Multi-crewing comes of age
8 November 2007
The Armidale Class Patrol Boat (ACPB) group now boasts a full complement, with the formation of the final crew, Aware Three (LCDR Jeff Davison, RAN) on 1 October 2007. This is a significant milestone for the Armidale project, as it marks the full maturity of the multi-crewing initiative.
The formation of Aware Three signifies a coming of age for the new state of the art ACPB after a two year development period which coincided with the phasing out of service of the ageing Fremantle Class Patrol Boats.
The occasion was marked in Darwin Naval Base with Commander Australian Navy Patrol Boat Group, CAPT Aaron Ingram, RAN presenting the Commanding Officer of Aware Three with a crew name board and baseball caps, following a forenoon of crew briefings from Patrol Boat Group Headquarters staff.
The three crews that make up the AWARE Division will be based in Darwin and rotate through the final two hulls to be delivered to the RAN, namely HMA Ships Maryborough and Glenelg.
In addition to delivering more days at sea per platform per year, and therefore an enhanced overall operational capability, the multi-crewing concept provides a stable program for the crew. This enables personnel to plan their personal and professional lives ahead to a much greater degree than before, a fact that is much appreciated by both the crew members and their families.
Aware Three will now undertake a series of ACPB specific platform training courses as well as collective naval training prior to embarking in HMAS Maryborough on 7 January 2008. The crew will then undergo a series of safety audits and harbour training packages prior to commencing sea training, culminating in achieving Mission Readiness for operational tasking.
Aware Three will be formally inaugurated into the RAN on 8 December 2007 in Brisbane. The ceremony will be conducted as part of the commissioning celebrations for NUSHIP Maryborough which will be crewed by Aware One (LCDR Gerry Savvakis, RAN).
The inauguration ceremony will include participation by Australian Naval Cadet (ANC) unit, Training Ship Maryborough, Aware Three's affiliated ANC unit. The cadets will also take the opportunity to spend time at sea in their namesake ship as she transits from Darwin to Sydney, via Brisbane.
