Royal Australian Navy joins regional partners for Exercise Pacific Vanguard.

The Royal Australian Navy has joined an eight-ship fleet with more than 1,500 personnel aboard from Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States for Exercise Pacific Vanguard, in waters off Guam.
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HMAS Stuart leads HMA Ships Hobart and Canberra out of Sydney Harbour as they depart Fleet Base East for a period of force integrated training. (Picture source: Able Seaman Benjamin Ricketts)

Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC said the exercise brings together four key like-minded regional partners, working in support of a shared vision for a secure, open, prosperous and inclusive region.

HMA Ships Stuart and Arunta will participate from the Royal Australian Navy, in this third iteration of Pacific Vanguard.

During the exercise, naval forces will practice a range of activities, including combined manoeuvers, surface warfare, live-fire exercises, anti-submarine warfare and replenishment at sea.

Commander of the Australian Maritime Task Group, Captain Phillipa Hay, CSC, RAN said the Royal Australian Navy welcomed the opportunity to work with key regional partners on complex warfighting skills within a task group.

HMAS Arunta departs Fleet Base West and sails into Cockburn Sound, Western Australia after a 20 month Anzac Midlife Capability Assurance Program (AMCAP) upgrade which includes a platform systems remediation program to improve platform reliability and maintainability. (Picture source: Commonwealth Australia)

Japanese Ships Ashigara and Ise, Republic of Korea Ships Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin and Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong, and USS Barry, a submarine and USNS John Erickson from the United States will also take part.

The exercise is part of the Royal Australian Navy’s Regional Presence Deployment through Southeast Asia and the Pacific, which demonstrates Australia’s enduring commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.

Exercise Pacific Vanguard was conducted in accordance with COVID-19 safety measures.