Australia has deployed its largest naval task force since the 1980s on a nearly three-month tour of Asia to shore up support with key allies during a period of tension in the region.
The Joint Task Group is being led by the Royal Australian Navy’s new helicopter carrier HMAS Adelaide and will be accompanied by a rotating roster of escorts as well as the support tanker HMAS Sirius. Leaving Sydney on Monday morning in company with the Adelaide were the guided-missile frigates HMA Ships Melbourne and Darwin and Anzac-class vessels Toowoomba and Parramatta.
Australia has not deployed such a formation of vessels since its last conventional aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne was decommissioned in the early 1980s with the election of the Hawke Government and suspension of the carrier replacement programme.
The mission, which will run from the 4th September to 26th November, has been named Indo-Pacific Endeavour and will make visits to regional allies including Brunei, Cambodia, the Federated States of Micronesia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Timor-Leste.
It is expected that the tour will consist of a variety of training exercises in both military and humanitarian operations as well as port calls and diplomatic visits.
Speaking at the departure of the vessels Defence Minister, Senator Payne, described to deployment as “another opportunity to promote security cooperation in the region and exercise our humanitarian and disaster relief capability where it may be used”.
She then added that, “the Joint Task Group will demonstrate the Australian Defence Force’s ability to operate across the full spectrum of military operations, from high-end military capabilities such as anti-submarine warfare to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.”
With tensions on and around the Korean peninsula high following recent missile tests by North Korea the visits of the task group to Japan and South Korea will attract significant attention. In recent days, the Australian government has continued its condemnation of the tests, while calling upon China to put pressure on Pyongyang to fall back in line.
Could we have one of those nice helicopter carriers, please?
designs getting on a bit and there s no end of power issues which kept canberra alongside for ages
How about two really big ones with some F35s as a bonus?
Love to see a couple of these flying the white ensign too. But we have two hugely impressive fleet carrier’s on the way and I’m sure the RAN would rather have them given the option!
The Australians should buy some F35B’s to give these ships real offensive bite…
Actually John they are flying the White Ensign-the Australian version!
Actually Geoff, I think what John meant was he wishes that the Royal Navy had a few of these in their service flying the White Ensign
To be fair, I wish the RCN (Royal Canadian Navy) had a few of these ships as well
Good point Geoff… These are very useful vessels for the Australians, if we had the money, one of these would make a perfect replacement for Ocean.
give it a few years we’ll get it 2nd hand for half the cost
just like we’ve given’ away half of the fleet in the last ten years.type 22’s that were good for years more service. the brazilians and romanians, chileans, still operate theirs.even pakistan operates type 21’sthe three t23’s sold to chile for just£45m each are active.
i’dprefer a bay class with the upper structure removedand a full deckfitted
As an Aussie and ex-RAN Petty Officer I must say that I am pleased with the way that the AFF is generally going about it’s business – the RAN and the RAAF have put a lot of thought into the way ahead and seem to be building some great all round capabilities. Would the RAN love a carrier – absolutely however it doesn’t seem to be on the agenda and whilst the powers that be toyed with the idea of buying the VTOL version of the F35 for HMAS CANBERRA and HMAS ADELAIDE there would need to be serious and very expensive modifications to both ships before that could even think about operating them. Now if the Americans wanted to donate a flat top or two in the name of building good relations and strengthening their power base in the Asia/Pacific Region then that would be another thing…. although unlikely to happen…. In reality the ADF, whilst well structured as the basis for a much larger organisation it does what it can with limited resources. The Australian Army is also going through some changes and these will add a great deal of capability to the ADF. I wait with great anticipation on the time when all 3 Air Warfare Destroyers are commissioned and deployed, as well as the impending decision on the Future Frigate Programme – which I personally hope selects the Type 26 as the winner.
shame ran didn’t follow up the option to buy invincible in the 1980’s that would have been brilliant for them.
Oh we wanted to and where ready but post Falklands the UK decided to keep all the carriers so we couldnt anyway.
[…] response the Royal Australian Navy undertook Exercise Indo-Pacific Endeavour last year, deploying its largest naval task force in years to bolster regional security cooperation […]