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30 Nov 2016	Local industry the focus for Offshore Patrol Vessel project The multi-billion dollar Offshore Patrol Vessel project has reached a significant milestone with the release of the Request for Tender to the three shortlisted designers. The Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP said the Request for Tender will see Damen, Fassmer and Luerssen team up with Australian shipbuilders. “We want to ensure the tenderers’ responses maximise Australian industry opportunities through a local build using Australian made steel." More.....
30 Nov 2016	Preliminary results from study into veterans’ suicide The Government today released the most statistically robust data ever compiled into the prevalence of suicide among current and former members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) study Estimation of incidence of suicide in ex-serving Australian Defence Force personnel used data from the Defence Department’s Personnel Management Key System, which contains information on all people who serve or have served in the ADF from 1 January 2001, and the National Death Index (NDI). More.....
29 Nov 2016	NVN's November Newsletter NOTE from Webmaster: If you are a member and haven't been notified that your monthly newsletter is available to download, the email address you supplied on joining is incorrect or out of date. To correct this, contact the webmaster at: and he will copy and amend your address.
25 Nov 2016	Chief of Navy Speeches: An expanded submarine fleet: Meeting the challenges Chief of Navy Address to the 8th Biennial Conference of the Submarine Institute of Australia, Shine Dome, Acton, Canberra. Download.....
25 Nov 2016	Cooperation on veterans’ issues Federal, state and territory governments have agreed to improve coordination on veterans’ issues and work more cooperatively on data improvement. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Dan Tehan said the first-ever meeting between the relevant Ministers for Veterans’ Affairs from each state and territory had focused on transition, homelessness, incarceration and mental health. More.....
25 Nov 2016	Personal data of over 130,000 sailors breached, US Navy says The U.S. Navy has informed that over hundred thousand of its current and former sailors had their sensitive information compromised in a massive hack that was discovered last month. More.....
25 Nov 2016	Retired US Navy captain pleads guilty in ‘historic’ bribery case A retired U.S. Navy Captain became another official to plead guilty in a massive bribery case which allowed a foreign defense contractor to take over $20 million out of the navy’s pocket. More.....
25 Nov 2016	DCNS, Lockheed, host Future Submarine briefing in Adelaide Australian companies, R&D and educational institutions gathered in Adelaide, November 24, to hear from representatives of the future submarine enterprise in regards to opportunities available in the Australian Navy submarine program. The event was a joint briefing between the Commonwealth of Australia, DCNS and Lockheed Martin (as the combat systems integrator). More.....
24 Nov 2016	Prioritising support for Australia's veterans The issue of veterans’ homelessness will be a focus of discussions when Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Dan Tehan hosts his state and territory counterparts in Canberra today and tomorrow. The inaugural Veterans Ministers’ Roundtable delivers a Federal Government election commitment to bring state and territory ministers together to tackle veterans’ issues. More.....
23 Nov 2016	French DCNS signs LoI with Australian Indigenous Defence Consortium for Future Submarine cooperation DCNS, French defense contractor that will be building Australia’s future submarines, has signed a letter of intent with the Australian Indigenous Defence Consortium (IDC) to explore opportunities to include Indigenous Australians and Indigenous businesses within DCNS’s supply chain. The partnership is the first agreement signed by the IDC since it was founded in March 2016. The letter was signed in Canberra by Sean Costello, Chief Executive Officer, DCNS Australia and Adam Goodes, Chief Executive, IDC. More.....
23 Nov 2016	Royal Navy destroyer patrols Bab el-Mandeb strait Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring has been tasked with the protection of merchant vessels and Royal Navy ships sailing through the Bab al-Mandeb strait. The Portsmouth-based warship has provided reassurance in the region, being equipped to tackle possible air and surface threats with her combination of surveillance radars and Sea Viper missiles. More.....
23 Nov 2016	Global mission to end violence against women Defence’s ongoing commitment to cultural change has been honoured in a landmark event in Canberra as the world prepares to mark White Ribbon Day this week. The co-founder of the White Ribbon global movement, Dr Michael Kaufman, was today welcomed to Canberra and given the opportunity to see for himself how Defence is working to transform attitudes, change behaviours and eliminate violence against women. More.....
23 Nov 2016	$4.9M to develop technology for Royal Australian Navy in hostile environments Techniques to counter radio frequency emitters, enabling the Royal Australian Navy to sustain a presence in hostile and threatening environments will be developed as part of a project receiving $4.9 million of Australian Government funding. Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne, today announced that BAE Systems Australia has received funding to assist RAN to develop and demonstrate an innovative technology that will enhance Defence Capability. More.....
22 Nov 2016	USS Zumwalt breaks down in Panama Canal The U.S. Navy’s next-generation destroyer USS Zumwalt experienced engineering problems while transiting the Panama Canal en route to its new homeport, Defense News reported. USS Zumwalt had to be towed to a berth, the report said citing U.S. Navy. Problems likely resulted from an issue with heat exchangers in the ship’s power plant. More.....
21 Nov 2016	F-35Bs complete weapons load tests aboard USS America The F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jets that are currently carrying out the third developmental test phase (DT-III) aboard amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) reached a new milestone as the program completed weapons load testing on November 16. A group of the next-generation aircraft from Patuxent River Integrated Test Force tested flying qualities at various aircraft weights, in particular in regard to crosswinds, sink rates, and high sea states. Additionally, the DT-III weapons team evaluated ordnance separation tests and live-fire tests. More.....
21 Nov 2016	Royal Navy fires flares at Spanish research vessel off Gibraltar The Royal Navy was forced to fire warning flares at a Spanish research vessel that strayed into the Territorial waters of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Sailors aboard the fast patrol boat HMS Sabre resorted to firing the flares after several attempts to establish communication with the research vessel failed, reports say. More.....
21 Nov 2016	UK’s “woefully low” escort fleet could shrink even further A UK Defence Committee Report has said that the Ministry of Defence will have to devise a sound plan for replacing its 13 ageing frigates while maintaining the already low number of operational vessels in the fleet. The report calls for the National Shipbuilding Strategy, due to be published this week, to provide the necessary detail on how and when the Royal Navy’s new frigates will be delivered. More.....
21 Nov 2016	Warships conclude New Zealand earthquake relief efforts Three international warships helping New Zealand in the earthquake aftermath concluded their relief effort on November 19 and headed for Wellington Harbor where they met up with New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha and tanker Endeavour. USS Sampson, HMAS Darwin and HMCS Vancouver with their embarked helicopters supported the government of New Zealand onsite at Kaikoura from Nov 17-19. More.....
21 Nov 2016	Defence to mentor junior leaders on Kokoda Trek Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Dan Tehan has welcomed the announcement that Australian Defence Force (ADF) will mentor 20 young Legacy members on a trek along the Kokoda Trail to mark its 75th anniversary next year. The 10 ADF personnel will mentor the Legacy youth as they prepare for the 96-kilometre trek and they will walk the trail together as a leadership building exercise. More.....
20 Nov 2016	Exercise Dugong 2016
19 Nov 2016	HMAS Darwin NZ Earthquake Relief
18 Nov 2016	Australia and France: time to plan a closer partnership France is on the move. Since the release of its 2013 White Paper on Asia–Pacific Security, the country’s been pursuing its interests in the region with an ebullient energy. At the same time, Australia’s own strategic priorities are bringing us into closer contact with France on important matters, with the choice of French company DCNS to build our future submarines being just one of these. The convergence in the Australia–France relationship is more meaningful than dollars and project management. More.....
17 Nov 2016	Officer of the Watch manoeuvres on HMAS Darwin
17 Nov 2016	Bomb disposal experts destroy WWII bomb found in Portsmouth harbour Royal Navy bomb disposal experts have destroyed a German World War II bomb found in Portsmouth Harbour during dredging work on Wednesday. The World War II device was found by a barge dredging the harbour – part of a raft of infrastructure upgrades taking place in readiness for the arrival of the Royal Navy’s new 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier. More.....
17 Nov 2016	Nuclear propulsion for Australia’s submarines? by Peter Briggs There have been a number of well-argued suggestions that Australia should introduce nuclear powered submarines (SSN) and, more recently, an emotive argument that a conventional submarine is not up to the task required by Australia’s strategic circumstances, and that we could have SSN for less than the cost of the current program. More.....
17 Nov 2016	Supporting Veteran Employment Opportunities The Turnbull Government will ensure all Australian Defence Force Personnel (ADF) are ready for the opportunities of post-service life. Getting a good job, launching a new career is essential to ensuring our veterans make the most successful transition from the ADF. Our ADF personnel leave the military with unique skills and can make valuable contributions to business. It is in everyone’s interests to recognise the talents of our veterans and encourage the private sector to take advantage of that expertise. More..... Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Program.....
16 Nov 2016	The deterrent value of submarines I spoke on the subject of the deterrent value of submarines at the Submarine Institute of Australia annual conference yesterday. I was preaching to the choir with that crowd, but I’m often asked at public events why we’re planning on spending so much on submarines. The full text of my talk is here but I had three main messages: More.....
16 Nov 2016	AMC LSI Association of Victoria (Armed Merchant Cruisers / Landing Ship Infantry) November newsletter is now available to download.....
15 Nov 2016	Video: Russia starts Syria offensive Airstrikes have hit rebel positions in Syria for the first time in weeks after Russia announced the start of its offensive on Tuesday. Another first was marked by the Russian Navy’s Project 11356 frigate Admiral Grigorovich which fired Kalibr cruise missiles targeting terrorist positions. A video released by the Russian Ministry of Defence below shows the frigate deploying the missiles.
15 Nov 2016	Dutch Battle of the Java Sea warships disappear from seafloor Three Dutch warships sunk off the coast of Indonesia in 1942 have disappeared from the seabed of the Java Sea, Dutch defense ministry has noted. The ministry said the cause of the disappearance was unknown. The wrecks of Hr. Ms. De Ruyter and Hr. Ms. Java seem to be completely gone while Hr. Ms. Kortenaer is still visible with a large portion missing. More.....
15 Nov 2016	Russian MiG-29 jet crashes in Mediterranean A Russian MiG-29 fighter jet operating from the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov has reportedly crashed into the Mediterranean Sea during an attempt to land, on November 13. According to a report by American Fox News, three fighter jets took off from Admiral Kuznetsov and flew in the direction of Syria. One of them reportedly experienced mechanical issues and landed in water after it turned around to return to the aircraft carrier. More.....
15 Nov 2016	Australian Defence Force to support Kaikoura evacuation following New Zealand earthquake In response to a request from the New Zealand Government, the Australian Defence Force will support the evacuation of people from the Kaikoura area who have been isolated following the earthquake that struck the South Island on Monday. HMAS Darwin has been diverted from her planned participation in the International Naval Review in Auckland and is now steaming to Kaikoura. More.....
14 Nov 2016	Royal Navy opens new base in Bahrain His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales visited Bahrain where he opened the naval support facility at the Mina Salman port. The facility is UK’s first new overseas establishment in 45 years. The new building forms part of a larger installation, due to come into service next summer, that will serve personnel stationed in Bahrain as they work to protect shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf. More.....
14 Nov 2016	HMAS Arunta departs for Operation MANITOU
14 Nov 2016	HMAS Perth arrives back to Fleet Base West
13 Nov 2016	NATO Maritime Power – Securing the Seas - 20 minute video
12 Nov 2016	HMAS Glenelg saves sea turtles A quiet watch was the expectation for Leading Seaman Boatswains Mate James Cole in patrol boat HMAS Glenelg, but what he got was a lesson in ocean rescue for some entangled wildlife. “I stepped on to the bridge wing to get some fresh air and as I did, I noticed a net floating past,” he said. “As I looked closer, I saw that it was moving – there were three large sea turtles caught in the net,” Leading Seaman Cole said. More.....
12 Nov 2016	Sydney to host 2018 Invictus Games The Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne and the Minister for Defence Personnel, the Hon Dan Tehan MP today welcomed the announcement that Sydney, Australia will host the Invictus Games in 2018. The international adaptive multi-sports competition will bring together serving and former serving military personnel from up to 17 nations, who have been wounded, injured or become ill in service. More.....
12 Nov 2016	Navy League of Australia(Vic-Tas Div) November newsletter is now available to download.....
11 Nov 2016	Royal Navy fires at go fast to stop six-hour drug chase A Royal Marines sniper fired shots at a drug-smuggling go-fast vessel to bring a six-hour, high speed chase to a halt. The go-fast was carrying more than £40m of cocaine and initially did not respond to warning shots fired from a Lynx helicopter embarked aboard RFA Wave Knight. A Royal Marine in the back of the helicopter thereafter shot at the boat’s engines disabling its movement. More.....
11 Nov 2016	Canadian ship seizes $28 million of cocaine in Central America Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Brandon seized an estimated 700 Kg of cocaine in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard on November 5. The cocaine, worth an estimated $28 million (USD), was recovered from the ocean in international waters off the Pacific Coast of Central America after being jettisoned by suspected smugglers in a panga-style fishing vessel that had been spotted by a USCG HC-130J aircraft patrolling the region. More.....
11 Nov 2016	HMAS Arunta prepares for deployment
09 Nov 2016	New mobile resource for wound care The Government has released updated treatment information for wounds in innovative new formats to improve the healthcare of Australians. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Dan Tehan today announced the Department of Veterans’ Affairs had released a mobile-friendly version of its wound care management resource. More.....
08 Nov 2016	Team Perth airs the laundry Creating one of the most unusual sights of her deployment, HMAS Perth's 5 inch gun, harpoon anti-ship missile launchers and forecastle were all draped in hand-made quilts while alongside in Muscat, Oman recently. A traditional 'airing of the quilts' took on a new twist as the proud owners of over 90 masterpieces showed off the hard work of dedicated volunteers back in Australia. More.....
07 Nov 2016	Australian and US navy dive exercise begins in Sydney Navy Divers from Australia and the United States start military training activities in Sydney tomorrow (Tuesday 8 November 2016) to improve their skills and inter-operability. Exercise DUGONG 16 brings together more than 50 specialist divers and support staff from (7 to 18 November 2016) to practice state-of-the-art underwater construction techniques, underwater damage repair, search and salvage, shipping hazard removal, medical and communication techniques. More.....
05 Nov 2016	Pinochet's torture ship sails into Sydney, sparking protests Four-masted tall ship the Esmeralda is a national symbol of Chile but some say the navy should retire it from service. The appearance of a Chilean naval vessel in Sydney Harbour, which had been used as a “torture chamber” by the Pinochet regime, has sparked protests from Chilean-Australians who say it should be removed from service. More.....
05 Nov 2016	Naval Historical Society of Australia (Victorian Chapter) President's November Musings are now available to download.....
05 Nov 2016	USS Sampson departs Hawaii to become first US warship to visit New Zealand in 30 years U.S. Navy’s guided missile destroyer USS Sampson departed Hawaii on November 3 and headed to New Zealand where it will participate in the Royal New Zealand Navy International Naval Review in Auckland. Culminating a request extended by the Government of New Zealand for a U.S. Navy ship to participate in the Royal New Zealand Navy’s 75th anniversary celebration, Sampson will become the first U.S. Navy ship to visit New Zealand in more than 30 years. More.....
05 Nov 2016	EU naval force increases patrols off Somalia after pirate attack The EU naval force in charge of safeguarding shipping off the Horn of Africa has increased its patrols after Somali pirates attacked chemical tanker CPO Korea off the east coast of Somalia on October 22. During the attack a number of shots were exchanged between the six armed pirates, who were in a fast-moving skiff, and the armed security team on board CPO Korea. More.....
05 Nov 2016	'Straight ahead' for Admiral's Own Big Band The Royal Australian Navy’s Admiral’s Own Big Band launched their latest album Straight Ahead on 4 November with a concert at Coogee Diggers Club in Sydney. For over 100 years, the Band has been one of Australia’s premier musical acts and the newest album continues this fine tradition. Executive Producer for the project, Lieutenant David Coit, said the recording exceeded even the Band’s expectations. More.....
04 Nov 2016	Enhanced Sea Sparrow Missile Launch from HMAS Melbourne HMAS Melbourne (FFG 05) successfully launched an Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) in a test off the east coast of Australia.
04 Nov 2016	Understanding homelessness in the veteran community The Government will get a better understanding of homelessness in the veteran community through a research project announced today. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Dan Tehan said the University of New South Wales and the University of Adelaide had been engaged to conduct research into homelessness in the veteran community. The research will be completed by the end of 2017. More.....
04 Nov 2016	New Council is key to Navy's capability edge Navy’s drive to develop a modern and diverse workforce has accelerated with the launch of the Navy Diversity and Inclusion Council. The Council, launched by Deputy Chief of Navy on 27 October will provide leadership as Navy’s peak decision-making body for guiding and monitoring the implementation of the Navy Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (2014-19). More.....
03 Nov 2016	Canadian frigate reaches Australia on Western Pacific deployment Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Vancouver arrived in Brisbane, Australia on November 2 as part of her Westploy 16 deployment. HMCS Vancouver’s deployment is aimed at strengthening ties between the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the navies of Asia-Pacific countries. More.....
02 Nov 2016	Watch Su-33 and MiG-29K jets take off from Admiral Kuznetsov off the coast of Syria The Russian Navy’s aircraft carrier group centered around the carrier-cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov has reached the coasts of Syria where they have started carrier-based flight drills. In a Russian Ministry of Defense video shared by Russian TVZvezda, the ships are seen sailing in formation while aircraft aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov carry out take offs and landings. More.....
02 Nov 2016	Australian Navy patrol boat contributes to protection of Australian Exclusive Economic Zone Royal Australian Navy’s Armidale-class patrol boat HMAS Bathurst recently took part in a multi-agency Operation Resolute patrol in the Torres Strait with Australian Border Force vessel Storm Bay and Australian Fisheries and Management Agency officers. Focusing on the area in the North Torres Strait around Saibai Island, Bathurst in company with Storm Bay demonstrated the importance of interoperability between government agencies. More.....
01 Nov 2016	Australia considering joint South China Sea patrols with Indonesia Australia is considering an Indonesian invitation for joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea, Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Tuesday. According to Bishop, the option was discussed during last week’s meeting between her, Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne and Indonesian officials including Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu in Jakarta. More.....
01 Nov 2016	Australian second Collins-class submarine visits Tasmania HMAS Farncomb, Royal Australian Navy’s second Collins-class submarine, pulled into Tasmania for a five day port visit during a recent south-east Australia deployment, allowing family and friends to explore life onboard a submarine. The visit was the first time many of the ship’s company had a chance to show loved ones what their day job entails. More.....
31 Oct 2016	The ‘Silver Bullet’ conundrum: naval losses in a world of small fleets In the post-Cold War era, western navies have continued to seek the highest levels of technology and capability in an environment of declining defence budgets. This has caused a reduction in overall fleet sizes as unit costs increase, and the creation of ‘silver bullets’ in fleets that rely on a smaller number of more capable platforms. At the same time naval vessels face increasingly lethal and numerous anti-surface weapons. So the costs of losing even one vessel may be more significant than we imagine. More.....

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Request for Committal of Ashes to the Sea. Download form.....

Current Repatriation Benefits for Gold Card Veterans -
As of 01 January 2018
This is a list of products that are available on a Doctor's prescription for Gold Card Repatriation Patients. Download the list.....

DVA Mobile Apps

The new Operation Life mobile application is designed to help those at risk deal with suicidal thoughts and is recommended to be used with the support of a clinician.

The High Res (High Resilience) app helps you manage stress, build resilience and optimise performance on the go.

The PTSD Coach Australia app can help you learn about and manage symptoms that commonly occur after trauma.

ON TRACK with the Right Mix mobile app from the Department of Veterans Affairs helps you to keep track of the number and types of drinks you consume; the amount of money it's costing you and lets you know about the impact the alcohol has on your wellbeing and fitness levels.

Guide to the assessment of rates of veterans’ pensions
Guide to the assessment of rates of veterans’ pensions (GARP) is used to assess the extent of incapacity from war caused or defence caused injury or disease for the purposes of determining the rate of pension. Download.....

Planning ahead kit
Overview: Planning Ahead is a publication designed to help veterans and their families prepare for bereavement. There is also a checklist that can be used to record the contact details of important people, businesses and organisations that may need to be notified in case of your death. Download.....

DVA Concessions Fact Sheets
Factsheet CON01 - Concessions in NSW
Factsheet CON02 - Concessions in Vic
Factsheet CON03 - Concessions in QLD
Factsheet CON04 - Concessions in SA
Factsheet CON05 - Concessions in WA
Factsheet CON06 - Concessions in Tas
Factsheet CON07 - Concessions in NT
Factsheet CON08 - Concessions in ACT

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Check your ship's eligibility for war service.....

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