Personnel on the quarterdeck of
HMAS Canberra as the ship sails from
Townsville bound for Hawaii
Sea Series exercises, then to Hawaii
led exercise in and
around the Hawaiian
Islands and Southern
California from June
30 to August 4.
Chief of Joint
Operations, VADM
David Johnston, said
the biennial exercise
provided valuable
training opportunities
to validate ADF
capabilities
and enhance
interoperability with
international partners.
“RimPac is the
world’s largest
maritime exercise
and strengthens
international maritime
partnerships, enhances
interoperability
and improves
the readiness of
Commanding Officer HMAS Canberra, CAPT Chris Smith on the bridge as the ship sails from Townsville
participating forces for
Anzac Class frigates Ballarat and
Participating personnel and assets
a wide range of potential operations,”
VADM Johnston said.
Warramunga evaluated their capabilities
conducted gunnery, missile, antiin training and live-fire exercises
submarine, and air-defence exercises,
“ADF personnel exercise across a
including missile firings, while
as well as maritime interdiction
broad spectrum of scenarios from
personnel from Clearance Diving
and vessel boardings, explosive
humanitarian assistance and disaster
Teams were to conduct activities in
response to maritime security operations, ordnance disposal, diving and salvage
southern California near San Diego.
operations, mine clearance operations
sea control and complex war fighting.
and an amphibious landing.
Air Force deploy three AP-3C
“Australia has participated in RimPac
Orion aircraft to contribute to
Canberra embarked the Amphibious
since the first exercise in 1971 and this
high-end warfighting capabilities
Ready Element drawn from Townsville’s
time marks the first deployment of the
alongside Navy and the USN in
2RAR and exercised with US and
Navy’s flagship HMAS Canberra and
realistic maritime scenarios aimed
other international partners for
will also be the last deployment of the
at enhancing interoperability.
amphibious activities in Hawaii.
Air Force’s AP-3C Orion aircraft.”
SEPTEMBER 2016 | 79