A “Power” meeting has been held between the Royal and Royal Australian Navies in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
But it was a meeting with a difference that brought together Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Power RN and Lieutenant Benjamin Power RAN.
Two naval officers from different sides of the world, both fighter controllers, both principal warfare officers, and both committed to driving pirates, terrorists and smugglers from the Seven Seas.
Lt Cdr Power RN is serving in HMS St Albans and Lt Power RAN in HMAS Melbourne with both ships directly supporting Combined Task Force 150.
The unlikely meeting took place when the two ships took the opportunity to exchange members of crew for a few hours to see how the ships differ.
St Albans’ Ben Power said: “ It was a great opportunity to meet my namesake from the other side of the world, exchange gifts, and discuss the similarities between our two Commonwealth navies.”
Bizarrely, both officers have led very similar careers up to this point.
They are former Fighter Controllers and each has served on exchange with the RAF/RAAF as AWACs Weapons Controllers.
Melbourne’s Ben Power said: “ What an extraordinary coincidence that two officers of Her Majesty’s Commonwealth should meet, bearing the same name and both expertly skilled in the fine art of Air Warfare and Fighter Controlling!”
Once the brief stop was over both ships resumed their patrols conducting reassurance and deterrence operations across 3.2 million square miles of sea embracing the Indian Ocean, Gulfs of Aden and Oman and the Red Sea.