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31 Jan 2019	Gorch Fock saga: Overhaul to continue as shipyard management is laid off German Navy’s sail training ship Gorch Fock is likely to return to sea despite a massive increase in repair costs and the fact that it has spent over three years in the docks at Elsflether Werft. The cost overruns led to an investigation which resulted in the shipyard’s management being laid off. The management board and supervisory board were let go on Wednesday due to considerable “breaches of duty,” German media reports said. More.....
31 Jan 2019	US Navy Awards Contract for Construction of Two Carriers The Navy has awarded a contract for the construction of CVN 80 and CVN 81 to Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding (HII-NNS). This contract award delivers significant savings to the government – exceeding $4 billion when compared to the Navy’s original cost estimates to procure these CVNs separately. More.....
29 Jan 2019	Australia swipes at Beijing over South China Sea tensions, detention of pro-democracy writer Australian defense minister Christopher Pyne urged China on Monday to resolve tensions in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, in a swipe after Beijing’s sudden detention of a writer who holds dual citizenship. Pyne said the artificial islands Beijing has been building in the disputed waters have "increased anxiety" and "not increased regional confidence in China's strategic intentions." More.....
26 Jan 2019	USS Michael Monsoor Commissioning Ceremony Honors Legacy of Navy SEAL The Navy’s newest Zumwalt-class destroyer, USS Michael Monsoor (DDG1001), was commissioned Jan. 26 at Naval Air Station North Island, California. The ship honors Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Ramadi, Iraq, Sept. 29, 2006. At the ship’s 2008 naming ceremony, former Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter recognized Monsoor as “a consummate professional who faced terrorist enemies with aplomb and stoicism." More.....
26 Jan 2019	NVN's January 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that your monthly newsletter is available to download, the email address you supplied on joining is incorrect or out of date.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.
26 Jan 2019	Australia Day 2019 Honours List - Royal Australian Navy Twenty three members of the Royal Australian Navy have been recognised in today’s 2019 Australia Day Honours List. The Navy recipients were announced alongside 1,377 other Australians in the Honours List by the Governor-General and Chancellor of the Order of Australia, His Excellency the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd). More.....
25 Jan 2019	Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits (DFRDB) Scheme The Denial of Benefits Until recently, our understanding of the DFRDB Commutation arrangement was not strictly correct. New evidence now shows that we are being denied our full benefits on two quite separate fronts: More.....
25 Jan 2019	HMAS Cerberus Base Redevelopment HMAS Cerberus Flyover - 15Jan19 from Gary Swanton on Vimeo.
25 Jan 2019	Is pressurised submarine escape training really too dangerous? The Royal Australian Navy has stopped its longstanding program of using pressurised submarine escape training to teach crews how to exit a stricken vessel. The decision to stop submariners practising escapes using a tower containing a 22-metre-high column of water would not have been taken lightly, so let’s consider the issues that would (or should) have been considered. More.....
25 Jan 2019	US Navy ships sail through Taiwan Strait The US Navy has sent a destroyer and a replenishment oiler through the Taiwan Strait on January 24, in the third such move in four months. US Navy ships previously made the transits in October and November 2018. The ships involved in the Thursday’s operation were destroyer USS McCampbell and replenishment oiler USNS Walter S. Diehl. More.....
24 Jan 2019	Chief of Navy spends a little time underneath the waves During his recent visit to Fleet Base West, Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan took the opportunity to spend a few days on board the Royal Australian Navy Collins Class submarine, HMAS Dechaineux, as part of the boat’s current round of work-ups. More.....
24 Jan 2019	Protecting and Preserving HMAS AE1 HMAS AE1 was found on DEC17 on the first day of a search using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle launched from the Fugro Equator. AE1 and her crew of 35 vanished without trace on 14SEP 1914. In April last year the AE1 was examined using a Remotely Operated Vehicle, fitted with high definition still and video cameras, deployed from the Research Vessel Petrel, very generously made available by Paul G Allen. To help raise funds: Buy Raffle tickets now for APT trip for 2
23 Jan 2019	Don’t miss the forest for the trees (part 1): value for money from continuous shipbuilding In the midst of the discussion about the Royal Australian Navy’s future frigate and submarine programs, it’s important to acknowledge the significance of their continuous nature and to remember that they have design and building elements. While the qualities of the Hunter-class frigates and Attack-class submarines are significant in and of themselves, they must be understood as part of an overall national endeavour. More.....
23 Jan 2019	Should Australia follow Japan and take the F-35 to sea? Japan’s decision to deploy the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the joint strike fighter, the F-35B, from its Izumo-class warships will transform them into what many predicted they would eventually become—small aircraft carriers. The jets based on JS Izumo, and its sister ship the Kaga, will be constrained to short-range roles by Japan’s lack of an in-flight refuelling option for the F-35B. More.....
22 Jan 2019	Talking to the chiefs: Mike Noonan (part 1) The regional security situation is evolving faster than anyone expected and that’s driving the Royal Australian Navy’s rebalance from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific, says RAN chief Mike Noonan. ‘Our government’s focus on the role that Australia plays in the Southwest Pacific has deepened significantly in recent times’, says Noonan, who assumed command of the navy in July last year. The navy’s never left the region but now has a more dedicated focus on it, he tells The Strategist. More.....
22 Jan 2019	Expanded online claiming for veterans FASTER claim submissions and processing times for veterans and their families are being delivered through a number of recent improvements and features to MyService – the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) online platform. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said veterans and their families can now submit claims for Incapacity Payments online, which is one of the most significant enhancements since the platform’s inception in 2017. More.....
21 Jan 2019	The SPY-6 radar is closer to deploying with the US fleet See video at: https://www.defensenews.com
21 Jan 2019	What does Lockheed Martin’s version of a future frigate look like? See video at: https://www.defensenews.com
21 Jan 2019	Russia scrambles corvettes to escort US destroyers in Baltic Sea The Russian Navy’s Baltic Sea Fleet has deployed two corvettes to escort two US Navy destroyers currently underway in the Baltic Sea. Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Porter transited the Skagerrak Strait on January 20 during its patrol of the US 6th Fleet area of operations while sister ship USS Gravely operates in the region as flagship of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1). More.....
18 Jan 2019	US Navy identifies sailor killed in Manbij attack The US Navy has identified Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Shannon M. Kent, 35, as one of the victims of the January 16 attack in Manbij, Syria. ISIS claimed responsibility for the explosion which killed four Americans and 15 others in front of a restaurant. Kent is the first female American service member to be killed in the Syrian conflict. More.....
18 Jan 2019	New Zealand’s new dive support vessel gets Cougar XT ROV The Royal New Zealand Navy’s new multi-purpose support vessel will receive the Saab Seaeye Cougar XT underwater robotic vehicle before it is transferred to New Zealand. Norway-based Østensjø Rederi is contracted to deliver the future HMZS Resolution (formerly known as ‘Edda Fonn’) to the New Zealand Ministry of Defence in 2019 with an integrated ROV and dive system amongst its upgrades. More.....
18 Jan 2019	Leaking USCGC Polar Star arrives at Antarctica The US Coast Guard’s only heavy icebreaker Polar Star arrived Thursday in Antarctica along with a resupply vessel during operation Deep Freeze – a joint military service mission to resupply US interests in Antarctica. Homeported in Seattle, the 42-year-old Coast Guard cutter is the United States’ only operational heavy icebreaker, and the 150 crew is making their sixth deployment in as many years to directly support the resupply of McMurdo Station – the United States’ main logistics hub in Antarctica. More.....
17 Jan 2019	CNO urges China to avoid confrontations, refuses to back down on Taiwan Strait The U.S. Navy’s top officer said he urged China to follow international rules at sea to avoid confrontations and insisted Friday that ships should be able to pass safely though disputed areas of the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. Chief of U.S. Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson told reporters in Tokyo that U.S. Navy ships will continue to operate freely in international waters, including the possibility of an aircraft carrier navigating through the Taiwan Strait. More.....
17 Jan 2019	Italian Navy sailor dies after mooring cable snaps aboard FREMM frigate An Italian Navy sailor died from injuries sustained in an accident aboard the FREMM frigate Carlo Bergamini, the Italian defense ministry informed on January 16. The non-commissioned officer, who has been identified as First Marshall (primo maresciallo) Gioacchino Verde, sustained the fatal injuries as a mooring line snapped during a regular berthing procedure. More.....
17 Jan 2019	US could ask Australia to host nuclear missiles What would we say if Washington asked to base nuclear-armed missiles, aimed at China, on Australian territory? It’s not an entirely hypothetical question. Amid all the talk of a new cold war with China, the strategic logic of America’s plans to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty plainly suggests that such a request is a real possibility. More.....
17 Jan 2019	Sailor's life saving random act of kindness Whilst driving home late one evening, Able Seaman Green saw Luke De-Iudicibus in the process of changing his tyre on the opposite side of the road. Hoping to be of assistance, the Maritime Logistics Supply Chain Submariner turned around and parked his car defensively to the rear of the disabled vehicle, where the De-Iudicibus family sat and waited patiently for dad to change the tyre. A few moments later an alleged drunk driver veered across the road and crashed into Daniels parked car, buffering the impact from the De-Iudicibus family who were still sitting patiently in the family car. More.....
16 Jan 2019	Chinese companies have their eyes on what used to be the US Navy’s biggest base in the Pacific Two Chinese firms are interested in the Philippines' largest shipyard, once the US's largest naval base in the Pacific, raising new alarm about Chinese expansion. The Chinese firms, one of which is state-owned, have contacted the Philippines about the facility. A Chinese takeover would give it a commercial presence in what was once Naval Base Subic Bay, the US’s largest naval facility in the Pacific until it departed in 1992. More.....
16 Jan 2019	Improving maritime security in the Asia–Pacific Over recent years, the Asia–Pacific maritime security environment has become increasingly complex. Transnational serious and organised crime in the maritime domain (including illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; piracy; and trafficking of weapons, drugs and people), terrorism and an increasingly assertive Chinese maritime strategy are generating further complexity. More.....
15 Jan 2019	China opposes US, ally support for Taiwan’s submarine development program China’s ministry of foreign affairs has voiced its opposition to foreign countries supporting the development of Taiwan’s indigenous submarine program. Speaking at a press conference on January 14, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said China “firmly opposes arms sales to Taiwan by any country and military links in any form between any country and Taiwan.” More.....
15 Jan 2019	Semaphore: Issue 1 - January 2019 HMAS Tarangau Manus Island by John Perryman HMAS Tarangau was a former Royal Australian Navy shore establishment situated on Lombrum Point, Los Negros Island lying approximately 320 kilometres north of mainland New Guinea, two degrees south of the Equator. It was often referred to as Manus Island from which it was separated on the west by a narrow channel. Today a bridge connects the two islands which along with others form the Admiralty Islands group. Manus Island is approximately 80 kms long and 25 kms wide. More.....
14 Jan 2019	Search on for unknown sailor On February 6, 1942 the remains of a sailor in a Carley Raft washed up on Christmas Island, 1500km northwest of Western Australia’s northwest coast. For more than 75 years the identity of the man remained a mystery but it is largely believed he was a crew member from the ill-fated HMAS Sydney (II) which was sunk on November 19, 1941 by German Raider Kormoran. If this is the case, the unidentified sailor remains the only member of Sydney’s ship’s company to be found; the search is now on to find out exactly who this unknown sailor was. More.....
13 Jan 2019	HMAS Ballarat seizes 3.1 tonnes of hashish in the Middle East Royal Australian Navy frigate, HMAS Ballarat, has seized more than 3.1 tonnes of hashish worth about $155 million* during a boarding operation that took place 8-9 January 2019 in international waters in the Arabian Sea. The fishing vessel, known as a dhow, was believed to be engaged in illegal activity when Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) directed Ballarat to board the vessel and conduct a flag verification check. More.....
12 Jan 2019	Quiet achievers in safety You might not see the work of cryptologic systems (CTS) sailors on board your ship, but their time immersed in signals and intelligence could be the thing keeping everyone safe. In their compartments, CTS sailors intercept, record and analyse communications and other transmissions to gain a tactical advantage. Before stepping into their specialist role, CT sailors receive 12 weeks’ training at HMAS Watson’s School of Maritime Warfare – Intelligence to become CT operators (CTO). More.....
11 Jan 2019	Royal Navy sending another ship on Asia-Pacific deployment The Royal Navy will deploy Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose to Japan later this year, where the ship will contribute to the enforcement of UN sanctions on North Korea. Montrose will be the fourth British warship to visit Japan and operate in the region in the past 12 months. More.....
09 Jan 2019	Russia developing improved, longer-range Kalibr cruise missile Russian Navy ships and submarines are poised to be equipped with a new and improved Kalibr cruise missile that is currently under development, according to a Tass report. The upgraded missile will have a range of over 4,500 km, twice that of the current 3M-54 Kalibr cruise missile (NATO codename SS-N-30), the report says. More.....
08 Jan 2019	Iranian navy vows to sail into America’s backyard A “flotilla” from Iran’s navy will visit the western Atlantic Ocean in the spring, according to Tehran’s official news agency. In an interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency published Friday, Rear Adm. Touraj Hasna Moqaddam said that the cruise “would take five months to complete" and feature Iran’s newest domestically-built destroyer, the Sahand. More.....
08 Jan 2019	The Navy - Protecting Australia
07 Jan 2019	China fires ’stern complaints’ at US China says it has registered "stern complaints" with the U.S. over the latest mission by a U.S. Navy ship intended to challenge China's claims of sovereignty over virtually the entire South China Sea. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters on Monday that China dispatched planes and ships to demand that the guided-missile destroyer McCampbell leave waters around the Paracel Islands. More.....
07 Jan 2019	USS Cole bombing organizer killed in precision strike in Yemen An al Qaeda operative held responsible for the plotting of the deadly bombing of destroyer USS Cole in 2000 was killed in a precision airstrike, the US Central Command has confirmed. “Jamal al-Badawi was killed in a precision strike in Marib governate [Yemen] on January 1,” spokesman Capt. Bill Urban said in a statement on January 6. More.....
07 Jan 2019	After Russia, US destroyer USS McCampbell challenges China’s territorial claims with freedom of navigation operation US Navy destroyer USS McCampbell carried out a South China Sea freedom of navigation operation on Monday, sailing within 12 miles of the Paracel Island chain. According to media reports, the Yokosuka-homeported destroyer sailed near three islands in the chain which is claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan but controlled by China. More.....
04 Jan 2019	Royal Navy OPV deploys to Channel in response to migrant crossing uptick The United Kingdom has deployed a Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel to the English Channel as part of the country’s response to the recent increase in migrant crossings. HMS Mersey will support Border Force and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in their efforts to patrol the stretch of water, keep the UK border secure and prevent loss of life. More.....
04 Jan 2019	Royal Navy pay tribute to HMY Iolaire Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel joined Prince Charles in paying tribute to the hundreds who died in one of the UK’s greatest maritime tragedies. Services were held in Stornoway on New Year’s Day to commemorate 100 years since the sinking of HMY Iolaire. The vessel was carrying 280 sailors on their way home at the end of World War 1. At 1.55am on January 1, 1919, the ship struck rocks off the perilous entrance to Stornoway Harbour and sunk, taking the lives of 201 people who were just a matter of metres from reaching their island home. More.....
03 Jan 2019	HMS Montrose joins war on plastic in South Pacific HMS Montrose joined the international fight against plastic littering the oceans by recording pollution on four Pacific islands. Pacific currents dump masses of debris on their shorelines – especially on Henderson Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, dubbed ‘the most polluted island in the world’. Upwards of 40 million items of plastic and rubbish have been washed ashore on the uninhabited island, which is about the size of Oxford; the ocean deposits up to 270 objects on its beaches every day. More.....
03 Jan 2019	Pentagon notifies Congress of two-carrier buy, contract expected by end of January The US Department of Defense has officially notified the Congress of its intention to buy two aircraft carriers at once in a move that is expected to bring some $4 billion in savings. In a letter on December 31, the Pentagon formally informed the Congress about the block buy of two Ford-class aircraft carriers. More.....
03 Jan 2019	Enjoying a gap year with overseas travel included Compared with others of his generation taking a break after school, Royal Australian Navy Gap Year Sailor, Seaman Bailey Henderson has managed to better them all with his recent overseas trip being ‘all expenses paid’. SMN Henderson joined HMAS Gascoyne for the ships north east Asian deployment and has visited Australian ports in Cairns and Darwin, Subic Bay in the Philippines, Busan in Korea and Tokyo and Kure in Japan. More.....
01 Jan 2019	FlyBy A periodical of the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia. January issue.....
01 Jan 2019	Happy New Year To all our members and families, we wish you a safe, healthy and happy 2019.

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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
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