Crews of HMA Ships Anzac and Melbourne got busy recently in order to complete workups before Anzac’s NORTHERN TRIDENT deployment.
Added to the mix on the south coast of New South Wales, the ships have been joined by other major fleet units, such as HMAS Perth, to increase the task group operation war-fighting capabilities.
As she prepares to deploy next month, Anzac is being put through a range of development and assessment activities that will allow her to operate thousands of miles from home alone, and in company, with warships from other nations.
A fundamental part of this development is the refinement of seamanship skills, including replenishment at sea serials with light and heavy jackstay lines, along with boat operations and towing exercises.
In order to prove herself ready for deployment, members of Sea Training Group, known as the ‘Green Team’, have been assessing Anzac’s readiness across these and other skills during an intense five-week period off the New South Wales coast.
With more than a third of the ship’s company directly involved in the more complex replenishment evolutions, these activities involve sailors and officers from all parts of the ship – maritime logistics, marine engineering, weapons engineering and the chaplain – working together with the boatswains to pass and recover lines between two ships.
Overseeing the briefing and conduct of these operations in Anzac is Petty Officer Boatswain Chris Opperman.
During her upcoming deployment, Anzac will work closely with ships from many navies, practising and honing time-honoured basic seamanship skills.
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Image: Australian Navy