HMAS Canberra: On Time, On Target

Photo By Matthew Lyall | PACIFIC OCEAN (July 15, 2022) Royal Australian Navy Sub- Lt. Thomas Watson stands watch on the bridge of Royal Australian Navy landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra (L02) during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (Photo by Royal Australian Navy Leading Seaman Matthew Lyall)  

PACIFIC OCEAN

07.16.2022

Courtesy Story

Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet           

Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022 has provided a plethora of opportunities for interoperability between the Australian Defence Force and the 25 participating nations.

But it’s not every day that the United States Navy contacts your ship to say “kudos to the bridge crew” for planning highly complex movements down to the exact second.

Sub Lieutenant Maritime Warfare Officer, Thomas Watson, was officer of the watch (OOW) for flying serials between Canberra and the United States Navy's MH-60S helicopters that day.

“Essentially I was responsible for writing a program for the safe execution of the flying serials to ensure the ship was in the right position and state to execute the operation,” said Watson. “I have to set the ship up to facilitate the flying, as well as implementing procedures to make sure the ship is in the correct position accounting for the wind so that we are in the correct ‘Safe Helicopter Operating Limit’ (SHOL) in order to launch and recover the aircraft.”

HMAS Canberra currently has two United States MV-22B Osprey Military Aircraft embarked for RIMPAC and is participating in multiple air operations with international partners during the sea phase of the exercise, enabling the recovery and launch of various aircraft from different nations.

Sub Lieutenant Watson said it’s great to see the interoperability between the countries taking part during RIMPAC.

“It strengthens our relationships which puts us in a stronger position moving forward,” said Watson. “After the flying operation that day, I received an email from our navigator who forwarded the message from our American friends stating that at the time the helo was hovering over our deck to land, their GPS position and reader was at the exact latitude and longitude position at exactly the right time to the second that was planned.

“We were always going to be within a close range as that comes down to the planning, but to be precisely in the right place at the right time down to the second is pretty awesome. I’d like to say it was all skill, but I think a bit of good luck played its part.”

HMAS Canberra will continue to conduct flying operations over the course of RIMPAC building on interoperability and interchangeability with the 25 other nations participating in the world’s largest maritime exercise.

Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29- Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

• Date Taken: 07.16.2022
• Date Posted: 07.21.2022 13:17
• Story ID: 425222
• Location: PACIFIC OCEAN