HMAS Perth Strengthens Ties with Thailand and Cambodia

Before Australian Navy’s HMAS Perth joined Exercise TALISMAN SABRE, she conducted a deployment to South East Asia, including two port visits in quick succession to Sattahip, Thailand and Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

On arrival in Sattahip, Perth hosted an official reception, attended by Royal Thai Navy personnel as well as staff from the Australian Embassy, Defence Attachés in Bangkok and local Thai-based expatriates.

Perth established a close rapport with HTMS Bangpakong, their host ship for the visit. On sailing from Sattahip, Perth and HTMS Bangpakong conducted joint exercises, which included a wide range of navigation and seamanship evolutions. A number of personnel also crossed decked and Bangpakong’s boarding party conducted a simulated boarding of Perth.

For many onboard, the highlight of the deployment was the visit to Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The first Royal Australian Navy warship to visit Cambodia in four years, Perth was welcomed on arrival by the Naval Base Commander, Rear Admiral Mey Dina.

During the visit, Perth made a strong connections with their hosts, providing a number of ship tours and delivering training in a range of specialist areas, such as navigation, damage control/fire fighting, electrical engineering and ship-to-shore communications.

Perth’s Commanding Officer Captain Ivan Ingham said that sailing from Sihanoukville marked the end of the deployment:

It had been a busy six weeks since we left Australia. We have packed a lot in with a challenging programme which had seen Perth at sea exercising with many of our naval partners and alongside meeting a wide range of regional engagement tasks.

The ship is currently participating in Exercise TALISMAN SABRE 2015 before conducting a security patrol of the North West Shelf before arriving home to Fleet Base West at the end of July.

Image: Australian Navy