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HMAS Adelaide has left its homeport in Sydney to conduct First of Class Flight Trials for the MH-60R Romeo helicopters off the coast of Queensland to ensure that the Royal Australian Navy remains ready to fight and win at sea.
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The trials will determine the safe operating limits of the Romeo helicopters on the landing helicopter dock (LHD) in a range of sea states and wind speeds at both day and night.
The Australian Defence Force is supporting whole-of-government COVID-19 efforts while maintaining operational preparedness.
Adelaide’s Commanding Officer, Captain Jonathan Ley, said the training was essential to ensuring Navy maintains its readiness to conduct Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations in support of the Australian public and our neighbours if required.
“The results will provide a new standard of operational capability, informing how Navy can employ the MH-60R and LHD together in the future to increase both lethality in combat, and responsiveness during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief tasks,” CAPT Ley said.
He said Navy had put in strict measures on its ships to ensure the continuation of essential training while preserving the health and welfare of its people.
All crew on Adelaide were screened for COVID-19 symptoms before departure.
At sea, health threats including communicable diseases like COVID-19, are deliberately considered as part of force health protection.
Major Fleet Units deploy with a medical officer or an appropriately trained medical team who are capable of screening and providing care to any personnel with symptoms.
“Adelaide is currently the Navy’s High Readiness Vessel and may be tasked by the Australian government to respond to emergencies across the region, including support to civil authorities in Australia, or overseas, in their efforts against COVID-19. It is imperative that we maintain that high readiness capability, and provide reassurance that ADF can respond immediately even in times of crisis,” CAPT Ley said.
The MH-60R ‘Romeo’ helicopter, based at 816 Squadron in Nowra, NSW, is the Navy's next-generation submarine hunter and anti-surface warfare helicopter.
The trials are a crucial testing process to establish the true extent of how the MH-60R operates in the maritime environment on Navy’s various platforms.
“While MH-60R aircraft have been used on HMA Ships Adelaide and Canberra for some time, new tests are required to determine what new safe operating limits they can achieve when working together,” Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Trials Unit's Lieutenant Commander Christopher Broadbent said.
The flight trials will be conducted in Queensland waters over the coming weeks and include actively chasing the right weather conditions to adequately prove capability.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
