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| A Naval Gun Firing (File Photo) |
Guns were blazing in the seas off Darwin, Northern Territory, as ships from the Exercise KAKADU 2012 fleet came together for a combined live gunfire exercise.
Japanese ship JS Shimikaze, Singaporean ship RSS Valiant, Thai ship HTMS Rattanakosin, Indonesian ship KRI Frans Kaisiepo and HMA Ships Perth and Darwin all took up position on the gun line.
Shimikaze, Valiant, Rattanakosin, Frans Kaisiepo and Darwin all fired at the airborne target, which was towed by a commercially operated GAT36 Learjet.
Darwin fired five rounds from its Mk 75, 76mm automatic rapid fire gun, which is capable of firing 80 rounds per minute.
Darwin also fired one of its 12.7mm Browning machine guns as part of the exercise.
The live firing exercise, a highlight of the first week at sea in KAKADU 2012, provided opportunities to improve interoperability—the ability of foreign navies to operate together—through coordinated manoeuvring and cooperative engagement of an airborne target.
Exercise KAKADU 2012, Australia’s premier maritime exercise, is being conducted in the waters and airspace off Darwin, Northern Territory from 29 August to 14 September.
The biennial exercise has drawn together 17 nations as participants and observers for exercises, graduated training activities and weapons practice aimed at developing interoperability—the ability of foreign navies to work together—in maritime operations in a regional multilateral environment.
The Royal Australian Navy is represented by Anzac Class frigates HMA Ships Perth and Warramunga, Adelaide Class frigate HMAS Darwin and its embarked S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopter and Mine Hunter Coastals HMA Ships Gascoyne and Huon.
Royal Australian Air Force AP3C maritime patrol, F/A-18 Hornet and Hawk Lead-in-Fighter Aircraft are also taking part.
RAN
Japanese ship JS Shimikaze, Singaporean ship RSS Valiant, Thai ship HTMS Rattanakosin, Indonesian ship KRI Frans Kaisiepo and HMA Ships Perth and Darwin all took up position on the gun line.
Shimikaze, Valiant, Rattanakosin, Frans Kaisiepo and Darwin all fired at the airborne target, which was towed by a commercially operated GAT36 Learjet.
Darwin fired five rounds from its Mk 75, 76mm automatic rapid fire gun, which is capable of firing 80 rounds per minute.
Darwin also fired one of its 12.7mm Browning machine guns as part of the exercise.
The live firing exercise, a highlight of the first week at sea in KAKADU 2012, provided opportunities to improve interoperability—the ability of foreign navies to operate together—through coordinated manoeuvring and cooperative engagement of an airborne target.
Exercise KAKADU 2012, Australia’s premier maritime exercise, is being conducted in the waters and airspace off Darwin, Northern Territory from 29 August to 14 September.
The biennial exercise has drawn together 17 nations as participants and observers for exercises, graduated training activities and weapons practice aimed at developing interoperability—the ability of foreign navies to work together—in maritime operations in a regional multilateral environment.
The Royal Australian Navy is represented by Anzac Class frigates HMA Ships Perth and Warramunga, Adelaide Class frigate HMAS Darwin and its embarked S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopter and Mine Hunter Coastals HMA Ships Gascoyne and Huon.
Royal Australian Air Force AP3C maritime patrol, F/A-18 Hornet and Hawk Lead-in-Fighter Aircraft are also taking part.
RAN