Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price and Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, have officially welcomed military, industry and academic representatives from 50 nations that gathered for the Sea Power Conference 2019 in Sydney.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Military, industry and academic representatives from 50 nations have gathered for the Sea Power Conference 2019 in Sydney. Minister Reynolds said issues of strategic and historic importance in a maritime context are at the forefront of the biennial event, now in its 11th year.
“Sea Power will showcase the Royal Australian Navy’s reputation as a capable and trusted partner both to the region as well as to Australian industry,” Minister Reynolds said.
“Our Navy has on average 20 ships at sea per day, conducting more than 200 foreign port visits across 32 nations every year.
“To protect and defend our national interests, Australia will need a Navy that maintains our strategic position, protects Australia’s national security and prosperity as well as the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.
“That is why our government is investing more than $90 billion to develop the Navy of the future while creating a strong and sustainable Australian naval shipbuilding industry.”
Hosted by the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mike Noonan, AO, the conference is an opportunity for delegates to discuss wide-ranging issues related to the maritime domain.
VADM Noonan will host bilateral discussions with Australia’s regional partners on ways to further bolster regional relationships.
“Sea Power 2019 will provide Australia and our neighbours, partners and allies with opportunities to focus on our mutual interests in border and maritime security,” VADM Noonan said.
“As we begin this conference, Navy has almost a dozen ships and submarines, and over 1,000 people deployed across the east Asian region, not to mention an enduring presence in the Pacific.”
The Sea Power Conference 2019 will take place at the Sydney Convention Centre at Darling Harbour from Tuesday, 8 to Thursday, 10 October 2019.