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29 Dec 2020	War strategies honed in board game Intelligence indicates enemy are attempting to posture in north-east Africa, threatening free passage through the Gulf of Aden. In a situation room, friendly force officers face dilemmas: do they divert resources and increase the forces’ readiness to respond? Do they continue modernising the existing forces? Or do they commit resources to research and develop new forces? More.....
29 Dec 2020	Collins Class submarines to receive sonar upgrades Navy’s Collins Class submarines will undergo significant upgrades to its sonar systems here in Australia through a multi-million dollar contract with Thales Australia. The two contracts, worth around $23.7 million, are for the design and implementation of the Mine and Obstacle Avoidance System and the High Frequency Intercept Array for the submarine fleet. More.....
26 Dec 2020	2020: A Navy Year in Review
25 Dec 2020	Report on Navy Large Unmanned Surface and Undersea Vehicles The US Navy in FY2021 and beyond wants to develop and procure three types of large unmanned vehicles (UVs). These large UVs are called Large Unmanned Surface Vehicles (LUSVs), Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicles (MUSVs), and Extra-Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs). The Navy is requesting $579.9 million in FY2021 research and development funding for these large UVs and their enabling technologies. More.....
24 Dec 2020	Officer recruitment zooming along in pandemic Officer selection boards, which are a key element of growing the Navy, are zooming along during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to technology and teamwork. Interviews usually done face-to-face are being conducted via video conference from locations around Australia. Captain John Vandyke is a board president who has been involved on boards since April 2017. More.....
24 Dec 2020	Indo-Pacific under threat: US Navy, Marines, Coast Guard Chiefs The Chiefs of the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard have issued a major warning for the Indo-Pacific region, with a specific warning for key US allies like Australia as Beijing steps up its regional presence and power projection ambitions in the region. Australia as both a continent and a nation is unique in its position, enjoying relative geographic isolation from the flash points of global and regional conflagration of the 20th century. More.....
24 Dec 2020	Where Life Falls by Tas Browning (Sydney Association Member) An engaging account of an Australian flight deck crewman's life, of lifelong friendships and dangers shared, and adventures on the high seas, in the skies and in foreign ports. Published by Sid Harta Publishers Available on Booktopia RRP: $29.95 read the reviews.....
23 Dec 2020	Gap year sailors ready to support operations After Seaman Shanen Pulkkinen’s participation in the ADF Gap Year program ended in 2017, she intended to come back to Navy eventually – she just didn’t know it would be so soon. The 22-year-old is one of 14 former gap year program sailors who have returned to service under a three-month contract from December 20 to March 21 during the high-risk weather season and to support Operation COVID-19 Assist. More.....
23 Dec 2020	Female CO Will Command Aircraft Carrier for First Time The Navy announced Friday that Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt will assume command of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) marking the first time a female commanding officer will lead the crew of one of the Navy’s 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Bauernschmidt will take command of Lincoln this summer, upon completion of the nuclear power, aviation, and leadership training required of aircraft carrier COs. More.....
23 Dec 2020	Australia stands with our Fijian Vuvale following Tropical Cyclone Yasa The Australian Government will provide $4.5 million in humanitarian relief to support the people of Fiji in response to the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Yasa. Additionally, HMAS Adelaide will be deployed to provide immediate assistance to thousands of Fijians, including many from remote islands, whose homes, schools and other local infrastructure were damaged or destroyed by the category 5 cyclone. More.....
23 Dec 2020	Navy, JFD demonstrate submarine rescue capability The JFD-designed rescue system has been tested during the annual Black Carillon submarine rescue certification exercise. JFD Australia’s team of approximately 50 local operators and tradespeople have participated in the Royal Australian Navy’s annual Black Carillon submarine rescue certification exercise from the company’s national headquarters and advanced production facility at Bibra Lake, south of Perth. More.....
23 Dec 2020	More than 1000 Aussies ready for Naval shipbuilding careers Defence Industry Minister, Melissa Price has confirmed the Naval Shipbuilding College has reached a new milestone, having prepared more than 1000 Australians for a career in naval shipbuilding. The College was established by the Federal Government in 2018 to partner with education and training providers to grow Australia’s shipbuilding workforce. More.....
23 Dec 2020	Click here to download the December edition of "BROADSIDE"..... NOTE from Webmaster: If you are a member and haven't been notified that your monthly copy of 'BROADSIDE' 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.
23 Dec 2020	Naval Historical Society of Australia (Victorian Chapter) President's December Musings are now available to download.....
21 Dec 2020	Navy joins effort to stop illegal reef fishing The Navy joined the effort to stop illegal fishing in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park recently. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBMPA) officer Dwaine Butcher sailed on Cairns-based Australian Defence Vessel Cape Inscription on an eight-day search for illegal fishers. The search areas included waters around Cape Bowling Green and the Queensland islands Whitsunday, Tern, Capricorn and Bunker, as well as the northern point of Fraser Island. More.....
20 Dec 2020	Sailor counts down to Christmas Able Seaman Britney Beech has been looking forward to Christmas for months. She is currently providing support at Sydney Airport on Operation COVID-19 Assist. Earlier this year she departed on a South-East Asian deployment on board HMAS Parramatta, before COVID-19 hit. “When we left in February it wasn’t a big thing. It was while we were at sea that the situation got worse,” Able Seaman Beech said. More.....
19 Dec 2020	Farewell Captain Mike Oborn CSM RAN
19 Dec 2020	HMAS Cerberus - Base Redevelopment Flyover - December 2020 2020 has seen the Base Redevelopment project continue with several new buildings either handed back to Navy or progressing to completion. Enjoy the latest flyover and enjoy a birds-eye view of the works currently underway. Aerial Video courtesy of LendLease. Watch the video.....
19 Dec 2020	The Royal Australian Navy Band Christmas Video 2020
18 Dec 2020	Austal USA successfully delivers future USS Mobile Austal USA has announced it has successfully delivered its 13th Independence Class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to the US Navy, from the company’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. The future USS Mobile (LCS 26) is the fourth ship delivered by Austal USA to the US Navy in CY2020, following the delivery of USS Kansas City (LCS 22) in February, USS Oakland (LCS 24) in June and USNS Newport (EPF 12) in September. More.....
18 Dec 2020	Engineering students get hands-on with Navy capability
18 Dec 2020	Steel cutting marks major milestone for Hunter Class Frigate Program In a major milestone for Australia’s largest surface shipbuilding program, BAE Systems Australia has announced it has reached a major milestone today with the official start of the prototyping phase of the Hunter Class Frigate Program. During prototyping, five representative ship blocks will be manufactured and assembled using Australian steel, and the systems, processes, facilities and workforce competencies will be established and tested, providing a solid operational foundation before construction starts on the first Hunter Class frigate in 2022. More.....
17 Dec 2020	Chief of Navy - End of Year Message 2020
16 Dec 2020	HMAS Ballarat returns home in time for Christmas Royal Australian Navy warship HMAS Ballarat has returned to her homeport of Fleet Base West near Rockingham, Western Australia, following a successful Indian Ocean deployment. The Anzac Class frigate deployed in October with her 187-strong crew from 816 Squadron and embarked helicopter. More.....
16 Dec 2020	Tattoos a symbol of experiences For many officers and sailors in the Royal Australian Navy, nautical-themed tattoos are a tradition that provide a sense of identity, belonging and a form of remembrance. Inscribed on their skin is the overcoming of adversity, the bonds of family and friends and the many experiences had while serving in the Navy. More.....
16 Dec 2020	Schiebel delivers CAMCOPTERS to French Navy Naval Group has accepted two additional Schiebel-built CAMCOPTER UAS assets on behalf of the French Navy. Vienna-based defence company Schiebel has now delivered a total of four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the French Navy, after handing over two additional CAMCOPTER S-100 uUnmanned aerial systems (UAS). More.....
16 Dec 2020	State and territory governments follow Commonwealth lead on Aussie shipbuilding jobs Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price has announced that every Australian state and territory is set to join forces with the Morrison government to develop a skilled national naval shipbuilding workforce by signing co-operation agreements with the government’s Naval Shipbuilding College. The co-operation agreements commit the states and territories to working with the Naval Shipbuilding College to establish and develop new workforce pipelines and ensure there are clear career pathways for jobseekers into the naval shipbuilding sector. More.....
15 Dec 2020	BAE Systems completes HMAS Melville maintenance The Leeuwin Class hydrographic ship has resumed operation after a number of weeks of critical maintenance involving over 500 tasks. BAE Systems Australia has completed sustainment work on HMAS Melville, with the ship now capable of resuming operational activities, which include facilitating safe navigation, supporting maritime trade and border protection. More.....
14 Dec 2020	December 2020 MMHN Update First, in relation to COVID, we are all now ‘unmasked’ and buoyant as this extraordinary and challenging year of 2020 recedes in our ‘wake’. Inevitably the lockdowns somewhat constrained us, but the MMHN is ready to embark afresh on our stated MMHN agenda in 2021. Second, there are indications that the tide is also turning in relation to public recognition of maritime matters. For example, the recent ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ photographic series in The Age newspaper (November 26 the Yarra; the 30th the Port Phillip Bay and December 12 Altona Pier at Hobsons Bay) featured three stunning maritime images confirming what we all know: that Melbourne is not only a Great Maritime City but it is the capital city of a Great Maritime State. More.....
14 Dec 2020	LCS USS Gabrielle Giffords Nabs Narco Sub in the Pacific Operating in the Eastern Pacific with a Coast Guard law enforcement detachment (LEDET) aboard, the USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) interdicted a so-called narco submarine on Dec. 5. Narco submarines are one way that drug traffickers smuggle cocaine from Colombia to markets in North America. Littoral Combat Ship Giffords is part of U.S. Southern Command’s enhanced counter-narcotics operations, the command announced. More.....
12 Dec 2020	Navy's most advanced warships exercise together for the first time The Royal Australian Navy’s three Hobart Class Destroyers have exercised together for the first time, demonstrating their cooperative capabilities to increase maritime security and stability in our region. HMA Ships Hobart, Brisbane and Sydney conducted joint tests, trials and exercises off the east coast of Australia, further developing their air and surface warfare capabilities. More.....
12 Dec 2020	Busy three years for ADFA graduate Sub Lieutenant Alison Smith has packed a lot into her three years at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA). She has been on a language exchange to Indonesia, been the president of a sporting club, participated in flying activities and she graduated from ADFA on December 6 alongside 300 Navy, Army and Air Force classmates. Born in South Africa, Sub Lieutenant Smith moved with her family to Australia as a child, eventually settling in Redcliffe, Queensland. More.....
12 Dec 2020	Family identifies missing Theodore Roosevelt sailor The parents of a sailor missing from the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt and feared to have gone overboard Thursday have identified him as 20-year-old Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Apprentice Ethan Goolsby of San Antonio. Goolsby graduated from basic training in January and the TR was his first assignment, according to his parents, Kelly and Michelle Goolsby. More.....
12 Dec 2020	Royal Australian Navy Officer Supports Delivery of USS Spruance Lt. Cmdr. Luke Bogan of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) was recently recognized by Capt. David Hart, Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC) commanding officer, for his hard work during the execution and delivery of USS Spruance (DDG 111). Bogan has been serving as SWRMC’s Waterfront Operations Execution Branch Head for the last two months as part of the rotation program supporting the command’s project teams conducting repair availabilities at the local BAE Systems Ship Repair. More.....
11 Dec 2020	The Spring edition of the Victorian Maritime Centre's newsletter is now available to download.....
11 Dec 2020	Several Ships Conducting Search and Rescue for Possible Man-Overboard from USS Theodore Roosevelt Several ships are conducting search and rescue operations off Southern California after a possible man-overboard situation onboard aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). U.S. 3rd Fleet announced tonight that TR “initiated search and rescue procedures after a lookout spotted what appeared to be a person in the water. Three search and rescue helicopters and a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat were launched in response, and one Sailor was unaccounted for during a command-wide muster.” More.....
10 Dec 2020	Navies exercise on virtual high seas The Royal Australian Navy took part in a virtual trilateral naval warfare exercise this month. Fleet Synthetic Training – Joint 20/72 was a week-long exercise in which HMAS Parramatta tested various tactical and operational elements of sea combat in a virtual environment with the United States and Royal Canadian navies. While Australia and the US have conducted virtual naval exercises for the past decade, this was the first time the Royal Canadian Navy had participated. More.....
09 Dec 2020	Our December Navy Hero is: Chief Petty Officer Erle Alwin Greglach Boyd Forgotten Hero of the RAN Amongst the thousands of men and women who have served in the RAN there have been heroes and rogues, scholars and scoundrels. In a career spanning nearly 40 years and the two World Wars, Erle Boyd was definitely one of the heroes. Erle Alwin Greglach Boyd was born in Bendigo, Victoria on 24 April 1892, the ninth child of Scottish born Hugh Boyd (a medical practitioner) and Bendigo-born Julia Elizabeth Boyd (nee Maddox). After growing up in a strict Presbyterian family and working as an apprentice fitter and turner he joined the Australasian Naval Forces (ANF) on 4 March 1911, aged 18. The ANF was a section of the Royal Navy which recruited young Australians and New Zealanders to man the ships of the RN Squadron based in Sydney. After serving in the cruisers HM Ships Psyche (4 March 1911 – 21 June 1912) and Challenger (22 June – 31 October 1912) he was posted to HMS Victory (Portsmouth) for transfer to the newly created RAN. On 1 January 1913 Ordinary Seaman Boyd joined the RAN and a few weeks later he was part of the commissioning crew of the new cruiser HMAS Melbourne which had been built in England. He was promoted to Able Seaman in April 1913. When World War I broke out in August 1914 he was serving in the destroyer HMAS Warrego and took part in the capture of German New Guinea in September of that year. Several men from Warrego, and the destroyer HMAS Yarra, were landed on 11 September 1914 to help with the capture of the German wireless station at Bita Paka and Boyd was later to claim that he was one of the men who landed, with cutlass in hand, to fight the Germans. Continue reading.....
08 Dec 2020	Diving officer retires after 40 years Four decades of continuous service in any profession is an achievement and for Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver Lieutenant Commander Michael Gough, it has been an honour. Lieutenant Commander Gough is rounding out his successful career on the ADF’s Operation Manitou in the Middle East supporting the multi-national Combined Maritime Forces, embedded with the US Naval Forces Central Command Task Force 52. More.....
08 Dec 2020	China to build $200 million fishery project on Australia’s doorstep With Australia’s relationship with China under great pressure, a project that challenges our strategic national interest has been quietly endorsed by the Papua New Guinea government. The town of Daru is the closest PNG community to Australia. Even though it is around 200 kilometres from the Australian mainland, it is very close to the islands of the Torres Strait that are within our northern border. More.....
08 Dec 2020	The US Navy wants to find ships to kill using aerial drones launched from submarines The name of the game in the Pacific is stand-off range. But with longer range torpedoes and anti-ship missiles in the arsenal, submariners are looking to a new domain to help them extend their deadly reach: The air. In an October request for information, Naval Sea Systems Command’s Submarine Combat and Weapons Control Program Office asked industry for input into a “Submarine-Launched Unmanned Aerial System,” or SLUAS, currently in development. More.....
07 Dec 2020	Pearl Harbor dead remembered in ceremony shrunk by pandemic U.S. servicemen and women and National Park Service officials gathered at Pearl Harbor on Monday to remember those killed in the attack — but elderly survivors stayed home to pay their respects from afar to avoid health risks from the coronavirus pandemic. The USS Arizona battleship bell rang at 7:55 a.m., the minute the attack began 79 years ago, to start a moment of silence. F-22 jets then flew overhead in missing man formation. More.....
07 Dec 2020	Naval sustainment creates industry opportunities Defence is adopting a new approach to the sustainment of its Navy fleet, creating significant opportunities for Australian industry to become involved. Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group Head Maritime Systems Rear Admiral Wendy Malcolm said the result would ensure delivery of complex naval capabilities while increasing opportunities for local small and medium businesses. More.....
06 Dec 2020	Three DDGs sailed in company Historic day for the RAN and everybody involved in the AWD program. Three DDGs sailed in company from Fleet Base East.
05 Dec 2020	Today was a big day for HMAS Sydney - artist Mr Randall Wilson presented three original paintings of HMAS Sydney to the Commanding Officer and crew to be proudly displayed throughout the ship.
05 Dec 2020	808 Squadron defends engineering title
04 Dec 2020	Sailors hear tale of gallantry at airport When Leading Seamen Alisha Mosley and Alan Williams arrived at Brisbane Airport ready for duty on Operation COVID-19 Assist, they could not have imagined what they were about to experience. They were checking passes of interstate arrivals on November 29 when a passenger called out to them. “A man coming off a flight from Melbourne called out to Leading Seaman Williams and myself asking if we wouldn’t mind coming over because he wanted to show us something,” Leading Seaman Mosley said. More.....
04 Dec 2020	The healing power of music How do you go from singing in the shower to delivering a stunning showcase performance to an audience watching you from within the theatre, as well as from around the world via an Internet live stream? That was the voyage on which Petty Officer Jolene Garvie embarked when she signed up for the 2020 ADF Arts for Recovery, Resilience, Teamwork and Skills (ARRTS) program being run at the University of Canberra’s Inspire Centre. More.....
04 Dec 2020	First psychiatric assistance dog provided in South Australia A South Australian veteran is the first to receive an assistance dog from one of two new providers under the Australian Government’s Psychiatric Assistance Dog Program. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said Xena, trained by the Royal Society for the Blind (RSB) in South Australia, has now been handed over to a veteran to support them with managing their post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). More.....
04 Dec 2020	Lieutenant Ryan Fisher HMAS Ballarat Navigator
04 Dec 2020	Australian and Indonesian navies deepen defence cooperation The Royal Australian Navy and the Indonesian Armed Forces have completed a coordinated maritime patrol to improve security along our shared maritime border. The tenth iteration of the Australian and Indonesian coordinated maritime security patrol (AUSINDO CORPAT) 2020 was conducted on 2 and 3 December and covered waters between Australia and Indonesia. More.....
03 Dec 2020	Hardened bases needed for ADF’s new hardware The force that Australia’s defence organisation is building will be the most powerful and capable that the nation has ever fielded. The Australian Defence Force’s massive build-up will include the acquisition of a host of new state-of-the-art platforms and weapons. According to the Defence Department’s 2020–21 budget, the forecast expenditure for approved projects now tops $122 billion, and that doesn’t include programs such as the approximately $80-billion-plus that the government will have to commit to build the new submarines. More.....
03 Dec 2020	Strong alliances and defence will keep the peace with China Here are some positive outcomes from the Chinese Communist Party’s descent into North Korean–style insult and abuse: Australians get to see firsthand the entity we are dealing with, and Beijing’s collection of local useful idiots are tested to see how far they will defend the indefensible behaviour of their patron. Leaders in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Taiwan and elsewhere have supported Australia unbidden. They realise that the communist party’s treatment of Australia will be meted out to them if, like us, they refuse to accept a silenced, subordinate status. More.....
02 Dec 2020	HMAS Armidale (I) Commemoration HMAS Armidale (II) conducted a commemoration on the wreck site of HMAS Armidale (I) recently. The former Royal Australian Navy corvette was sunk off the coast of what is now Timor-Leste by Japanese aircraft during World War Two. The lives of 100 crew members were lost as a result of the attack, including that of Ordinary Seaman Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheean’.
02 Dec 2020	Help is available, please reach out DEFENCE personnel, veterans and their families impacted by the ongoing coverage of the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force’s Afghanistan Inquiry are being encouraged to reach out for support. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester said the vast majority of men and women who serve in our Defence forces transition well to successful careers, but some require additional assistance. More.....
02 Dec 2020	Teddy Sheean, a far from ordinary seaman The idea of awarding medals retrospectively to soldiers, sailors and fliers who died courageously decades ago is fraught and complex because wars have left in their wake so many whose heroic deaths were unseen and unsung. But the case of 18-year-old Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean, a gunner in the Royal Australian Navy during world War II, has a special poignancy, and a clear precedent. More.....
01 Dec 2020	FlyBy A periodical of the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia. December issue.....
01 Dec 2020	Defence Minister pays tribute to war hero Edward 'Teddy' Sheean VC
01 Dec 2020	Morrison, Albanese welcome Victoria Cross for Teddy Sheean
01 Dec 2020	The story of Teddy Sheean’s sacrifice ‘should inspire us’: Governor-General
01 Dec 2020	Teddy Sheean awarded Victoria Cross in official Canberra ceremony
01 Dec 2020	RAN Band performs Eternal Father - Investiture of the VC to Ordinary Seaman Edward 'Teddy' Sheean
01 Dec 2020	Patrol Boat crew commemorates HMAS Armidale (I) sinking ahead of investiture Ahead of today’s investiture ceremony for Ordinary Seaman Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheean VC, the crew of HMAS Armidale (II) conducted a commemoration ceremony for HMAS Armidale (I) over the site of its wreck off the coast of Timor-Leste. The crew honoured the 100 servicemen who lost their lives when Japanese aircraft sunk the then Royal Australian Navy corvette on 1 December 1942, during World War Two. More.....

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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
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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