Australian, French navies exercise at sea

Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Anzac and French Navy ship FS Vendémiaire have conducted a passage exercise off the East coast of Australia to support training and build interoperability between navies.

Both ships conducted boat transfers and cross deck operations, where six personnel from each ship spent an afternoon experiencing life at sea in a foreign warship.

“Talking to the ship’s company and sharing stories of the differences and many similarities between our respective navies was the most rewarding part of the cross deck,” Maritime Warfare Officer Sub Lieutenant Jemma Dart, who visited Vendémiaire, said.

During the passage, the ships performed a light line transfer evolution for training. This was followed by ship handling exercises known as Officer of the Watch Manoeuvres and tactical communication training.

“I really enjoyed the comfort of the wardroom and the differences between respective ships,” Able Seaman Maritime Logistics Support Operations Shuji Ushyama said.

Anzac is currently completing a three-month deployment that will see the ship visit a number of ports in South East Asia in order to strengthen relationships and interoperability with some of Australia’s close partners in the region.