Australian Navy ships conduct goodwill visit to Vietnam

Landing Helicopter Dock HMAS Canberra Arriving at Cam Ranh port. Photo courtesy: Australian embassy in Hanoi.

With the approval of the Vietnamese Prime Minister, two Australian Navy ships, HMAS Canberra and HMAS Newcastle will visit Cam Ranh International Port, Khanh Hoa province on 7-10 May 2019. The goodwill visit brings together the Vietnamese People’s Navy and the Royal Australian Navy and is also part of the Australian Defence Force’s Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE19). 

This is the first time IPE, which commenced in 2017, has included Vietnam. IPE 19 is also visiting other key regional partners including Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia. Air Commodore Richard Owen leads IPE-19 as Commander Joint Task Force 661. HMA Ships Canberra and Newcastle are joined by force elements from the Navy, Army and Air Force as well as representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In total, the visit will involve over 800 Australian personnel.

Representatives from Vietnam’s Navy Command, Khanh Hoa Province Military Command, Khanh Hoa Border Guard Command, Foreign Relations Department of Ministry of Defence and Khanh Hoa Province Foreign Relations Department were present at the ships’ welcome ceremony. 

IPE Commanders will have courtesy calls to Khanh Hoa People’s Committee and Naval Zone 4 Command. The port visit will encompass a wide range of activities including military-to-military engagement, professional experience sharing on ship and humanitarian disaster relief operations, and friendly sporting events.

The Australian Army Band will have the special opportunity to perform in public in the evening of 07 May 2019 at Tue Tinh Park, Tran Phu street, Nha Trang. The ships’ companies will also take part in other community engagement activities including interactions with Khanh Hoa province school children.

Australia’s Ambassador to Vietnam HE Mr Craig Chittick stated, ‘IPE19 provides an opportunity for Vietnam and Australia to deepen our bilateral relationship through building a shared understanding and trust. This is also an excellent occasion which promotes people-to-people links. Australia welcomes opportunities to expand our defence cooperation with Vietnam and IPE19 visit reaffirms Vietnam is a very important partner in the region’.  

HMAS Canberra, one of the two Canberra-class amphibious assault ships and the largest ever built for the Royal Australian Navy, has a dual role. It provides one of the most capable and sophisticated air-land-sea amphibious deployment systems in the world, and gives the Australian Government the capacity to deliver humanitarian assistance and disaster relief within the Indo-Pacific region. 

HMAS Canberra is 230 metres long and more than 30 metres high. The 27,000 tonne warship can land a force of over 1,000 personnel by helicopter and water craft, along with weapons, ammunition, vehicles and stores as well as humanitarian aid as required. She can reach speeds of up to 20 knots (35km/h) over a maximum range of approximately 6,000 km.

HMAS Newcastle is a Guided Missile Frigate, a long range escort vessel, capable of air defence, surface and undersea warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction.