FAREWELL SAILOR

06 NEWS
Warramunga celebrates
10 th birthday in style
HMAS Warramunga celebrated her
10 th birthday in style with guest of
honour CDF ACM Angus Houston
at HMAS Stirling on April 1.
CDF paid tribute to
Warramunga’s contributions to the
ADF, recognising many highlights
of her service and the achievements
of her crew.
ACM Houston also gave encouragement
for the challenges that lie
ahead.
Warramunga’s Commanding
Officer, CMDR Michael Turner,
reflected on the ship’s achievements
and said he was confident
that the crew’s recent efforts during
the extended maintenance availability
had prepared her well to provide
excellent service for the next 10
years.
“In 10 years Warramunga has
consistently achieved outstanding
results, testimony to the quality of
the crew, past and present – the key
to Warramunga’s success,” he said.
In keeping with tradition the
youngest member of Warramunga’s
crew, SMNCSO Rebecca Stanley,
joined ACM Houston in cutting the
ceremonial cake to mark the occasion.
SMNCSO Stanley said she was
CELEBRATION: CDF ACM
Angus Houston cuts HMAS
Warramunga’s 10 th birthday cake
with SMNCSO Rebecca Stanley.
Photo: ABIS Lincoln Commane
honoured to be cutting the cake with
CDF.
“It is good that traditions like
celebrating the ship’s birthday are
being kept alive,” she said.
The cake was prepared by
Warramunga’s cooks, under the
supervision of LSCK Darren Smith,
and decorated by LSCK Smith and
ABCK Lee Lavery.
LSCK Smith said he felt honoured
and privileged to have his
efforts presented in front of CDF.
During the past 10 years,
Warramunga has steamed a total
of 343,645 miles (30,884 hours
underway), has been deployed on
Operations Relex, Relex II, Celesta,
Catalyst and Slipper, and participated
in many national and international
exercises.
Warramunga completed successful
Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile
and Block II Harpoon Missile firings
during RIMPAC 2010, followed
by diplomatic visits to the
Republic of Korea and the People’s
Republic of China.
The Korean visit coincided with
the 60 th anniversary of the Battle of
Incheon, in which Warramunga I
conducted shore bombardment in
support of the amphibious landings.
The ship has just completed a
significant maintenance period and
is preparing for her return to sea for
mariner skills evaluation and system
qualification trials.
UPGRADED: HMAS Perth
proves the stability enhancements
required by the ASMD
upgrade during her trials
period. Photo: Eye in the Sky
Productions, Fremantle ©
By LEUT Katey Mouritz
HMAS Perth has emerged from her
Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD)
upgrade with a truly unique profile and
has proven her mettle in the last two
months of sea acceptance testing trials
in the West Australian Exercise Area.
Perth was farewelled from Fleet Base
West on April 27 by a crowd of family
and friends and is now heading east to
complete the trials in the East Australian
Exercise Area and conduct rangings on
the US Navy’s Pacific Missile Range
Facility off the coast of Hawaii.
Perth’s Commanding Officer, CAPT
Mal Wise, said his crew had worked hard
to establish the new system.
“Although there has been a lot of hard
work to get us through the majority of
Perth hints
at shape of
future
our trial period, we know there is more
to come with the system being further
assessed off Hawaii, and then we get to
put the whole system into practice during
Exercise Talisman Sabre,” he said.
“Our families are sad to see us leave
but they can tell that we are excited to
be involved in this great new capability
for Navy.”
The leading edge phased array radar
is housed in the cupola on the aft mast,
which makes Perth the only Anzac-class
frigate with such a distinctive mast structure.
Apart from the new mast structure,
Perth also sports an enclosed quarterdeck
and an entirely revised layout of the
operations room with an updated combat
system.
NAVY NEWS www.defence.gov.au/news/navynews May 12, 2011