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Two Navy vessels and approximately 350 personnel have embarked on a two-month deployment in south-east and north-east Asia.
HMA Ships Ballarat and Parramatta have departed their homeports in Western Australia and NSW, carrying approximately 350 personnel who will participate in the ADF’s second Regional Presence Deployment of 2021
The vessels, which will operate as a combined task group, are set to rendezvous in Australia’s northern waters before commencing planned engagements with partner nations later this month.
According to Commander of the Joint Task Force, Rear Admiral Mark Hammond, Ballarat and Parramatta are well prepared for the deployment after completing similar deployments in 2020.
“The crews will leverage the skills and lessons of previous deployments to the region to strengthen our naval capability and partner interoperability,” RADM Hammond said.
Ballarat’s Commanding Officer and Commander of the Task Group, Commander Antony Pisani, added that this latest deployment forms part of Australia’s ongoing commitment to strengthening ties with regional partners.
“Ballarat and Parramatta will build on the fantastic work of HMA Ships Anzac and Sirius, which recently participated in Exercise La Perouse in the north-east Indian Ocean and conducted other navy-to-navy activities with a number regional partners,” CMDR Pisani said.
“Australia has a long history of embracing navy-to-navy engagement to ensure we can work together to preserve safe and free sea-lanes.”
Defence has committed to adhering to public health guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19.
All ADF personnel are expected to complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine period at sea before returning to Australia.
[Related: Navy names NUSHIP Supply passageway]
