HMAS Success left Fleet Base East on Friday the 13th of June for her first overseas deployment since 2010 to participate in RIMPAC (Exercise Rim of the Pacific) in Hawaii.
Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer, Commander Surface Forces, Commodore Jonathan Mead, and Director General Maritime Operations, Commodore Braddon Wheeler, were on the wharf to farewell the ship.
There will be 24 countries involved in RIMPAC and Success, along with HMAS Sheean, will represent the Royal Australian Navy. During the transit, Success will operate with the New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Canterbury to maintain core skills and interoperability.
There is a jam packed schedule both at sea and in harbour that will keep the Ship’s Company busy. Success will be focussed on her main role of replenishing foreign warships throughout the exercise and this will be an excellent opportunity to further embed the crew’s replenishment qualifications in a busy environment. The sea phase includes participation in aviation, boarding and seamanship exercises and culminates in a war game for all participants.
“RIMPAC is one of the largest international exercises the Royal Australian Navy is involved in and provides an excellent environment for Success to demonstrate her capability and further develop our core skills,” Success’s Commanding Officer, Captain Allison Norris, said.
RIMPAC 2014 will be the ideal preparation for Success’s busy program for the remainder of 2014 and 2015.
[mappress] Press Release, June 19, 2014; Image: Australian Navy