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Military forces of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines and the United States have conducted maritime cooperative activity within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone.
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Hobart Class guided missile destroyer HMAS Sydney and a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft attended the activity on 28 September.
Australia and international partners share a commitment to uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, and other maritime rights under international law, particularly in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
In addition, HMAS Sydney recently completed Operation Argos in the Yellow Sea by monitoring and deterring illegal ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned goods using its embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopter “Phoenix”.
Leading Seaman Aircrewman James Neville, who is part of the flight crew in MH-60R Seahawk, played an essential part in monitoring vessels of interest.
“My role during Argos is primarily to search our given area utilising radar and FLIR (forward looking infrared cameras) for vessels of interest that may be conducting illegal ship-to-ship transfers,” LS Neville said.
“We can then report these back to the ship and capture imagery that can be used in tracking these activities.
“Operation Argos is a challenging and rewarding time in my role as you can see firsthand the advantage that having an embarked helicopter can add to a ship’s capability.
“Argos is also a good chance for the entire ship to put its training to use and directly see the results of the hard work that has been put into preparing for operations such as this.”
During the deployment, combat system operators in the Combat Information Centre monitor the above and below water domains, collate and build the tactical picture around Sydney and send it back to US Indo-Pacific Command’s Enforcement Coordination Cell.
Leading Seaman Combat System Operator Dion Dodd helps lead the team to collate the information of air, surface and subsurface contacts around Sydney.
“I’m responsible for making sure that what we see on board is also seen back at HQ,” LS Dodd said.
“This provides HQ with an up-to-date tactical common operating picture that allows our command to make the important decisions on how best to utilise our military assets in an operational area such as on Argos.”
The multinational cell, embedded in the US Navy’s 7th Fleet, gathers information to help enforce the United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea.
Commanding Officer Sydney Commander Grant Coleman said he was proud of what Sydney has accomplished on Operation Argos.
“This operational deployment comes after Sydney has completed many significant international engagements that have enhanced our relationship with allies and regional partners,” CMDR Coleman said.
