Armidale Class Patrol Boat Braves Malacca Straits in Malaysia Deployment

HMAS Glenelg (LCDR Steve Taragel) has taken time out from their usual patrols on Operation RESOLUTE for a visit to Langkawi in Malaysia.

AWARE TWO’s adventure began after a brief refuelling stop on Christmas Island. Their mission was to represent the RAN at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA11). But getting there was a potential challenge. LCDR Steve Taragel says transiting through one of the busiest waterways in the world took some getting used to.

“A highlight of the trip for the Officers of the Watch (both experienced and trainee Junior Officers Under Training) was to experience the high contact shipping environments of the South China sea and Malacca straits – 2 high speed transits of the Malacca straits by night provided a memorable experience for the bridge teams. We are normally more accustomed to the wide open spaces and limited shipping contact environments of OP RESOLUTE.“

LIMA 11 is a bi-annual event hosted by the Royal Malaysian Navy to showcase regional defence capabilities and new technologies. 11 regional navies were represented including the US Navy, Indonesian Navy, Singaporean Navy, India, Pakistan, Brunei and Australia. LCDR Taragel says for most of the crew, it was their first time in Langkawi. The exposure to foreign Navy ships whilst at anchor in Langkawi was invaluable in providing AWARE TWO exposure to wider regional Navy units.

The mission continued on the way home when Glenelg was tasked with patrolling off the Bayu Undan gas and oil platform, approximately 250 nautical miles (500km) north- west of Darwin, about half way between Darwin and East Timor.

Border protection includes helping to prevent illegal fishing, intercepting and controlling suspected illegal entry vessels and patrolling oil and gas platforms on the North West Shelf.

LCDR Taragel says it topped off a thoroughly enjoyable deployment. “The crew enjoyed seeing aspects of the oil and gas industry up close and the sheer scale and money involved in the offshore gas industry,” he said. “I was very proud of how all of my people performed.”

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Naval Today Staff , January 19, 2012; Image: navy