HMAS Newcastle Consolidates Anti-Submarine Warfare Skills

While supporting HMAS Rankin’s unit readiness evaluation in the West Australian Exercise Area recently, HMAS Newcastle had the unique opportunity to consolidate anti-submarine warfare skills completed during their unit readiness workup in September.

Officer of the Watch Sub Lieutenant Gideon Watkin said the opportunity to work with a submarine was one to be relished as it did not happen very often.

While our training is excellent, nothing can truly simulate operating with a real submarine.

When Rankin surfaced after 30 hours of evaluation on 1 October, Newcastle took the rare opportunity of observing a submarine operating on the surface at sea.

What the bridge team of Newcastle did not envisage was that observation would culminate in the conduct of ship-handling skills in the form of officer-of-the-watch manoeuvres to progress Newcastle bridge staff qualifications.

Quickly accepting the invitation, Newcastle closed Rankin to 500 yards to start a set of manoeuvres.

Many of Newcastle’s ship’s company, including Lieutenant Jeremy Baumgarten took the opportunity to observe the manoeuvres from the upper deck as Newcastle took station at various positions around Rankin.

Seeing the frigate manoeuvre around the submarine was incredible.

During these manoeuvres, the reduced stability of a submarine on the surface was apparent and provided an additional challenge for the officers of the watch due to the increased difficulty in maintaining the correct station in relation to Rankin’s position.

For those undertaking endorsement including Sub Lieutenant Watkin, who had control of the ship during the manoeuvres, this was an opportunity of a lifetime which culminated in Sub Lieutenants Watkin and Dan Lea receiving their platform endorsements later that day.

Press release, Image: Australian Navy