Australian sub home after five months of drills

Royal Australian Navy submarine HMAS Farncomb returned home after completing a deployment that saw her take part in several international maneuvers in the past five months.

Farncomb returned to Fleet Base West at Rockingham, Western Australia last week after participating in exercises Bersama Shield, Pacific Vanguard and Talisman Sabre.

Commanding Officer HMAS Farncomb, Commander Gary Lawton said it had been a demanding time for his crew.

“The team has been exposed to a diverse range of activities during this deployment.

“This type of training and the ability to tackle any situation that may present itself is paramount to an effective submarine crew, and I am proud of the way the ship’s company, and the submarine itself, performed during this intense deployment.

During the deployment Farncomb also visited a number of foreign ports, including Guam and Noumea.

Out of Guam, Farncomb participated in the US-led exercise Pacific Vanguard together with the navies of Japan and South Korea, and worked through a range of complex maritime task group scenarios with those navies.

Farncomb’s visit to Noumea represented a milestone first visit for a Collins-class submarine as well as the first time in 30 years that an Australian submarine has visited the French territory.

Before returning home, Farncomb spent some time on the east coast of Australia to conduct valuable familiarisation experiences for potential future submariners.