HMAS Anzac and the ship’s company of 192 departed Sydney yesterday for a once in a life-time deployment, supporting the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli.
Family and friends were on the wharf to farewell the frigate, which will spend five months visiting ports around the globe.
Commanding Officer HMAS Anzac, Commander Belinda Wood said the ship’s company was proud to represent Australia on this significant trip.
Anzac’s first port stop will be at Diego Garcia, a coral atoll in the central Indian Ocean for replenishment. The ship will continue to Europe where she will visit ports in Turkey, Italy, Malta, the United Kingdom, France and Spain. Anzac will continue on to Africa visiting Morocco, South Africa and Mauritius, before returning to Sydney in August.
This is the second time that Anzac III will visit Gallipoli. In 2005, the ship supported the commemorations for the 90th anniversary.
Anzac is one of eight Anzac Class Frigates operated by the Royal Australian Navy and in 2014 was the third to complete the Anti-Ship Missile Defence upgrade program, which provides an enhanced sensor and weapons systems capability.
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Image: Australian Navy