Tag: Darwin

USS Patriot Visits Darwin

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July 11, 2019 – USS Patriot (MCM 7) arrived in Darwin for a port visit, July 11. Patriot is visiting Darwin while operating in U.S. 7th Fleet to work and strengthen regional security and stability. “USS Patriot’s visit to Darwin is yet another opportunity to continue to strengthen the shared naval heritage, interoperability, and strategic alliance between our two nations.” said Lt. Cmdr. Jon Volkle, commanding officer of Patriot. This port visit follows Patriot’s participation in the 25th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise in Sattahip, Thailand where…

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Indo-Pacific Endeavour Joint Task Force returns to Australia

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May 26, 2019 – The Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019 (IPE 19) Joint Task Force has returned to Australia following a three-month regional engagement mission to South and South East Asia. The flagship HMAS Canberra will anchor off Darwin tomorrow, having visited seven nations since March 2019 during the third IPE iteration since its inception in 2017. Chief of Joint Operations, Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld, said this third iteration of IPE was one of the most ambitious regional engagement activities undertaken by the Australian Defence Force (ADF). “With four ships and various…

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Bombing of Darwin Remembered

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February 23, 2019 – Australian Defence Force members and an Armidale class patrol boat have provided a strong contribution to commemorative services held in the Northern Territory to mark the 77th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin. The Bombing of Darwin, which occurred on 19 February 1942, was the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australian soil. More than 240 people died, 500 were injured, 30 aircraft destroyed and 11 ships sunk in the attack. USS Peary The first commemorative event saw the United States Navy…

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HMAS Patricia Cam Remembered

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February 1, 2019 – Commander Navy Shore Force, Captain Stephen Bowater recently joined Top End Navy members as they paused to commemorate the sinking of HMAS Patricia Cam and the loss of nine lives. Members of HMAS Coonawarra ship’s company, resident units and Darwin-based Armidale Class Patrol Boats (APCB) gathered at the small boats landing as Captain Bowater committed a commemorative wreath to sea. Patricia Cam was a Sydney built wooden motor vessel originally designed as a tuna fishing boat before being commissioned as a General Purpose Vessel in the…

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USS Michael Murphy Completes Exercise Kakadu

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USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112), along with a P-8 Poseidon maritime-surveillance aircraft assigned to the “Pelicans” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 45, and staff from Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, and Commander, Task Force 70 participated in the Australian naval exercise Kakadu, Sept. 6-13. Held biennially, Kakadu is the Royal Australian navy’s premier exercise and provides an opportunity for regional nations to participate in multinational maritime activities. The 2018 exercise featured 24 ships and one submarine from 15 countries. “Kakadu was a valuable experience for Michael Murphy’s crew, and I am proud…

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Chinese participation in training exercise “really positive”

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September 10, 2018 – China’s involvement in multinational war games in Australian waters has been praised by senior Royal Australian Navy officers. Navy’s frigate Huangshan from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is one of the 21 warships taking part in Exercise Kakadu, a training exercise involving 3,000 personnel from 27 nations. It marks the first time that the PLA Navy has participated in the exercise, an initiative that has been praised by other participants. “You know, the more we work together, the more we’ll understand each other and the…

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Australian, Fiji patrol boats conduct joint boarding operations

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September 11, 2018 – Patrol boat crews from Australia and Fiji have conducted joint boarding operations on a simulated illegal fishing vessel as part of Exercise Kakadu in the Northern Territory. Armidale class patrol boat HMAS Glenelg and the Republic of Fiji Navy ship Kikau conducted the joint exercise outside of Darwin Harbour. Australian and Fijian personnel worked side-by-side during the boarding operation and on the bridges of both patrol boats. Lieutenant Commander Jorge McKee, Commanding Officer of Glenelg, said cross-training opportunities were essential and a key component of the…

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Ships depart for sea phase of Kakadu 2018

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September 7, 2018 – Ships taking part in Exercise Kakadu 2018 have sailed out of Darwin to begin the sea phase of the Royal Australian Navy’s regional exercise. Kakadu is split into three phases; a harbor phase, a Force Integration Training (FIT) and finally a free-play phase. The sea phases are designed to provide participating nations the opportunity to operate in a challenging maritime training environment. Once outside Darwin, the ships separated into three multi-national task groups and will now undertake a range of activities, including live fire exercises and…

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Crocs come to KAKADU during sports day in Darwin

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September 2, 2018 – Participants in Exercise KAKADU have come together to make a splash during a sports day with a difference at Darwin’s waterfront. The Ocean Warrior challenge consisted of a ‘Ninja Warrior’ style relay race, challenging sailors with a series of water and land-based activities. Each racegoer competed with a blow-up crocodile in tow. Challenges included a swim, run, rope climb, kayak leg and beach crawl, with teams racing against each other and the clock; 22 of the 27 nations involved in KA18 fielded 12 member teams. Exercise…

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Chinese frigate Huangshan arrives Australia for “Kakadu-2018”

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August 31, 2018 – Chinese guided-missile frigate Huangshan (Hull 570) arrived at the Darwin Port in Australia after 10 days of voyage on the morning of August 30, 2018, local time. On behalf of the Chinese People’s Liberation (PLA) Navy, the frigate Huangshan will take part in the multinational naval exercise “Kakadu-2018” at the Darwin Port and its adjacent waters from August 31 to September 15, 2018. The naval exercise will involve naval forces and observers from 27 countries such as China, Canada, India, Japan, and the United States. This…

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USS Michael Murphy & a P-8A Taking Part in Exercise Kakadu

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August 30, 2018 – USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) and a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft joined opening ceremonies for Exercise Kakadu in Darwin, Aug. 31. Hosted biennially by the Royal Australian Navy, Kakadu is a key multilateral exercise that brings many regional navies together to train and cooperate at sea. This year, Kakadu includes 23 ships and submarines, 21 aircraft and more than 3,000 personnel and observers from 27 nations. Michael Murphy and the P-8A from Patrol Squadron (VP) 45 will participate in all phases of the…

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Regional partnerships on show at exercise Kakadu

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August 31, 2018 – Australia’s role as a regional security partner will be highlighted in the coming weeks with the largest regional maritime exercise of its kind beginning today in the Northern Territory. Held biennially, Exercise Kakadu is a joint exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy and supported by the Royal Australian Air Force. More countries are attending this year than ever before, with 23 ships, 21 aircraft, a submarine and more than 3000 personnel from 27 nations participating in a range of activities both ashore in Darwin and…

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Indian Naval ship Sahyadri Reaches Darwin for Exercise KAKADU 2018

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August 30, 2018 – After having been deployed to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean for over four months, which included representing Indian Navy in multinational exercises MALABAR 18 at Guam and RIMPAC 18 at Hawaii, INS Sahyadri entered the Port of Darwin, Australia on 29 Aug 18 to participate in Exercise KAKADU 2018. Exercise KAKADU, which started in 1993, is the premier multilateral regional maritime engagement exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and supported by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).The exercise is held biennially in…

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Two foreign fishing vessels apprehended east of Ashmore Island

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Maritime Border Command (MBC), a multi-agency taskforce within the Australian Border Force (ABF), and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), have apprehended two Indonesian fishing vessels in the Timor Sea, approximately 100 nautical miles east of the Ashmore Islands. On 19 April 2018, an ABF Dash-8 aircraft conducting surveillance in the area located the vessels approximately one nautical mile inside the Australian Fishing Zone and alerted MBC. HMAS Broome was tasked to respond and, under the Maritime Powers Act 2013, intercepted both vessels 3.9 nautical miles outside Australian waters. Officers…

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ADF stands up Joint Task Force to help cyclone recovery

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The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has established a Joint Task Force (JTF) in response to a request from the Northern Territory Government for further assistance to aid recovery efforts in the cyclone affected communities of Darwin and Palmerston. The JTF is the whole-of -Defence emergency response to support to the clean-up following Tropical Cyclone Marcus on 17 March. The JTF consists of more than 400 locally based Navy, Army and Air Force personnel and will be under the command of 1st Brigade’s Brigadier Matt Pearse. Approximately 50 US Marines, already…

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