BBC – Australia navy off for Christmas

Most of Australia’s navy is to be given two months off over Christmas as part of a new strategy to cope with crew shortages, the defence minister says.

Defense Technology International – An ex-U.S. Navy destroyer was sunk for real (by an Australian sub) in the first-ever live test of the latest Mk 48 Mod 7 CBASS heavyweight torpedo variant.
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Defense Technology International – Australia’s Chief of Navy warns that “enormous strategic change” taking place at the moment will have major implications for the maritime forces of Australia and its allies.
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The Australian – A look at submarine rescue exercises in the Pacific.
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Aviation Week – Australia has formally completed the deal to spend A$3.1 billion on two amphibious ships from Tenix.The government has just inked the deal that should see the HMAS Canberra delivered in 2013, and its sister ship, the HMAS Adelaide, to follow in 2015. The 27,000 metric ton vessels are designed to offload 1,124 embarked troops and carry their artillery, Abrams tanks and other vehicles.
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AAP – Australia’s navy is to get new, advanced, Spanish-designed air warfare destroyers and large landing ships at a cost of as much as $11 billion.
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Radio New Zealand – Australian warships are sailing towards Fiji amid speculation of another coup. The amphibious support ship HMAS Kanimbla left Townsville last night and HMAS Newcastle, a frigate, began its journey to the area on Wednesday night.
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Christian Science Monitor – East Timor’s call for help Wednesday opened a new mission for an already stretched Australian military.
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ABC – The HMAS Kanimbla and the HMAS Manoora have been sent to Australia’s northern waters. The vessels are on stand-by in case East Timor requires assistance to quell any further rioting in the capital, Dili.
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Herald Sun – The Royal Australian Navy has denied two of its ships may have contributed to two mass whale strandings in Tasmania.
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The Advertiser – The frigate HMAS Parramatta has been deployed to the Gulf, becoming the 12th Royal Australian Navy ship to serve in support of operations in the Middle East.
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ABC – The Australian Navyís newest ship will be commissioned this weekend, and Brisbane will host the ceremony for the first time in many years. The 118-meter ANZAC class frigate will become the HMAS Toowoomba on Saturday.
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Australian Associated Press – The Australian government launched a competition to build two new amphibious naval ships, alerting local shipbuilders to be ready to tender for the $2 billion project early next year.
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Australian Associated Press – A new deployment of Australian troops leaves for Iraq this week, with the navy’s heavy lift ship HMAS Tobruk set to leave Darwin today carrying armoured vehicles.

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The Advertiser – HMAS Kanimbla is to end relief operations off of Indonesia.
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Scoop – HMAS Tobruk heads to Iraq.
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BBC – Nine Australian military personnel were killed when their helicopter from HMAS Kanimbla crashed during relief operations on the quake-hit Indonesian island of Nias.
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Agence France Presse – HMAS Kanimbla, which was on its way home after providing aid to victims of the December 26 earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, has been diverted from Singapore back to Sumatra to provide aid to victims of the new earthquake.
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The Australian – Australian troops on the HMAS Kanimbla are likely to be away at least three month helping to rebuild tsunami-ravaged Aceh.
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ABC – HMAS Kanimbla will sail from Sydney tomorrow and it will take helicopters and engineers to assist in the reconstruction effort.
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AAP – Australia and the United States have signed an agreement to install the latest version of a computerised combat system in Collins and US Navy submarines.
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The Australian – The Howard Government will today commit to building all three of the navy’s new air warfare destroyers in Australia.

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Sea Power – The latest naval news from Australia, Italy, Malaysia, and Canada.

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BBC – Australian researchers have built what they claim is the world’s smallest submarine: a 40cm-long, self-controlling submersible called Serafina.
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Sydney Morning Herald – Potential for a Chinese attack on Taiwan is simmering again, and, Australia’s next government may face a dilemma that makes Iraq look trivial – would Australia intervene on the side of Taiwan – or not?
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