RAN Band’s seventh and newest unit was formed in early 2024, based out of HMAS Coonawarra. More..... |
02 December Japan
OKs potential sale of Mogami frigate to Australia, in first
of its kind moveJapan has taken an important step forward in its burgeoning efforts to sell a major weapon system to another country, with its National Security Council formally approving the sale of Mogami-class warships to Australia for its General Purpose Frigate program. The Foreign Ministry released a statement Nov. 28 detailing the decision, noting how important is Japan’s relationship with Australia. Japan has never sold a modern major weapon system to another country. More..... |
02 December A
statement from the Chief of The Defence Force, the Secretary
of the Department of Defence, and the Secretary of the
Department of Veterans' AffairsThe Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide commenced on 8 July 2021. After three years of in-depth, thorough and compassionate inquiry, the Commissioners handed their Final Report to the Governor-General on 9 September 2024. Today, after considering the 122 recommendations, the Government has responded to the Final Report. The death by suicide of any ADF member or veteran is a tragedy, one felt deeply by their families, the ADF, the veteran community and the wider community. We are committed to working with the Government to enact its response and delivering on the agreed recommendations. More..... |
01 December Crew
Failures Led to Grounding, Sinking of New Zealand Navy Ship,
Says ReportA New Zealand Defence Force Court of Inquiry found that crew error caused the Royal New Zealand Navy hydrographic dive and survey ship HMNZS Manawanui (A09) to run aground and sink in October. An NZDF release on Friday cited RNZN head Rear Adm. Garin Golding saying the COI’s interim report found the ship’s autopilot was not disengaged when it should have been. The crew did not realize Manawanui’s autopilot was still on, so they believed its failure to respond to direction changes was due to a failure in thruster controls. More..... |
01 December The
American woman who sculpted new faces for battle-scarred WWI
vetsAs the world and its soldiers went over the top and straight into mechanized warfare, the horrors of large-caliber machine guns and artillery warfare ushered in a new age of gruesome deaths and horrific injuries. World War I claimed the lives of 8 million men, with another 21 million wounded. An estimated 60,500 British soldiers suffered head or eye injuries, according to a 2011 article in the British Journal Social History of Medicine. The numbers among French and German casualties of war were no doubt similar. Beyond physical disfigurement, the maiming of a generation of men left many with deep psychological wounds as well. More..... |
01 December Registrations
for 2025 overseas Anzac Day services now openBefore the break of dawn on 25 April 1915, thousands of young Australian and New Zealand soldiers landed on the beaches of Gallipoli, beginning the Anzac legend. Every Anzac Day, Australians recommit to keeping the legend alive – to never forget. Registrations are now open for Australians who are looking to make the pilgrimage to attend the Anzac Day Dawn Services in Türkiye and France in 2025, on the 110th anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli. More..... |
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