Tag: Fleet Base East

Last Australian FFG Retires

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October 26, 2019 – The Royal Australian Navy has celebrated the completion of 27 years of service by HMAS Melbourne, the last of her class. The 138 metre long Adelaide class guided missile frigate (FFG) – the last remaining of six built for Navy – was decommissioned at her home port at Fleet Base East, Garden Island in Sydney. Melbourne’s final Commanding Officer, Commander Marcus Buttler said his ship’s company were honoured to be the last crew to serve in Melbourne and pleased the occasion could be shared with many…

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HMAS Newcastle Decommissioned

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July 2, 2019 – The last Adelaide Class Guided Missile Frigate built in Australia for the Royal Australian Navy, HMAS Newcastle, was decommissioned at a rousing ceremony at Fleet Base East in Sydney on Sunday. Living up to the ship’s motto ‘enterprise’, the event was a celebration of Newcastle’s dedicated service to the Navy and the Nation over nearly 26 years. More than 600 friends, family, serving and former serving members attended the ceremony. Among the crowd of supporters was the ship’s Launching Lady, former Newcastle City Lady Mayoress Margaret…

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Sirius Sets Out to Support the Fleet

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April 4, 2019 – HMAS Sirius has departed Fleet Base East after a major refurbishment in the Captain Cook Graving Dock to satisfy Lloyds Register certification and inspection standards. After departing Fleet Base West in August last year, the ship undertook important engagements in support of Operation APEC Assist in Papua New Guinea, and Australian and internationally led exercises, before her docking in Sydney. She will now head north for further engagement in the Asia-Pacific, concluding with an Anzac Day visit to Hellfire Pass in Thailand before returning to her…

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The First Lady Receives a Final Makeover

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November 7, 2018 – HMAS Success (II) has completed her final External Maintenance Period (EMP) alongside Fleet Base East after her South East Asia, Indo Pacific Endeavour 18 and Exercise RIMPAC deployment, and prior to her planned decommissioning in 2019. EMPs are the chaotic phase between ships coming back from and returning to sea. Contractors support ships staff to maintain a tailored and balanced materiel state, with the ship’s engineering departments put through their paces. These periods aim to allow the ship to be inspected and refitted in order to…

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HMAS Anzac Arrives Fleet Base East After South East Asia Deployment

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HMAS Anzac has returned to Fleet Base East after a three month South East Asia Deployment as part of a three ship Task Unit with HMA Ships Success and Toowoomba. Since departing Fleet Base East in March, Anzac has visited seven ports in six nations, participated in two international exercises, conducted passage exercises with French, Royal Thai and Philippines navies and travelled a total of 13,000 nautical miles. For Leading Seaman Communications Information Systems Amanda Hutchinson, returning to Fleet Base East caps off a great experience, visiting some of our…

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Warships set sail for major exercise

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Two submarines, ten ships and embarked aircraft have departed Fleet Base East in Garden Island, Sydney bound for war games off the east coast of Australia. The second iteration of Exercise OCEAN EXPLORER will once again feature a complex web of maritime warfare training, trials and exercises, all designed to challenge the Navy’s top warfighters to achieve sea control. Exercise Director, Captain Jim Hutton said this year’s OCEAN EXPLORER was about building on the success of last year. “Last year’s Ocean Explorer saw the certification of a Sea Control Task…

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Pride and professionalism on display in Fleet Divisions

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With great fanfare, more than 1,500 officers and sailors have lined the decks of HMAS Canberra in the Australian Fleet’s 2017 Ceremonial Divisions. Sydney provided a spectacular backdrop as personnel from East based ships and shore establishments gathered in their finest summer uniform. The divisions were reviewed by Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer who said the occasion marked a successful – and significant – year. “This year we have reintroduced the destroyer to the Australian Fleet with the commissioning of HMAS Hobart,” he said. “We have deployed maritime…

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HMAS Newcastle Completes Last RAN FFG Middle East Deployment

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HMAS Newcastle returned to her home port of Fleet Base East, Garden Island, Sydney, today following a six month deployment to the Middle East region. Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, welcomed 230 members of the ship’s company home from the deployment, which included counter-terrorism and counter-piracy patrols as part of the Combined Maritime Forces and a two-week attachment with the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in the Arabian Gulf.

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Garden Island Upgrade

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March 9, 2017 – A new $213 million upgrade to the RAN’s Garden Island facility in Sydney will improve Defence operations, enhance national security and create hundreds of jobs. Announced on 2 March, the new wharf upgrade project is expected to begin in mid-2017, subject to approval. The existing Cruiser Wharf and Oil Wharf will be demolished and a new wharf with different alignment will be constructed, and an adjoining wharf will be extended to reduce the new wharf’s protrusion into Sydney Harbor. The Garden Island upgrade will provide critical…

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