Publication:Navy Annual 2005/On the World Stage - HMAS ANZAC'S NT 2005
BY COMMANDER SIMON O'BRIEN, RAN
On a beautifully clear morning in March 2005, HMAS Anzac sailed from Fleet Base West, HMAS Stirling, for an historic five and half month deployment. Known as NORTHERN TRIDENT 05 (NT 05), this odyssey would see her visit some of the most famous places in the world, and participate in maritime events on the world stage. The two key milestones of NORTHERN TRIDENT 05 were the 90th Anniversary of Anzac Day at Gallipoli, and the celebrations in Portsmouth to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.
A deployment of such significance and scale has provided enormous benefits to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and to Australia, and there are a myriad of important lessons and experiences to be gained.
HMAS Anzac's NORTHERN TRIDENT 05 deployment would see the 183 members of the Ship's company experience cultures and sights most had never seen before. Not only was HMAS Anzac participating in the 90th Anniversary of Anzac Day and the Trafalgar 200 celebrations, but she would take part in one of the largest maritime exercises for a Royal Australian Navy warship in many years - the United Kingdom's (UK) Joint Maritime Course which involved over 40 ships and submarines and over 80 aircraft from the UK and NATO.
HMAS Anzac sailed for Albany on 07 March 2005, where she conducted a Freedom of entry march through the city. Known as the 'Anzac City', Albany is famous for being the first place a Dawn Service was held and the departure point for the Anzac convoys in 1914. Retracing the route of these convoys, HMAS Anzac sailed for Turkey via India, the Suez Canal, and Alexandria. experiencing history such as the pyramids of egypt was a taste of what was to come for the remainder of NORTHERN TRIDENT 05, as HMAS Anzac headed to the Mediterranean and on to europe. Respects were paid by the Ship's company at the numerous memorials throughout the island of Crete, where thousands of gallant Australians and Allies fought and are still remembered today by the residents.
Anzac Day is a special day for all Australians, however for HMAS Anzac, 25 April 2005 would prove to be a truly memorable day. To be serving in HMAS Anzac, on Anzac Day, in Anzac Cove was a rare privilege. From the early hours of the 25th, during the Dawn Service, the Lone Pine Service, and throughout the afternoon, Anzac moved slowly and solemnly in Anzac Cove, a poignant backdrop for the 20,000 Australians and New Zealanders who attended this year.
From Turkey throughout the Mediterranean to Germany, HMAS Anzac visited many ports and was involved with numerous navies. Personnel exchange programs were very popular as many of these foreign navies infrequently operate with the RAN. Passage exercises were also conducted on a regular basis with success throughout the Mediterranean, which included navies from Turkey, the United Kingdom and France. In Germany, HMAS Anzac visited 'the spiritual birthplace' of this Meko ship - the home city of the designers, Blohm and Voss - Hamburg.
Supporting Australian industry, particularly those that are defence-related, was a key focus for this deployment. This was achieved by providing a 'piece of Australia' as the platform for industry to host briefings, demonstrations, tours, and functions. In Hamburg, this was very successful, with Saab Systems (combat system software, integration and weapons/sensor elements) and CEA Technologies (phased array radar technology) hosting VIP industry days, while Blohm and Voss hosted a dinner function for 60 guests on the flight deck.
Departing continental europe for the UK and Ireland, HMAS Anzac entered another phase of this remarkable journey. Training intensified with ships from the German Navy as HMAS Anzac converged on Scotland for the commencement of exercise NEPTUNE WARRIOR, the Joint Maritime Course 052, in June 2005, a large and complex exercise involving all aspects of maritime warfare. Asymmetric warfare opened the proceedings before more conventional aspects such as air and anti-submarine warfare fully tested the capabilities and training of all the 140 participating units.
Another key milestone for this NT 05 deployment soon followed with HMAS Anzac representing Australia at the International Fleet Review and the International Festival of the Sea in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Both these events took place sequentially over a two-week period, and were jointly referred to as 'Trafalgar 200 Celebrations' -2005 being the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Thirty-seven navies and 176 ships attended these events, with HMAS Anzac part of the awe-inspiring 7.5 by 2 nautical mile anchorage in the Solent, off Portsmouth. The breakdown of this unprecedented fleet gathering was 5 aircraft carriers, 10 amphibious ships, 40 destroyers, numerous corvettes, supply ships, mine warfare ships, submarines, and tall ships. HMAS Anzac was given the distinction of being the second of only six ships to steam through the entire fleet and sail past Her Majesty the Queen, cheering ship in the process.
Our thoughts were starting to focus on our return home via South Africa.
