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31 May 2019 Much to China’s ire, Japan’s regional influence is becoming the norm
Japan is continuing to enhance its security presence in Asia and the western Pacific, as the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to continue defense posture reforms and counter China’s military activities in the region.  The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, or JMSDF, continues to send its ships on cruises and port visits throughout the region, and it conducts bilateral and multilateral exercises with allies and partners.  More.....
31 May 2019 Inaugural maritime Exercise Pacific Vanguard concludes off the coast of Guam
The first iteration of Exercise Pacific Vanguard was successfully held off the coast of Guam over the period 22-28 May 2019.  Exercise Pacific Vanguard is a combined maritime exercise involving key regional defence partners from Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States.  More.....
31 May 2019 Successful visit for Chief of Navy
The Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, AO, RAN has personally congratulated the crew of HMAS Success on her final deployment before decommissioning in June.  Vice Admiral Noonan flew from HMAS Canberra to Success to speak to crew and dine with the junior sailors as the INDO-PACIFIC ENDEAVOUR 2019 (IPE19) joint task force departed Singapore.  More.....
31 May 2019 Reconciliation Week — walking together with courage
Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel Darren Chester says the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is continuing to improve its record as an employer of indigenous Australians.  "As our nation commemorates Reconciliation Week, it's important to recognise the roles our indigenous people continue to fulfil within the ADF," Mr Chester said.  More.....
30 May 2019 Singapore first port of call for new Defence Minister
It is both an honour and a privilege to be appointed by Prime Minister Scott Morrison as Australia’s Minister for Defence.  Having served for over two decades as an Army Officer before my election to the Senate, I know there is no greater constitutional responsibility for any Australian Government than the defence and security of our nation.  My key priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that our greatest asset – our men and women across Defence – receive the support, training and resources necessary to succeed in their mission to defend Australia and its national interests.  More.....
30 May 2019 Video: Second Ford-class aircraft carrier receives its island
The US Navy’s second Ford-class aircraft carrier, the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), received the flight deck island in a May 29 ceremony that coincided with the birthday of the ship’s namesake.  “Landing the island is a key milestone in preparing the ship for launch in the fall,” said Jennifer Boykin, president of Newport News Shipbuilding.  More.....
30 May 2019 HMAS Ballarat drug seizure in the Arabian Sea
29 May 2019 Honouring United Nations Peacekeepers
TODAY is International Day of United Nations (UN) Peacekeepers and we are encouraged to recognise those personnel who have contributed to global peacekeeping efforts.  Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel Darren Chester said Australia has made a significant contribution to worldwide peace operations in war and conflicts for more than 70 years.  More.....
29 May 2019 Over $1 billion of narcotics seized by HMAS Ballarat on Operation Manitou
The crew of HMAS Ballarat has stopped illegal narcotics in excess of AUD$1 billion from funding terrorism and other illegal activity.  The Australian Navy frigate recently seized over 12.9 tonnes of hashish, 1.4 tonnes of heroin and a small amount of methyl amphetamines, with a combined worth of AUD$1.073 billion*.  More.....
29 May 2019 Royal Navy-led task group assembles in the Baltic
A nine-ship task group has gathered off the Danish coast to start operations as part of a UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force.  The group will work together in the first act of the two-month-long Operation Baltic Protector, designed to demonstrate the resolve of the UK, its allies and nations in the region to defend the sea and countries which border it.  More.....
28 May 2019 Australian pilots hit with lasers during Indo-Pacific exercise
I recently sailed onboard the landing helicopter dock and Royal Australian Navy flagship HMAS Canberra from Vietnam to Singapore, as one of several academic sea-riders invited to observe Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019 (IPE 19), which has now concluded after three months at sea.  A key question about this operation was what did the People’s Liberation Army Navy make of so much Australian activity in waters that China claims?   More.....
28 May 2019 A great start as Success nears finish
As HMAS Success comes to the end of her Navy service, a group of midshipmen aboard the First Lady of the Fleet are starting theirs.  The ten midshipmen – five men and five women aged between 20 and 29 – are undertaking the at-sea component of their training during INDO-PACIFIC ENDEAVOUR 2019 (IPE19).  More.....
28 May 2019 US Navy announces hospital ship’s mission stops in South America
US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) is beginning another deployment to South America, Central America, and the Caribbean mid-June to deliver medical assistance in response to the humanitarian crisis created by the ongoing political and economic instability in Venezuela.  During its five-month deployment, Comfort medical teams will pull in to Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago for working port visits.  More.....
28 May 2019

D-DAY 3D: Normandy 1944

D-DAY 3D will be presented in IMAX 4K LASER DIGITAL

SPECIAL EVENT PRESENTATION - STRICTLY LIMITED SEASON & SESSIONS - TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Complimentary admission for all current & former serving members of the Australian Defence Force*

June 6, 1944: The largest Allied operation of World War II began in Normandy, France. Yet few know in detail exactly why and how, from the end of 1943 through August 1944, this region became the most important location in the world.
    
Blending multiple cinematographic techniques, including animation, CGI and stunning live-action images, D-DAY 3D: NORMANDY 1944 brings this monumental event to the world’s largest screen for the first time ever to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
 
Audiences of all ages, including new generations, will discover from a new perspective how this landing changed the world. Exploring history, military strategy, science, technology and human values, the film will educate and appeal to all.

Narrated by Tom Brokaw, D-DAY 3D: NORMANDY 1944 pays tribute to those who gave their lives for our freedom… a duty of memory, a duty of gratitude.

*Valid for any session of D-DAY 3D: Normandy 1944 on presentation your ADF or DVA ID card at the IMAX Melbourne Box Office prior to your preferred session time. These complimentary tickets are not available online or for Premium seating (Tickets for civilians/non-veterans can be purchased online or at the IMAX Melbourne Box Office).

*The content of this film has been assessed as meeting the Exempt from Classification criteria as defined by the Australian Classification office

27 May 2019 US Coast Guard receives 34th fast response cutter
The US Coast Guard received its 34th fast response cutter (FRC), William Hart, from shipbuilder Bollinger Shipyards on May 23.  The cutter was handed over in Florida and will be the third of three FRCs stationed in Honolulu.  More.....
27 May 2019 Taiwan starts construction of new missile corvettes, minelayers
Taiwan has kicked off construction of three Tuo Chiang-class missile corvettes and four next-generation minelayers in a ceremony attended by the country’s president Tsai Ing-wen on May 24.  The three catamaran corvettes are being built by Lung Teh Shipbuilding and will displace 680 tons at a length of 65 meters.  More.....
27 May 2019


Navy League of Australia(Western Australia Division)

May newsletter is now available to download.....
27 May 2019 Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019 concludes
26 May 2019 Chester Reappointed as Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel
Re-appointed Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel Darren Chester says a mental health summit, transitioning Australian Defence Force (ADF) members to civilian employment and continuing the transformation of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) will be his highest priorities in the first 100 days back in the role.  Mr Chester, who will continue to have responsibility for both Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel, said he was confident the government was heading in the right direction but acknowledged “there’s more work to be done”.  More.....
26 May 2019 New Italian aircraft carrier launched 15 months after construction start
The Italian Navy’s new landing helicopter dock (LHD) Trieste was launched in a ceremony at Fincantieri’s Castellammare di Stabia shipyard on May 25.  The LHD is also referred to as an aircraft carrier as it is expected to be capable of carrying and operating F-35B short-takeoff and vertical landing aircraft.  This is yet to receive an official confirmation.  More.....
26 May 2019 Commonwealth Ombudsman's Inquiry into the administration of the DFRDB scheme

The Commonwealth Ombudsman, has decided to commence an investigation into the administration of the DFRDB scheme with respect to commutation. Please refer to the Ombudsman’s Letter (click to open).

The scope of this investigation is limited to the accuracy of information provided by scheme administrators and relevant departments to DFRDB scheme members, in relation to commutation.

The Ombudsman has provided a Questionnaire (click to open). I encourage you to complete and email it to DFRDB.investigation@ombudsman.gov.au.

The Ombudsman doesn’t give a time-line but I’ll endeavour to establish what it is. I suggest you get your submission in sooner rather than later.

The new (or perhaps the same) Minister will undoubtedly pass this off as the Inquiry he announced, making a nonsense of his statement:

“The Government recognises the importance of open and transparent discussion around veteran concerns and we will consult with the ex-service community about the terms of reference for the inquiry, as well as panel membership.”
26 May 2019 Indo-Pacific Endeavour Joint Task Force returns to Australia
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.  More.....
25 May 2019 NVN's May Newsletter - download.....
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 May 2019 Royal Australian Navy’s Indo-Pacific task force on show to the region
Amid growing concern about potential threats to peace in the Indo-Pacific, a Royal Australian Navy task force has completed a three-month tour of seven key regional nations.  Led by the flagship HMAS Canberra, the four ships on the Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019 (IPE 19) operation visited India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia on one of the RAN’s most complex and ambitious operations in peacetime.  More.....
25 May 2019 Trial of Navy SEAL accused of killing prisoner set for June
The court martial of a SEAL accused of killing an Islamic State prisoner under his care in Iraq in 2017 is scheduled to start June 10.  Navy spokesman Brian O'Rourke says the trial should last about two weeks.  Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said Friday he is considering pardons for several American military members accused of war crimes.  More.....
24 May 2019 Ten nations test their MTOs in Exercise BELL BUOY 19
More than 60 Maritime Trade Operations (MTO) Officers from ten navies have wrapped up one of their largest annual Bell Buoy exercises last week with a simulations of conflict between two countries in the Tasman Sea, piracy and the closure of Port Botany due to an underwater improvised explosive device.  More.....
24 May 2019 New Materials Research to Enhance Submarine Stealth
Defence has signed a 3-year collaboration agreement with universities and industry to develop new acoustic materials that will make Australian submarines harder to detect.  The $1.5 million Defence Science and Technology (DST) agreement, supported by the Next Generation Technologies Fund, will produce new materials to reduce the acoustic signature of submarines without disrupting their operation.  More.....
24 May 2019 It’s time to make good on defence commitments to northern Australia
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that more Royal Australian Navy vessels will be built at the Henderson shipyard south of Perth, and the plan appears to have bipartisan support.  The 2016 defence white paper and the associated integrated investment program have already committed to decades of continuous submarine and frigate building in South Australia.  More.....
23 May 2019 Australia, Japan, Korea, US launch inaugural naval drill Pacific Vanguard
Ships from the navies of Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea and the United States arrived in Guam, May 22, to take part in the first ever cooperative maritime training exercise called Pacific Vanguard.  Pacific Vanguard brings together more than 3,000 sailors from four Indo-Pacific nations to sharpen skills and strengthen practical cooperation at sea.  More.....
23 May 2019  The last leg of Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019
22 May 2019 HMS Queen Elizabeth afloat after first docking period, ready for final round of trials
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is afloat again after completing its first docking and maintenance period at Babcock’s Rosyth site.  After the planned six-week work package was successfully delivered, the aircraft carrier departed Rosyth through the specially designed roller-fender system at high tide into the River Forth.  More.....
22 May 2019 US guided-missile submarine Michigan returns from 30-month deployment
US Navy’s Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Michigan (SSGN 727) returned home to the Pacific Northwest on May 13, after spending almost three years forward-deployed in the Western Pacific.  Since its departure in December 2016, Michigan was forward-deployed to Guam, where it conducted surveillance, training and other critical missions in the 7th Fleet Area of Operation.  More.....
22 May 2019 Navy Cadet enhances leadership skills in STS Young Endeavour
Sixteen year old Finn Naylor got a taste for life at sea on an 11 day adventure under sail in the Navy operated tall ship STS Young Endeavour.  The teen who is a Leading Seaman at TS Shropshire was awarded a scholarship berth by the Australian Navy Cadets and said she had the trip of a lifetime.  More.....
22 May 2019 Clean Oceans
21 May 2019 Sailor sees Success beginning and end
Thirty-three years ago, a junior Royal Australian Navy sailor joined a new ship, HMAS Success, and today he is on that ship’s final voyage.  The First Lady of the Fleet, HMAS Success, was commissioned in Sydney on 23 April 1986. She was the largest ship built entirely in Australia for the Navy and the biggest built in the port of Sydney.  More.....
20 May 2019 HMS Defender shows her power with missile firing
In a burst of fire and smoke, Royal Navy warship HMS Defender has tested her world-beating missile system off the coast of Scotland.  Blasting from the Type 45 destroyer’s silo, the missile flew four times the speed of sound before obliterating an incoming drone target designed to simulate a projectile attack on the ship.  More.....
20 May 2019 UK-led maritime force deploys to the Baltic Sea
Royal Navy flagship HMS Albion deploys to the Baltic Sea today to lead a multinational task group in support of European security.  Thousands of UK armed forces personnel will take part in the first UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) maritime deployment.  More.....
20 May 2019 First Australian frigate to complete AMCAP upgrade tests stability
The first Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate to undergo the Anzac Midlife Capability Assurance Program (AMCAP) upgrade has completed the inclining experiment at Henderson Shipyard, Western Australia to test stability.  HMAS Arunta underwent the test after more than a year out of the water as part of the upgrade.  More.....
20  May 2019 HMAS Ballarat participates in the Gulf Ani-Submarine Exercise
18 May 2019

Naval Historical Society of Australia (Victorian Chapter)
President's May Musings are now available to download.....
17 May 2019 'It smacks of political correctness': Former military commanders blast Royal Navy's 'harsh' decision to sack father-of-three Big Lizzy skipper 'for using his official car at weekends'
* Commodore Nick Cooke-Priest was sacked from the £3bn HMS Queen Elizabeth after the 'innocent mistake'
* Insiders claimed that the Commodore was never warned that the Royal Navy car was for official duties only
* He was dismissed this week after a Top Brass investigation found him guilty of an 'error of judgement'
* The 50-year-old is said to have been 'gutted' at the decision after discovering he had breached the rules.   More.....
17 May 2019 HMS Queen Elizabeth CO relieved over “misuse of official car”
Captain Nick Cooke-Priest, the commanding officer of Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has been relieved of his duties.  The navy confirmed that he has been reassigned to a new role without providing a specific reason.  UK media outlets, however, widely report that the reason for Cooke-Priest’s removal was his use of the ship’s official car for personal affairs.  More.....
17 May 2019 Repairs of sunken Norwegian frigate would cost well over $1B, inquiry finds
Repairing the Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNomS Helge Ingstad after it sank in the Hjeltefjorden fjord in November last year would cost almost three times as much as it cost to buy the ship, an estimate by the Norwegian defense ministry has revealed.  Inspector General of the Navy, Admiral Haakon Bruun-Hanssen said repairing the frigate, which spent four months almost completely submerged, could require an investment of up to US$ 1.6 billion and take up to five years.  More.....
17 May 2019 First Maritime Exercise conducted by Australian, French, Japanese and US ships in the Indian Ocean
Naval vessels from Australia, France, Japan and the United States are set to commence the first iteration of the French-led maritime exercise La Perouse in the Indian Ocean.  Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Commander, Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead, AM, said Australia’s participation in supporting the Charles de Gaulle Carrier Task Group highlighted the valued working relationship between Australia and France.  More.....
16 May 2019 Another German submarine runs aground in Norwegian waters
The German Navy’s newest Type 212 submarine, the U36, reportedly came into contact with the sea bottom as it was departing the Royal Norwegian Navy base Haakonsvern.  Video footage of the damage is currently being assessed in order to determine whether the boat could return to sea, according to the report.  More.....
16 May 2019 Future HMNZS Manawanui arrives in New Zealand after 46-day voyage from Norway
The Royal New Zealand Navy’s diving support and hydrographic survey vessel has arrived in New Zealand after a 46-day voyage from Norway.  The former offshore support vessel MV Edda Fonn underwent conversion work in Denmark before heading for Wellington, via Panama.  More.....
15 May 2019 Spanish frigate breaks off from US carrier strike group heading for Strait of Hormuz
Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Mendez Nunes broke off from the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its carrier strike group (CSG) as it headed for the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tension between the US and Iran.  The Spanish frigate’s withdrawal from the carrier strike group was first reported by Spanish news outlet El Pais.  More.....
15 May 2019 Brazil’s second Scorpene sub Humaitá starts move to launch site
The first section of a new submarine for the Brazilian Navy has been transferred from the pre-outfitting site UFEM (Unidade de Fabricação de Estruturas Metálicas) to the Itaguaí Naval Complex on the Bay of Sepetiba where the boat will be launched once all hull sections are joined together.  Future BNS Humaitá (S 41) will be the second of four modified Scorpene submarines built for the Brazilian Navy under a transfer of technology agreement with French shipbuilder Naval Group.  More.....
15 May 2019 2019 Seafarers' Memorial Service
15 May 2019 ‘Ninja bomb’ is a bladed anvil that shreds terrorists with no risk of collateral damage, Pentagon says
Collateral damage of indirect fire missions conducted against enemy targets in heavily populated urban centers has long been a criticism levied against U.S. forces.  Never before has the role of fire support specialists ensuring artillery, air, mortar and even naval gunfire strikes hit precisely while minimizing the potential of civilian casualties.  More.....
13 May 2019 HMAS Newcastle navigation through Malacca Straights
13 May 2019 HMAS Ballarat continues illicit drug seizures in the Middle East
13 May 2019 HMAS Ballarat continues illicit drug seizures in the Middle East
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Ballarat has intercepted another 2.6 tonnes of illicit drugs while conducting a patrol in international waters in the Arabian Sea.  The seizures, including approximately 2.5 tonnes of hashish and 135kg of heroin, were discovered in two vessels suspected of illegal activity on 5 and 7 May 2019.  More.....
12 May 2019 Vietnam school visit to remember
12 May 2019 The ADF Visits Tonga and Tuvalu
11 May 2019 Mother's Day messages from Indo-Pacific Endeavour
11 May 2019 Mother's Day on Operations
11 May 2019 Australian officer awarded US medal for missile defence work
A Royal Australian Navy Officer has been awarded the United States Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal for his work in helping to develop defences against anti-ship missiles.  Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer Commander Cadeyrn Okely was presented his medal by Fleet Commander, Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead, and United States Senator Richard Shelby.  More.....
10 May 2019 Abraham Lincoln Transits Suez Canal
The Abraham Lincoln Strike Group (ABECSG) transited the Suez Canal, May 9.  The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), the Alvaro de Bazan-class frigate ESPS Mendez Nunez (F 104), the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) departed the U.S. 6th Fleet and entered the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.  More.....
10 May 2019 Keel laid for Australia’s first Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel
The Royal Australian Navy’s Arafura-class Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) program reached a new milestone on Friday as the keel for the lead ship in the class was laid at at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide.  Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan AO, RAN positioned a coin to commemorate the laying of the keel for the first vessel to be named Arafura.  More.....
10 May 2019 Royal Navy warships join NATO exercise off Scottish coast
The Royal Navy’s missile capability and how it can work alongside NATO nations will be put to the test during Exercise Formidable Shield.  Vice Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Commander of the US 6th Fleet and Commander of Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, said: “Exercise Formidable Shield demonstrates the United States and our allied maritime partners’ high-end war fighting capability in integrated air and missile defence.  More.....
10 May 2019 ADF supports delivery of surf life saving training in Thailand
Australian and US forces have delivered potentially life-saving training during a visit to Patong Beach, Thailand.  Using amphibious vessels launched from HMAS Canberra, personnel from the Joint Task Force for INDO-PACIFIC ENDEAVOUR 2019 and Surf Lifesaving Australia combined in Phuket to deliver equipment and training to the beach-loving community at Patong Beach.  More.....
09 May 2019 Building a better future in Thailand
Australian Defence Force personnel have contributed to a significant school project during a visit to Phuket, Thailand.  Personnel from the INDO-PACIFIC ENDEAVOUR 2019 Joint Task Force laid turf and built a playground at the Cornerstone Learning Centre in blistering conditions.  The Asia Centre Foundation is building the facility with the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian aid program.   More.....
08 May 2019 Wings over Illawarra airshow
08 May 2019 Could unmanned underwater vehicles undermine nuclear deterrence?
Nuclear deterrence rests on the ability of strategic assets to survive an enemy’s first strike and to retaliate, ensuring mutually assured destruction.  Nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines (SSBNs) are considered to be the most survivable of all nuclear platforms due to their stealth capabilities, mobility and discretion.  Placing nuclear assets underwater puts them at a safer distance from a crippling first strike.  But as technology improves and the ocean battlefield becomes more complex, these advances could undermine the survivability of strategic forces around the world and make them far more vulnerable.  More.....
08 May 2019 Decorated Naval aviator and lawyer farewelled
The Royal Australian Navy aviation and legal communities are mourning the loss of one of their legends, Commander Geoffrey Vickridge, RAN (Ret'd), who passed away recently after a battle with cancer.  Geoff served in a variety of roles in the Royal Australian Navy over his forty-four years of service.  After joining the Navy in January 1958, he spent several years as a junior sailor before obtaining the academic qualifications required for commission.  More.....
08 May 2019 Sharpening the thinking and fighting edge
In 1889, British Lieutenant General William F Butler wrote “The nation that will insist on drawing a broad demarcation between the fighting man and the thinking man is liable to have its fighting done by fools and its thinking done by cowards.”  Now, the Royal Australian Navy’s people are being challenged to sharpen their mental edge and fighting mindset using the Chief of Navy’s 2019 Professional Resource List.  More.....
07 May 2019 Sea-based Excalibur N5 completes further tests
The US Navy and defense contractor Raytheon have completed another round of tests of the Excalibur N5 munition, demonstrating the round’s various short-, mid- and long-range capabilities.  The sea-based Excalibur N5 precision-guided projectile is expected to double the maximum range of conventional 5-inch munitions and provide the same accuracy as the land-based version, Raytheon said in an announcement.  More.....
07 May 2019 Reflective tone as Westralia's crew commended
A commemoration was held at HMAS Stirling on Sunday 5 May to remember the four lives that were lost 21 years ago in a fire on board the former supply vessel HMAS Westralia (II).  The ceremony also included the award of a group commendation to the ship’s company who fought valiantly to save the ship after the devastating fire broke out in the engine room shortly after sailing from Fleet Base West.  More.....
07 May 2019 Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019 Task Force deepens ties with Vietnam
The Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019 (IPE 19) Joint Task Force is continuing its international engagement activities with the arrival of two ships in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam.  HMA Ships Canberra and Newcastle’s port call follows the recent signing in November of the Joint Vision Statement on enhancing defence cooperation with Vietnam, and upgrading of the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership in March 2018.  More.....
07 May 2019 Australian Defence Force completes visits to Tonga and Tuvalu
HMAS Gascoyne has farewelled Tonga and Tuvalu following a month-long deployment to the Southwest Pacific region.  More than 60 Australian Defence Force personnel travelled to the island nations between 8 April and 4 May 2019, conducting activities to support peace, security and the sovereignty, of these countries.  More.....
06 May 2019 Navies gather in Scotland for live-fire missile defense drill Formidable Shield 19
Navy ships from nine NATO states have gathered in Scotland where they will take part in the US Navy-led exercise Formidable Shield 19.  The two-week exercise will take place at the UK defense ministry’s Hebrides Range located on the Western Isles of Scotland.  It kicks off on May 7.  Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO will conduct the exercise on behalf of the US 6th Fleet.  More.....
06 May 2019 India launches fourth Scorpene submarine INS Vela
Indian shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) launched the fourth Indian Navy Scorpene-class submarine INS Vela on May 6.  The submarine was towed to Mumbai Port Trust for separation from the pontoon.  INS Vela is now set to undergo a series of harbor and sea trials before being delivered to the Indian Navy.  More.....
06 May 2019 South Korea approves procurement of next batch of Aegis destroyers, subs
South Korea’s defense procurement agency DAPA has approved plans for the development and construction of the next batch of Republic of Korea Navy destroyers and submarines.  More specifically, an additional three Sejong the Great-class destroyers (KDX-III) and three second-batch KSS-III submarines are to be built.  More.....
06 May 2019 New simulators enhance training for boat coxswains
The Seamanship School at the Royal Australian Navy’s Boatswains Faculty at HMAS Cerberus has two new simulators that will help ensure new boat coxswains go to sea much better prepared to hit the water at speed.  The combined Jet RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) Course now has two moving platform J3 Jet RHIB simulators that deliver a full immersive experience.  More.....
04 May 2019 March to the beat of a new drum
One of the highlights of a Royal Australian Navy parade is the Navy Band marching down a main street with their front row performing stick drill on side-slung drums embellished with drag ropes which nod to Navy’s past.  On Anzac Day, the Royal Australian Navy Band debuted their unique new side-slung snare drums in marches through Melbourne and Sydney and at services in Villers-Bretonneux, France.  More.....
03 May 2019 Submariners take centre stage at national event
The Duke of Cambridge today led tributes as the nation marked the sacrifices demanded of submariners and their families by the UK’s longest military operation.  The honorary head of the Royal Navy’s Submarine Service joined veterans and serving personnel, families, people who have built and maintained vessels – described as more complex than the Space Shuttle – and naval and political leaders past and present in Westminster Abbey for a ‘service of recognition’ to mark 50 years of maintaining the nation’s nuclear deterrent on unseen and unheralded patrols.  More.....
03 May 2019 Royal name for new submarine as deterrent crews take centre stage
For the first time ever, a warship will bear the name King George VI – as the fourth new Dreadnought-class submarine is named.  Just hours before the nation honours the men and women involved in upholding the UK’s most important military mission, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones revealed the title of the fourth boat which will carry the next-generation nuclear deterrent alongside HMS Dreadnought, Valiant and Warspite.  More.....
03 May 2019 Australian Navy orders additional Kongsberg bridge simulators
The Royal Australian Navy has awarded Kongsberg Digital a contract for the delivery of two K-Sim full mission bridge simulators at its HMAS Watson Bridge Simulator Facility in Watsons Bay, Sydney, Australia.  The Watson facility contract follows an earlier one from November 2018, under which Kongsberg was to deliver two simulators for a new training facility at HMAS Stirling in Perth.  More.....
03 May 2019 Forward … from the (hardened) north of Australia
Australia faces a rapidly changing—and worsening—defence and security outlook that is increasingly at odds with the policy assumptions that underpinned the formulation of the 2016 defence white paper. T hat reality demands a rethink of our defence policy and a new defence white paper early in the term of the next government.  The next white paper needs to deal more directly and robustly with a rising China that’s intent on challenging US strategic primacy across the Indo-Pacific and exploiting opportunities arising from any US strategic miscalculations, such as reducing visible support for key allies.  More.....
03 May 2019 Navy brings joy to children in India
Prosthetics and wheelchairs were among the items donated to children in need by Royal Australian Navy members during a visit to the disabled children’s ward at the Institute for Child Health in Chennai, India.  Through the Sukriti Social Foundation, personnel from HMA Ships Success and Parramatta, Australian consular staff and hospital employees donated quality-of-life items to the children.  More.....
02 May 2019 WARRANT OFFICER OF THE NAVY SELECTION

1. IT IS WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT I ANNOUNCE THE NEXT WARRANT OFFICER - NAVY WILL BE WARRANT OFFICER DEB BUTTERWORTH, OAM, CSM AND BAR

2. WO BUTTERWORTH WAS SELECTED THROUGH A ROBUST AND CHALLENGING SELECTION PROCESS. THE FIELD OF APPLICANTS WAS OUTSTANDING AND I THANK EACH OF THEM FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT AND CONTINUED EXEMPLARY SERVICE

3. THE SELECTION PROCESS DREW UPON THE COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE AND ADVICE OF THE INCUMBENT WO-N AND A NUMBER OF HIS PREDECESSORS, WHO EACH BROUGHT A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHALLENGES AND IMPORTANCE OF THE POSITION.

4. WARRANT OFFICER-NAVY IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A COMMAND WARRANT OFFICER FOR NAVY’S SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM; THEY ACT AS THE VOICE OF EVERY SAILOR AND ARE MY TRUSTED CONFIDANT. I RELY ON WO-N’S EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE AND SAGE COUNCIL TO SHAPE MY DECISIONS AND THEIR HONESTY, PASSION AND JUDGEMENT IS ESSENTIAL AS WE COLLECTIVELY MOVE TO OUR 2022 HEADMARK.

5. WO-N GARY WIGHT WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE US WITH THIS GUIDANCE AND EXPERTISE UNTIL THE END OF HIS TENURE IN NOVEMBER 2019

6. ON BEHALF OF OUR ENTIRE NAVY, I CONGRATULATE WO BUTTERWORTH ON HER SELECTION

Vice Admiral Michael Noonan
Chief of Navy
02 May 2019 USS Abraham Lincoln joins major Italian exercise Mare Aperto
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and ships from its carrier strike group (ABECSG) have joined Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi as part of exercise Mare Aperto, an Italian multilateral maritime warfare exercise designed to promote interoperability and proficiency.  Multiple surface, subsurface, and air platforms are showcasing their naval powers and agility in the exercise, both in open sea and shallow water environments.  More.....
02 May 2019 Australian War Memorial’s $498 million funding boost would be better spent on veterans
The director of the Australian War Memorial, Brendan Nelson, wants to extend the memorial at a cost of $498 million.  The case he outlined in a recent ‘Strategist Six’ is as full of holes as a second-hand camouflage net.  Nelson assumes that the War Memorial must continue to expand as Australia continues to go to war.  More.....
02 May 2019 Village visit forges closer ties
Mutual respect, cultural understanding and knowledge sharing have been fundamental to the Australia-Malaysia relationship, a relationship with close people-to-people links over many years.  This connection has been reinforced during INDO-PACIFIC ENDEAVOUR 2019 (IPE19), Australia’s major defence engagement with regional partner nations.  More.....
01 May 2019 HMS Caroline shortlisted for best museum
The last surviving British warship from the greatest naval battle fought in European waters is in line to become the museum of the year.  Jutland veteran HMS Caroline – a former Royal Navy light cruiser turned floating tribute to Irishmen who served at sea between 1914 and 1918 – is lined up for the Art Fund Museum of the Year and a £100,000 cash prize.  More.....
01 May 2019 FlyBy
A periodical of the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia.
May issue.....
01 May 2019 An Indian view from Parramatta
A young Indian naval officer spent AUSINDEX 2019 aboard HMAS Parramatta, observing most of the activity from the bridge of the Australian frigate.  Lieutenant Arun Bhumbla said the bilateral exercise developed a common working culture between the Indian and Australian navies.  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


War Service


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