HMAS Sirius deploys to Southwest Pacific
The Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Sirius has deployed to Fiji marking the beginning of a six-month programme of official activities throughout the region.
Along with Joint Task Force 637, Sirius will undertake a series of engagements across the Southwest Pacific and Timor-Leste, including visits to Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Samoa and the Micronesia region.
Key events include a Guardian-class patrol boat commissioning in Tonga, hydrographic survey activities, air transport support to Pacific Islands Forum delegates, and mutual training in Papua New Guinea.
The task force will also continue to support unexploded mines in the Solomon Islands, carry out a joint exercise in Vanuatu - Exercise Vanuatu Alliance; and support counter-illegal fishing operations across Micronesia.
The engagements are part of the Australian government’s Pacific Step-Up initiative.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
Indian Navy’s next generation OPV fleet advances with keel-laying of third vessel
The ship is the third in a fleet of 11, with the first vessel due to be delivered in 2026.
-
Fincantieri and TKMS partner for Philippine submarine bid
The companies have banded together to promote the Fincantieri U212 NFS offering, and hinted that the collaboration may not be a one-bid phenomenon.
-
New enhanced FREMM frigate delivered to Italian Navy
The frigate, Spartaco Schergat, is equipped for a broad range of missions, including anti-submarine warfare.
-
NAVSEA invests more in support of mine countermeasure USVs
The new contract with Textron Systems will support software development for uncrewed vessels over the next three years.