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Taking a ship at “72 hours’ notice for sea” and preparing her to sail in less than 48 hours is no small feat – even more so when you’re talking about the biggest ship in the Navy’s fleet.
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Thanks to the dedication and hard work of her team, HMAS Adelaide was made ready in less than 48 hours to join the ADF’s bushfire assistance efforts.
However, a small but crucial component of the team’s success has been the technical expertise provided by defence industry civilians, who sailed with the ship to ensure engineering and technical support was maintained.
Five civilian contractors were completing maintenance activities on the ship before she was given orders to sail, and sailed with HMAS Adelaide as she departed Sydney to travel to the NSW south coast in support of Operation Bushfire Assist 19-20.
Reece Hamer and Cameron Lodge from General Electric Marine are on board to provide quality assurance and technical support of recently completed work to replace the ship’s LM2500 gas turbine.
"We’ve been working to ensure the smooth transition of the replacement and integration with the ships engineering team. Being here is a great experience and we’re excited to support Adelaide, the Navy and the local community during the bushfire crisis," Hamer said.
Also on board, and contributing to a broad spectrum of technical maintenance tasks, is a small team of three technicians from Shadbolt Group.
They are providing invaluable support to repairs and planned maintenance, providing much appreciated collaboration with the ship’s engineering personnel.
John Grey from Shadbolt Group said, "Our work requires us to work closely with the crew, sharing skills and contributing to the high availability of electrical and engineering equipment on the ship."
Grey is joined on board Adelaide by colleagues Scott Reid and Farokh Banihashemi, conducting repairs and maintenance of equipment from fans to power distribution.
"This is a great ship to work on and we’re fortunate to be able to help out at this time. Adelaide has a great crew, terrific accommodation and excellent food," Grey added.
The Commander Engineer of HMAS Adelaide, Commander Tom Doherty, has nothing but praise for the work provided by the embarked contractors.
"Both GE and Shadbolt have provided professional, reliable and consistent quality technical support. They have integrated well within the Marine Engineering Department and they are treated as part of the team in the ship," CMDR Doherty explained.
HMAS Adelaide, in conjunction with HMAS Choules and MV Sycamore, are working off the Australian south-east coast, providing valuable aid to the communities impacted by the bushfires.
ADF personnel have been working with state and territory authorities since September 2019 to respond to Australia’s bushfire crisis. This support will continue for as long as needed.
More than 5,000 full-time and reserve personnel are providing direct support in the field, at sea, in the air and from Defence bases across fire-affected regions.
More than 2,700 reservists are supporting Operation Bushfire Assist.
Defence has established three Joint Task Forces:
- Victoria: JTF 646 is based on Army’s 4th Brigade, with support elements from across the ADF. RAAF Base East Sale is the central hub for the Defence response in southern areas.
- NSW and the ACT: JTF 1110 is based on Army’s 5th Brigade, with support elements from across the ADF. Holsworthy Barracks is the central hub for the Defence response across NSW and the ACT.
- South Australia and Tasmania: JTF 1111 is based on Army’s 9th Brigade, with support elements from across the ADF. Keswick Barracks is the central hub for the Defence response across South Australia and Tasmania.
The Chief of the Defence Force appointed Major General Justin 'Jake' Ellwood as the Emergency ADF National Support Coordinator working in support of state and territory authorities.
Defence is also providing support to emergency services personnel in Western Australia to support firefighting efforts.
The ADF is providing support for the essential task of livestock and wildlife disposal in affected areas. This is at the request of state authorities and where the ADF’s unique capabilities are best suited.
