News & Articles of Interest

HMAS Cerberus Facebook page For all the latest news coming out of Cerberus, visit their Facebook page.....
30 Jun 2018	Parliamentary approval for new facilities at Larrakeyah Defence Precinct Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, yesterday announced approval of a $495 million investment in two projects for new facilities at the Larrakeyah Defence Precinct, Northern Territory. The first project, a $223 million base redevelopment, will address the upgrade of critical in-ground infrastructure, support on-base growth over the next 25 years, and improve the working environment for Defence personnel. Minister Payne said the second, a concurrent $272 million Facilities to Support Naval Operations in the North project, will deliver a new outer wharf to support the Royal Australian Navy’s major surface combatant ships and submarines. More.....
29 Jun 2018	Hunter class commission new era for Navy’s future force Navy’s future frigates will be known as ‘Hunter Class’ with the Chief of Navy confirming the first of the Hunter Class Guided Missile Frigates (FFG) to be commissioned in the late 2020s. The first batch of three will be named HMA Ships Flinders (II) (SA region named for explorer Captain Matthew Flinders - first circumnavigation of Australia and identified it as a continent); Hunter (NSW region named for Vice-Admiral John Hunter – first fleet Captain and 2nd Governor of NSW); and Tasman (state and sea named for explorer Abel Tasman – first known European explorer to reach Tasmania, New Zealand and Fiji). More.....
29 Jun 2018	Western Australia to be home of Hunter class training school Western Australia will be home to a new Hunter class training and capability centre, known as ‘Ship Zero’, as part of a $670 million investment at HMAS Stirling and Henderson to support Australia’s new frigates. The new frigates will provide our nation with one of the most advanced anti-submarine warships in the world - a maritime combat capability that will underpin our security for decades to come. The warships will also be larger and have more complex systems than the existing ANZAC class frigates, and will require new and upgraded facilities at HMAS Stirling. More.....
29 Jun 2018	BAE Systems Global Combat Ship - Australia (GCS-A)
29 Jun 2018	Future Frigate announcement
29 Jun 2018	The Hunter class - defending Australia and securing our shipbuilding sovereignty The Turnbull Government will deliver one of the world’s most advanced anti-submarine warfare frigates, create 4000 Australian jobs and secure a local naval shipbuilding industry for decades to come. The frigates, to be designed by BAE Systems and built by ASC Shipbuilding, are central to our plan to secure our nation, our naval shipbuilding sovereignty and create Australian jobs. BAE’s Global Combat Ship – Australia will provide our nation with one of the most advanced anti-submarine warships in the world - a maritime combat capability that will underpin our security for decades to come. More.....
28 Jun 2018	US State Department approves Aegis for Australian Future Frigates The US State Department has approved a potential sale of Aegis combat system equipment for the Royal Australian Navy’s new SEA5000 frigates. The approved $185 million sale would include equipment associated with the integration of the Australian CEAFAR 2 phased array radar system with the Lockheed Martin-built AEGIS combat system. More.....
28 Jun 2018	Navy Clearance Diving Team 3 receives US Commendation Members of the Royal Australian Navy’s Clearance Diving Team 3 (AUSCDT 3) were awarded a United States (US) Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service in the 1991 Gulf War at a ceremony at HMAS Penguin today. In 1992, the Acting Secretary of the US Navy awarded a US Unit Commendation to units involved in the 1991 multinational Desert Storm Task Group. Australian guidelines at the time prevented Clearance Diving Team 3 personnel from accepting the US award. More.....
28 Jun 2018	Defence Call Out Bill The Turnbull Government will today introduce a Bill to make it easier for the states and territories to seek assistance from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to respond to terrorist and other violent incidents. The Defence Amendment (Call Out of the Australian Defence Force) Bill 2018 was developed in close consultation with state and territory governments to ensure a strengthened approach to combating terrorism, wherever it may occur. More.....
27 Jun 2018	Shot five times, this wounded warrior fought her way back to active duty and eight gold medals On Aug. 5, 2014, Navy Senior Chief Raina Hockenberry was visiting a military academy in Kabul, Afghanistan, when an Afghan soldier turned and opened fire on the group. In the “green-on-blue” attack, Hockenberry was shot five times. Two bullets shattered her tibia, one hit her groin and the two remaining bullets hit her stomach. Nearly four years later, now-Master Chief Petty Officer Hockenberry has returned to service and has taken up the post of personnel and administrative officer on board the USS Port Royal. More.....
26 Jun 2018	SECNAV censures three more Navy officers in ‘Fat Leonard’ scandal US Navy Secretary Richard Spencer has issued letters of censure to three officers for their roles in the “Fat Leonard” scandal, a web of bribery, kickbacks and classified info leaks that took place over more than a decade and ensnared scores of Navy officers. Of the three officers censured on June 14, Capt. Charles A. Johnson is the only one still on active duty. More.....
26 Jun 2018	Russian Navy commissions 2nd Project 18280 ship Ivan Khurs The Russian Navy has commissioned Ivan Khurs, the navy’s second Project 18280 intelligence-gathering ship. The commissioning ceremony for the newbuilding was held at St. Petersburg’s Severnaya Verft shipyard on June 25, 2018. The vessel, designed to provide signals intelligence (SIGINT), electronic warfare and fleet management, will be part of the Black Sea Fleet, according to Russian defense ministry. More.....
26 Jun 2018	ADF exercises interoperability at RIMPAC More than 1600 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel have arrived in the United States ahead of a month of focused military training activities with 26 nations from across the globe for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2018. The ADF has deployed HMA Ships Adelaide, Success, Toowoomba and Melbourne which have been part of the Indo Pacific Endeavour 2018 task group, one submarine, diving personnel, an amphibious landing force from the 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, and one P-8A Poseidon aircraft to RIMPAC. More.....
26 Jun 2018	Strengthening Australia’s Maritime Patrol Capability The security of Australia’s maritime borders will be significantly strengthened with another major military investment. The Turnbull Government will invest $1.4 billion and acquire the first of six MQ-4C Triton remotely piloted aircraft through a cooperative program with the United States Navy. The Triton will complement the surveillance role of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft through sustained operations at long ranges as well as being able to undertake a range of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks. More.....
26 Jun 2018	NVN's June 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.
24 Jun 2018	Future Navy weapons will need lots of power. That’s a huge engineering challenge The US Navy is convinced that the next generation of ships will need to integrate lasers, electromagnetic rail guns and other power-hungry weapons and sensors to take on peer competitors in the coming decades. However, integrating futuristic technologies on to existing platforms, even on some of the newer ships with plenty of excess power capacity, will still be an incredibly difficult engineering challenge, experts say. More.....
22 Jun 2018	Refurbishment of two women's shelters
22 Jun 2018	Pathways For Veteran Employment Pathways to employment and the benefits of employing veterans upon transition from the Australian Defence Force were the key focus of the Veterans’ Employment Program roundtable in Brisbane today. Hosted by Boeing Defence Australia, which was named Large Business Employer of the Year at the 2018 Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Awards, the event was attended by more than 50 representatives of organisations looking to improve career pathways for ex-defence personnel. More.....
22 Jun 2018	Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth refuelling at sea
22 Jun 2018	Upgrading US Navy ships is difficult and expensive. Change is coming. The U.S. Navy is looking at extending the life of its surface ships by as much as 13 years, meaning some ships might be 53 years old when they leave the fleet. Here’s the main problem: keeping their combat systems relevant. The Navy’s front-line combatants ― cruisers and destroyers ― are incredibly expensive to upgrade, in part because one must cut open the ship and remove fixtures that were intended to be permanent when they were installed. More.....
22 Jun 2018	Remembering World War II submariners United States submariners lost at sea while defending Australia have been honoured at a memorial service at the National Anzac Centre in Albany, Western Australia. Officers and senior sailors from the Australian and United States navies gathered with Australian Naval Cadets from Training Ship Vancouver and invited guests to remember the submariners. Their lives were lost while defending Australia from the threat of invasion by Japanese forces during World War II. More.....
21 Jun 2018	Wartime icon returned to Russia after protecting sailors on Arctic convoys A religious icon has been returned to worshippers in Russia – 76 years after they gave it to a British sailor to protect his ship on the fearful Arctic convoys. The small framed portrait of Jesus was presented to junior officer Lieutenant William Painter as a thank-you by the Roman Catholic community of Murmansk in the summer of 1942. More than 60 ships set out to deliver aid to Murmansk, but two dozen merchant ships were sunk – the darkest hour in Allied assistance to the Soviet Union. More.....
20 Jun 2018	Well done HMAS Warramunga
19 Jun 2018	Royal Navy frigate deploys to Asia with new Sea Ceptor missile system Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll became the third Royal Navy ship to deploy to Asia as she got underway from her Devonport Naval base on June 18. The frigate will be spending the next nine-months in Asia, sailing as far as Japan as part of a national push to strengthen military and diplomatic ties in the region. Argyll will also visit Australia and New Zealand. More.....
19 Jun 2018	Sea Series in full swing Five weeks, three ships, 2000 uniforms and civilians, four dogs and a sheep! Task Group Operations are always challenging. Commanding Officer HMAS Canberra, Captain Ash Papp answered a few questions for us, during Exercise SEA EXPLORER off the North Queensland coast. More.....
19 Jun 2018	HMAS Warramunga completes mission in the Middle East Minister for Defence, the Hon Marise Payne, today announced HMAS Warramunga is returning to Australia after a highly successful Royal Australian Navy (RAN) deployment to the Middle East Region. Minister Payne said that during the seven-and-a-half month deployment, the Australian warship intercepted 16 vessels carrying illicit narcotics, seizing a total of around 31.8 tonnes of hashish and two tonnes of heroin valued at approximately $2.17 billion. “This is the largest cumulative total ever seized by an Australian Major Fleet Unit,” Minister Payne said. More.....
18 Jun 2018	50,000 Mangroves planted in Fiji
18 Jun 2018	Unimogs donated to Tonga
18 Jun 2018	City celebrates HMAS Ararat (II) visit The crew of HMAS Ararat (II) celebrated 75 years of association with its city namesake by exercising its right to Freedom of Entry to Ararat, Victoria recently. It was the first time the city had granted Freedom of Entry to Ararat (II) and despite a cold and cloudy day the locals turned out in their hundreds to give a warm welcome to the Darwin-based crew. Commanding Officer Ararat (II), Lieutenant Commander Fiona Simmonds, said the officers and sailors were honoured to be part of the vessel’s history and proud to tell the story of her career representing the people of Ararat and Australia with distinction. More.....
18 Jun 2018	Community projects receive grants to commemorate Centenary of Armistice Communities across the country are set to receive almost $320,000 under the Armistice Centenary Grants Program to develop 50 projects to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armistice of the First World War. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said the round of grants had been designed to support local projects and activities which appropriately acknowledge the end of the war 100 years ago. More.....
18 Jun 2018	HMAS Anzac is welcomed home after SEAD 2018 deployment
17 Jun 2018	Quilts appreciated by team on operations There are a just a few things that help make a deployment away from family and friends bearable - emails and phone calls home, letters and care packages and quilts and laundry bags made by Aussie Hero Quilts. The hard working volunteers from Aussie Hero Quilts have helped put a little extra vibrancy and personality into each mess deck in HMAS Warramunga. Warramunga’s Chaplain, Stephen Hutchison, who assisted in managing the requests, shared the sentiment from ship’s company that the care and attention put into the quilts was abundantly clear. More.....
15 Jun 2018	HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Melbourne arrive Fiji
15 Jun 2018	Australian Invictus Games 2018 team announced Australia will field its largest ever team at this year’s Invictus Games to be held in Sydney. Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, today announced the combined Australian Defence Force and RSL team with 72 participants in this year’s games from 20–27 October 2018. The Invictus Games is an international, adaptive multi-sports competition for current and former military personnel who have been wounded, injured or become ill during their military service. More.....
14 Jun 2018	Australian Navy concludes exercise Sea Explorer The Royal Australian Navy has concluded the amphibious exercise Sea Explorer off the coast of Queensland. The exercise was held over the anniversary of the D-Day landings, which took place on the 6th June 1944 on the coast of France. Commander of the Amphibious Task Group, Captain Paul O’Grady, acknowledged both the historic significance of the exercise as well as the importance of support from the community. More.....
14 Jun 2018	Major upgrade for submarine force Australia’s Collins Class submarine fleet will receive significant sonar upgrades further extending its superiority in our region. Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, and Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, today announced work will commence this year to enhance sonar systems across the Collins Class fleet. This will better enable our submarines to safely navigate, detect and locate other vessels while remaining hidden themselves. More.....
14 Jun 2018	Sharing their stories with Veterans' Affairs Three Navy personnel from HMAS Cerberus participated in a panel discussion in Melbourne recently as a part of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ (DVA) 'It’s Why We’re Here' program, sharing the challenges they faced upon returning from deployment, and their experiences engaging with the DVA to get help. Lieutenant Commander Susan Copeland-Heath, Command Warrant Officer Michael Connors and Able Seaman Marine Technician Chris Madson joined peers from Army and RAAF to relay personal stories about being away from home on arduous and sometimes dangerous operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and at sea as well as the subsequent physical and mental pressures they faced and how it could take some time to realise they needed support. More.....
13 Jun 2018	Australia deploys laser airborne depth sounder to Papua New Guinea The Royal Australian Navy has deployed a laser airborne depth sounder (LADS) flight to deployment to Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, for hydrographic surveys in the Kavieng and Rabaul regions. The five week is carried out with the aim of providing improved data that will be used to update the existing nautical charts used by all vessels. The survey will focus on the complex coastal passages at the northern end of New Ireland where Kavieng is the provisional capital. More.....
13 Jun 2018	Naval Historical Society of Australia (Victorian Chapter) President's June Musings are now available to download.....
11 Jun 2018	Chinese hackers obtain sensitive US Navy submarine, missile data Chinese government-backed hackers have managed to break into a US Navy contractor’s computer network and obtain vast amounts of data on secretive missile programs and other submarine-related matters. The breaches took place in January and February this year, according to a Washington Post report, and allowed the hackers to collect over six hundred gigabytes of data. The material obtained by the hackers was sensitive but not classified. However, two US Navy officials told Washington Post that, when put together, the material could be considered classified. More.....
11 Jun 2018	Queen’s Birthday 2018 Honours List announced The Governor-General and Chancellor of the Order of Australia, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), has today announced 1007 awards in the Queen’s Birthday 2018 Honours List. The Queen’s Birthday 2018 Honours List recognises a diverse range of contributions and service across all fields, including professional endeavours, community work, Australia’s Defence Force and Emergency Services. More.....
09 Jun 2018	FlyBy A periodical of the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia. download.....
08 Jun 2018	Pacific Endeavour 18 provides humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu Today we announce that Joint Task Group Indo-Pacific Endeavour 18 will provide further assistance to support the Government of Vanuatu in response to the ongoing impact of volcanic activity on Ambae Island. The Government of Vanuatu declared a state of emergency on 12 April. Local residents are currently evacuating from Ambae Island to neighbouring islands. More.....
08 Jun 2018	Australian Navy ships arrive in Vanuatu to support volcano response Royal Australian Navy ships deployed as part of the Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2018 (IPE18) program arrived in Vanuatu for their deployment’s first port visit. Before entering Port Vila on Wednesday, oiler HMAS Success completed officer of the watch manoeuvres with the Vanuatu Police Force vessel RVS Tokuro. Frigate HMAS Toowoomba arrived in Port Vila shortly after Success, berthing outboard of the ‘battle tanker’ at the Lapetasi Wharf. More.....
08 Jun 2018	Royal Navy tests newly-delivered autonomous minesweeping system The Royal Navy has recently tested its first autonomous minesweeping system in Dorset, South West England, evaluating its performance against modern mines. Autonomous motor boat Hussar can be sent off on missions, using a series of small, hi-tech boats trailed behind it to detonate the latest underwater explosive devices – potentially clearing minefields en masse. More.....
07 Jun 2018	HMAS Warramunga Drug Interdictions
06 Jun 2018	France, UK announce South China Sea freedom of navigation operations French and UK Royal Navy ships will be joining their US counterparts in challenging China’s territorial claims in disputed regions of the South China Sea, the two countries’ defense ministers have announced. The announcement was made at the Shangri La security dialogue in Singapore which was attended by French defense minister Florence Parly and the UK defense minister Gavin Williamson, in addition US defense secretary James Mattis. More.....
06 Jun 2018	Australian frigate nets three more drug hauls in Middle East Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga has made an additional three narcotics seizures in the Middle East, bringing the total amount of drugs seized to well over 33 tons. In the three boarding operations carried out in the Arabian Sea between June 3 and 5, Australian sailors seized close to six tons of hashish worth approximately AUD$294.3 million. The first seizure uncovered 3.3 tons of hashish from a suspect vessel. Warramunga’s Seahawk Romeo crew identified the second and third suspicious vessels carrying 2.6 tonnes and 40 kilograms of hashish. More.....
05 Jun 2018	US moves to justify sail-by operations in South China Sea A senior U.S. Navy officer has pushed back against suggestions at a regional security summit that freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea have been ineffective, calling them a long-term strategy for demonstrating that China’s claims in the body of water are not internationally recognized. More.....
04 Jun 2018	Team Navy Tickford Racing Outplacement Program
01 Jun 2018	2018 DVA Education Schemes Satisfaction Survey If you or a child in your care receives a benefit under the VCES or MRCAETS, we would appreciate your feedback on how the Schemes are working for you. The survey will only take 2 minutes and will be available online from 1 to 30 June 2018. Take the survey.....
01 Jun 2018	Gallantry of Royal Australian Navy helicopter flight Vietnam recognised Minister for Defence Personnel, the Hon Darren Chester MP, today announced the extraordinary gallantry displayed by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Helicopter Flight Vietnam (HFV) will be recognised by the Unit Citation for Gallantry. Mr Chester said the outstanding service of the pilots and the maintenance and support personnel during RANHFV’s deployment in South Vietnam from October 1967– June 1971 is worthy of the Citation. “In 1967, a detachment of the Navy’s Fleet Air Arm was integrated with the US Army 135th Assault Helicopter Company. The newly established RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam flew helicopters in both utility and gunship configurations,” Mr Chester said. More.....
01 Jun 2018	Culdrose Merlins go Sub hunting in Scotland with Australian Navy RNAS Culdrose based 820 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) is back flying in Cornwall again having tested its war fighting skills in Scotland, and once again, proved the Merlin Mk2 as the best submarine hunting helicopter in the world. The Merlin crews worked with a variety of different nations, and also alongside helicopters from the Royal Australian Navy for the first time. More.....
01 Jun 2018	Indo-Pacific Endeavour 18 continues to build regional security and stability Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, today announced the commencement of the 2018 iteration of Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE 18), a major annual maritime activity that delivers on the promise of the 2016 Defence White Paper to deepen Australia’s engagement and partnerships with regional security forces. Over the next three months HMA Ships Adelaide, Melbourne, Toowoomba, and Success will form a task group that enhances relationships, builds partner capacity and improves military interoperability throughout the Southwest Pacific. 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.....

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DVA
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