iscover
The Anzac Class frigate has returned home following months of engagement with regional partners in the Indo-Pacific.
Royal Australian Navy (RAN) frigate HMAS Warramunga has docked at Fleet Base West after wrapping up a regional presence deployment, which first commenced on 30 May.
The three-and-a-half-month deployment involved participation in a number of major multinational training activities, including Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2022 and Exercise Noble Partners with United States and Japanese maritime units.
Other engagements included participation in Exercise La Perouse — a joint military activity with French and Japanese counterparts — and support for Operation Render Safe off the coast of Nauru, in addition to a port visit to Vanuatu.
HMAS Warramunga Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Scott Roberts lauded the efforts of the ship’s company during the regional presence deployment.
“The ship was charged with positively representing Australia and her strategic interests in the South West Pacific Ocean and I believe the ship’s company achieved this through their consistent pursuit of excellence,” LCDR Roberts said.
“The ship’s motto is ‘courage in difficulties’ and our ship’s company embodied this attitude in every scenario we faced during this regional presence deployment.”
The crew of HMAS Warramunga is now expected to take part in a “crew swap’, assuming ownership of HMAS Stuart, while HMAS Warramunga travels to its new homeport at Fleet Base East.
HMAS Warramunga is the latest RAN ship to return home following months of engagement in the Indo-Pacific, following HMAS Canberra’s arrival last month.
The landing helicopter dock (LHD) ship arrived at its home port in Sydney following a three-month deployment, which commenced alongside HMAS Warramunga and Supply Class auxiliary oiler replenishment (AOR) ship HMAS Supply.
HMAS Canberra left Townsville with personnel from the Australian Army, His Majesty’s Armed Forces of Tonga and the Sri Lankan Marines, which also participated in RIMPAC.
With its RAN sister ships, the LHD vessel travelled to Hawaii with US and Japanese counterparts as part of Exercise Noble Partners.
After arriving in Pearl Harbor, HMAS Canberra joined HMAS Warramunga and Supply, as well as platforms from 25 other nations for RIMPAC.
[Related: HMAS Canberra en route to home port following regional deployment]
