A fictitious battle between enemy forces is playing out in the water off the coast of Jervis Bay this week as The Royal Australian Navy conducts its biggest field training activity in over five years.
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The activity, known as the Fleet Concentration Period, is a week of training exercises designed around the Australian navy's core maritime combat capabilities: anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and anti-air warfare.
Nine ships, two submarines and aircrafts from the participating Australian navy quadrants are taking part in the exercises which include torpedo firings on Saturday. The activities, aimed at building cohesion, networking and the transfer of intelligence between vessels, are running alongside a week of assessments for submarine warfare officers.
"Australia rellies on maritime trade for our economic prosperity and security," exercise director, Commodore Peter Leavy, CSM RAN said. "Exercises such as this hone the navy and the Australian Defence Forces' ability to protect that trade, and be able to exercise maritime security whenever it's required."
The fleet is being led by HMAS Canberra, the Navy's flagship vessel which contains a medical facility that rivals the size and scope of some regional hospitals.
The ship, designed to load up with over 1000 army troops and produce over 6000 meals in a day, is also capable of supporting amphibious operations including disaster relief, humanitarian assistance and evacuation operations. The HMAS Canberra's crew will be celebrating the ship's first birthday this weekend, with a birthday cake at the fleet sports day being held on Sunday to mark the end of the week of training exercises.
