The Navy Vol_64_Part2 2002 - Navy League of Australia

capabilities to be delivered "in ways thatare financially prudent and sustainableinto Ihe future."Future Navy capabilities are alsoprovided for a key commitment in theDefence 2000 While Paper was theintroduction by about 2013 of at leastthree Air Warfare Destroyers - Phase Istudies lor this long-term project willexamine the ADF's future maritime airwarfare capability requirements.Capital equipment increasesExpenditure on new capitalequipment investment budget willincrease from $3.5 billion to $4.1billion, with a number of Navy-relatedmajor projects well advanced theAn/ac build program. Huon Classminehunler coastal acquisition,provisional acceptance of HMASKankin. the last of the CollinsClass new submarines, continuedredevelopment of HMAS ALBATROSSincluding a helicopter underwaterescape trainer and helicopter washfacility, and transition of Navy andAir Force radio network operationalcapability and staff to ihereplacement integrated high frequencycommunications system.Automated sites will eventuallyoperate in the Rivcrina. and at ShoalBay. TownsviHe and North West Cape.The project lor replacement of theFrcmantle Class Patrol Boats willcontinue, and tenders for newammunition storage facilities at Eden insouthern New South Wales are to becalled in mid-2002 construction of thewharf began in March this year.Recruiting & retention improveA lew months ago. the NavyCapability Management Committee(NCMC) met in Canberra to reviewfunding priorities for the coming Budgetyear. All FEG (Force Element Group!Commanders attended, together withrepresentatives of Navy Headquarters.Maritime Command. SystemsCommand, and the DMO supportedby many til their respective BusinessManagers. Because recruiting andretention rates have now started toimprove. RAN numbers are expected toincrease in 2002-03 by more than 2*2 toover 12.800 the highest level since1999-2000 and continue to increasesteadily towards the target strength ofaround 14.000. Funding will permitSystems Command to continue with theongoing review and civilianisation ofnon-MRU billets, a commitment madeb> the Chief of Navy in September2000.From Nuw \rn \CDF pays tribute tounique unitCDF ADMI. Chris Barrie recentlyunveiled a plaque commemorating theEMU (Expcrimcrtal Military Unit)personnel of the RAN and the UnitedStates Army who served together in theVietnam War.Over a thousand people gathered aiBomaderry on the soulh coast onSaturday April 27 02 to participate inihe service.In the presence of US AmbassadorThomas Schieffer and many Australianand American veterans and theirfamilies. ADMI. Barrie dedicated themonument to the men of the 135thAHC (Assault Helicopter Company)I'SS CARL VINSON The US company Northrop Gromman Corporation has heen awarded a USS42million planning contract from the USN to facilitate preparations for the overhaul and refuelling of thenuclear powered aircraft carrier USS CARL VINSON (CVN-701. scheduled lor 2004. This will he theship's first and only refuelling during a serv ice life expec ted to span approximately 50 years. (USN)of the US Army, which includedmany members of the RAN's FleetAir Arm.CDF said the 135th AHC was aunique combat unit. From October 1967to June 1971 a detachment of RANFleet Air Arm personnel was integratedwith the US Army unit. The Australiansand Americans of the 135th operatedtroop carrying and ground attackhelicopters in the war againstinsurgency m the Republic of SouthVietnam. It was designated bv the USCommand as the Experimental MilitaryUnit, or EMU. and had as its motto Gelthe blixnly job done".The 135th AHC confirmed its mottowith an unsurpassed record, a highreputation, and hard work, which wasnot w ithout loss and sacrifice.History records eight RANpersonnel were killed in the war inVietnam: five were members of theEMU. Thirty-two American EMUswere also killed in combat.The nearly 50 strong group ofAustralians were Fleet Air Ann andsupport personnel posted as the RANHelicopter Flight - Vietnam, adetachment of 723 Squadron, based atHMAS ALBATROSS, in Nowra. Fourflights spent a year's lour of duty Hyingand maintaining US Armv helicopterswith their American counterparts.RAN personnel were involved in allareas of 135th activities. A US armyofficer commanded the fully integratedinternational unit, totalling some 300personnel, with an Australian Navyaviator as its XO and second incommand.Australian pilots were in commandof the helicopter platoons and Australiantechnical personnel were in leadershippositions throughout the maintenanceareas. Australians were also in charge ofthe food preparation and the medicalsupport facilities.Part of the daily task of the multinationalunit was helicopter insertionand recovery ol troops, prov iding air toground attack, re-supply of ammunitionand equipment, and recoveringcasualties, throughout all weatherconditions, night and day. at times underdirect enemy fire.Former member CPOATWO JimHill said. "For me the EMU monumentis a unique reminder of the closeAustralian links with United States."It is dedicated to those Australianand United States service personnel oftwo different armed services of twoallied nations who were integrated into asingle military unit and fought a bloody,controversial and unconventional war.did it well and with honour."By LCDR Frank Eyck. NovyNews'A CERTAIN MARITIMEINCIDENT'ObservationsBy GeoffreyThe terms of reference for the Senate Select Committeeinquiring into a 'Certain Marine Incident' - the so-called'children over board' affair involving HMAS ADELAIDE -are w ide and have allowed some interesting statements andallegations to be made by participants. The inquiry isincomplete as this item goes to the publisher.Former Chief of Naval Staff and Fleet Commander. ViceAdmiral Sir Richard Peek, enlivened proceedings at onestage-while vigorously supporting the Captain ofADELAIDE and his ship's company. The Admiral also madethe valid point that the services are not businesses - "theservices are no more businesses than is the parliament, thepolice force or the teachers. They are services and servicescannot be organised in the same way as businesses. I think thatEvansaccepted that in recent years personal staff, who might beexpected to share the political aspirations of their minister,have become a not-to-be-disregarded factor in the discharge ofministerial responsibilities, once the prerogative of nonpoliticalpublic servants. The armed forces and civil servantsare unlikely to welcome any intrusion into their presentrelatively stable relationship.The relationship between the deface force and the civilauthority has been the subject of debate in Australia for overl(X) years, leading in the first place to the creation of a navalboard in 1905 to administer the force formed from colonialNavies following Federation. Debate on the subject hascontinued from time to time and it is curious to think anincident at sea in northern waters has caused the matter to beraised again.The Senate Committee's final report should makeinteresting reading.The images you were not meant to see. w hich were actually leaked to a television station. Had they not been leaked il is highly likely they would have neverheen seen. (RAN)is part of the problem in the current organisation of thedefence forces".Admiral Peek's statement will undoubtedly be widelysupported in the ADF but a further comment about the(present) 'stupid' chain of command may not be received soenthusiastically by Defence leaders. However it does appearthat the current division of responsibilities has causedconfusion - a "who is responsible to who for what" situation- in some parts of the defence force.Not the least interesting matter to be discussed at theinquiry concerned the role of ministerial staff 'advisers' whocome and go as portfolios change hands. It seems to beA LIMIT TO THE SIZE OF SHIPSIt has been interesting to read in various shipping publicationscomment on the seemingly ever increasing size of merchantships, in particular of passenger ships designed in the main forcruising.Tankers and bulk cargo carriers have been growing in sizefor many years, but they carry small crews and as they loadand unload at purpose-built ports and berths, are hardlynoticedby most people: Big passenger ships are a differentmatter altogether.To one w ho can recall the 'big' 28.000 - 30.000 tonne shipssuch as P&O's CANBERRA and HIMALAYA and the Orient24 VOL. 64 NO. 3 THH NAVYTHF: NAVY VOL 64 NO. 3 25