Australian Navy base Coonawarra welcomes new commander

The home of Royal Australian Navy’s Armidale class patrol boats welcomed a new commander recently.

In a change of command ceremony at Darwin Navy base, HMAS Coonawarra, Commander John Navin transferred command to Commander Viktor Pilicic.

Providing direct support to operations of the 12 patrol boats has earned the base the right to be known as the ‘busiest port in the Navy.’

In reflecting on his time as commanding officer of Coonawarra, Commander Navin said he was proud of the efforts put in by his team to efficiently support the operational fleet.

“Coonawarra supports a very high operational tempo of Armidale class patrol boat activity, diligently working to protect northern Australian waters from a range of possible threats, including illegal fishing, narcotics traffic, illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, and irregular maritime arrivals,” he said.

“Coonawarra also regularly hosts a wide range of other warships from both the Australian Navy and numerous partner nations.

“In 2016 we saw ships from the US, Canada, Japan and India, among others, as well as visits from near neighbours including Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.”

As the incoming Commanding Officer, Commander Pilicic is no stranger to Darwin, having previously served as Commanding Officer of a patrol boat crew, as well as in key roles in the patrol boat group and Headquarters Northern Command.

With some 650 Navy personnel posted to the Northern Territory in a range of roles supporting single service and joint functions, Coonawarra is also a vital part of the top end community.

“Our people and their families are an active and visible part of the community, involved in a diverse range of professional, school, sporting, charity and social interactions.

“I look forward to working alongside Navy and other Defence members during my time here to ensure that we support our fleet in meeting Navy’s mission to fight and win at sea,” Commander Pilicic said.