Publication:Navy Annual 2005/Navy's Deployable Hydrographic Surveying Team
BY LIEUTENANT COMMANDER DARRYN MULLINS, RAN
We know more about the shape of the moon's surface than we do about the seabed. We can study the surface of the moon through a telescope or via satellite, but no matter how technology improves we have much more difficulty doing the same for our seas and oceans. This is because about four fifths of the Earth is veiled by water. Even sophisticated satellite technology and remote sensing from aircraft has its limits. Echo sounders carried in ships and boats continue to be the most successful technology for most areas.
This means that gathering data is a time consuming and expensive activity. As a result, only about 35 per cent of Australia's nautical charts, which cover a staggering 11.5 million square nautical miles, have been surveyed to a modern standard. The situation is the same in many other places around the world.
The Australian Hydrographic service (AHS) is part of Navy's Hydrographic, Meteorological and Oceanographic Force Element Group (HMFEG), and provides Australia's national nautical charting and hydrographic service. The AHS maintains a comprehensive portfolio of over 400 official nautical charts that support the safety of navigation for all vessels operating in the Australian region.
The Navy also has six dedicated hydrographic ships and the Australian developed Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) mounted in a Fokker F27 aircraft.
These survey and collect depth data to help modernise Australia's nautical charts, to improve safety of navigation and to provide specialist hydrographic surveying and charting services that directly support Defence operations and exercises. These specialised assets are supplemented by the Navy's Deployable Geospatial support team (DGST).
DGST was originally formed in the mid 1980s as the Hydrographic Office Deployable survey unit (HODSU) to conduct hydrographic surveying activities in the Australian Antarctic Territory and to support defence-related operations and exercises closer to home. The team still conducts surveying tasks that support national charting requirements but is increasingly involved in military rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) surveys.
Based at the Australian Hydrographic Office in Wollongong, New south Wales, DGST is comprised of hydrographic specialists. The team is often augmented by other Navy personnel and occasionally by Army Military Geospatial information experts.
DGST has two dedicated survey craft, an Antarctic survey Vessel (ASV Wyatt Earp) (based in Wollongong, NSW) and a recently acquired light utility boat (LUB Alert) which is based at Cairns, Queensland. Both boats are fitted for shallow water surveying with a single Beam Echo sounder (SBES), sidescan sonar and a highly accurate position fixing system (usually a GPs derivative). in addition, the team has a suite of portable processing and printing systems to quickly turn data into paper and electronic charts and diagrams. DGST is a quick response, highly mobile asset, which provides a hydrographic surveying capability that can be deployed to remote areas at short notice.
DGST was deployed in such a way as part of Operation SUMATRA ASSIST, the Navy's contribution to post-tsunami relief operations in Indonesia. the team deployed with as little as six hours notice. For such deployments DGST collects its equipment from Wollongong and Cairns, joins a ship (in this case HMAS Kanimbla) and uses one of the ship's boats to conduct a hydrographic survey.
Operation SUMATRA ASSIST DGST'S surveys were in direct support of the safety of HMAS Kanimbla and her embarked landing craft as they approached the shores of Aceh, and subsequently Nias, to land vital supplies and assistance. Due to the tsunami, associated earthquakes, and widespread damage, the charts of the area no longer indicated safe water or the numerous new navigation hazards that existed.
Notwithstanding the widespread erosion and flooding at Banda Aceh, DGST identified and charted a suitable landing site for Kanimbla's 'lCM8' landing craft within 18 hours of arrival. This enabled heavy earthmoving equipment, personnel and supplies to be landed. Turbid water, receding floodwaters and extensive debris challenged the team throughout.
DGST is a versatile capability and important force multiplier. it supports Australia's national charting program identified through the Australian Hydrographic service's survey and charting program (Hydro-scheme), and is also able to deploy at short notice in support of various contingency situations, both at home and abroad. This, in turn, enhances the capability and effectiveness of our Navy and Army maritime assets through greater freedom of manoeuvre and enhanced navigation safety.
