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Shipshape

he development of combat operations, and involved the amphibious operations,” he added.
the Australian Army’s constant employment of aircraft and ‘We’re too “Then the Army leadership team
amphibious capability landing craft to move and support made the decision to rotate that
took a major step forward landing troops. small to have ground combat element amongst the
recently when its 16 Brigade “We had a progression on other battalions and the associated
aviation component was the general amphibious side just one unit combined-arms capability of the
T certified for combined and the aviation progression,” Army, because we’re too small to have
air operations from the Navy’s two Commander Forces Command ready all the just one unit ready all the time.”
Canberra class amphibious assault (COMDFORCOMD), MAJGEN The certification is partly a
(LHD) vessels. Fergus (Gus) McLachlan told sister time.’ ‘signing off’ by COMDFORCOMD
The certification came at the publication ADBR. as Army’s airworthiness authority,
conclusion of a series of exercises off “The ground combat element MAJGEN GUS MCLACHLAN but there is also a Navy certification
the Queensland coast near Bowen in and the air combat element of the element as well.
early June involving HMAS Canberra amphibious capability have both “It’s always a combination of me
and the Bay class landing ship dock been in development for a couple and the fleet commander, and it’s done
(LSD), HMAS Choules. of years. across a series of activities,” explained
The first of these, Exercise Sea “You’ll recall our 2nd Battalion MAJGEN McLachlan.
Explorer, was designed to test Navy’s of the Royal Australian Regiment “We confirm we can operate, we
ability to deploy an amphibious (2RAR) based at Townsville was confirm we can do maintenance, and
force in a controlled environment in initially made a specialist amphibious CH-47F Chinook and MRH-90 we confirm we can do flight ops just
support of humanitarian assistance capability in order to generate the helicopters aboard HMAS with personnel. We also confirm we
and disaster relief (HADR), non- specific competencies needed to Canberra during Exercise Sea can do flight ops with underslung
combatant evacuation and joint operate from the ship and to do Explorer. usmc heavy equipment.

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