ADF Shines as World’s Largest Maritime Exercise Comes to an End in Hawaii
3 August 2010
The largest Military exercise of its kind in the world has drawn to a close, with Australian participants receiving high praise from their Commander.
Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) 2010 has seen more than 1200 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel involved in a massive Maritime operation off the coast of Hawaii.
The highlights for the ADF contingent included missile firings, complex submarine hunting and a major multi national amphibious assault, planned and coordinated by an Australian command team.
The head of Australia’s contingent, Commodore Stuart Mayer says this has been the most successful RIMPAC for the ADF since the exercise began in the early 1970s.
“It is a common cliché to say that every exercise is the best one ever. But in this instance it is very likely true,” CDRE Mayer said.
Amongst these successes include commanding the exercise’s Expeditionary Strike Group, which comprised of 3 amphibious ships, up to 15 cruisers and destroyers and a US Marine Corps Taskforce – a total force of almost 1000 men and women. The exercise also saw the world’s first combined joint Harpoon missile firing from HMAS Warramunga involving an RAAF AP-3C Orion and ships from Canada and the US. The RAN also completed the successful firing of surface to air missiles [Ed. SM2 and ESSM missiles] demonstrating the capability of HMAS Warramunga and HMAS Newcastle against complex threats.
“Whether it was the coordinated Harpoon firing from Warramunga in combination with the RAAF P3 Orions; the first splash of Amphibious Assault Vehicles from HMAS Kanimbla; 2 RAR operating alongside US Marines or our divers raising a sunken tug from the bottom, all our soldiers, sailors and airmen have performed at an impressive level.”
“We have conducted complex war fighting in a challenging multi-national environment. We have definitely got our money’s worth out of RIMPAC.”
The next RIMPAC will be held in 2012.
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