HMAS Adelaide (L01), Landing Helicopter Dock of the Royal Australian Navy leads a close formation of warships off the Western Australian coast - 5 March 2017. A special formation photograph. Behind HMAS Adelaide are (left to right): HMNZS Te Kaha (F77), Frigate, Royal New Zealand Navy; HMAS Darwin (FFG04), Frigate, Royal Australian Navy; HMNZS Endeavour (A11), Oiler, Royal New Zealand Navy; HMAS Success (OR304), Multi-product Replenishment Oiler, Royal Australian Navy; HMAS Melbourne (FFG05), Frigate, Royal Australian Navy; ESPS Cristobal Colon (F105), Frigate, Spanish Navy; HMAS Parramatta (FFH154), Frigate, Royal Australian Navy Photo © Commonwealth of Australia, LSIS Peter Thompson — HMAS Adelaide (L01), Landing Helicopter Dock of the Royal Australian Navy leads a close formation of warships off the Western Australian coast – 5 March 2017.
A special formation photograph. Behind HMAS Adelaide are (left to right):
HMNZS Te Kaha (F77), Frigate, Royal New Zealand Navy; HMAS Darwin (FFG04), Frigate, Royal Australian Navy;
HMNZS Endeavour (A11), Oiler, Royal New Zealand Navy;
HMAS Success (OR304), Multi-product Replenishment Oiler, Royal Australian Navy;
HMAS Melbourne (FFG05), Frigate, Royal Australian Navy;
ESPS Cristobal Colon (F105), Frigate, Spanish Navy;
HMAS Parramatta (FFH154), Frigate, Royal Australian Navy
Photo © Commonwealth of Australia, LSIS Peter Thompson

11 April 2017 © David Eyre

More photos under the Aircraft Photos section of our website

Warships from Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Italy, together with Royal Australian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Navy, Italian Navy and US Navy aircraft took part in one of Australia’s largest maritime warfare exercises, Exercise OCEAN EXPLORER 17 from 13 February to 10 March 2017.

It was reported that more than 17 ships took part in the exercise at sea and in coastal areas near Lancelin, Geraldton and Geographe Bay.

Exercise Director Captain Jim Hutton said “The main aim of the exercise is to develop our task group capability, to operate a number of ships under one commander and focus primarily on sea control operations.

“This can include the full spectrum of maritime security operations; from diplomacy and international engagement at one end, through to humanitarian and disaster relief, constabulary and peacekeeping operations, and at the upper end of the spectrum, high end war fighting.”

A two-week sea phase incorporated anti-submarine and air defence exercises.

The exercise included the first visit to Western Australia by the Landing Helicopter Dock ship, HMAS Adelaide (L01) which was berthed at Fremantle Port from 22-27 February 2017 but not open to the public.

Two of the companies bidding for the A$35 billion Future Frigate project sent ships to take part in the exercise. Visiting for the first time was a Spanish Navy frigate, ESPS Cristobal Colon (F105), built by Spanish shipbuilding company Navantia, which visited Fremantle in late February 2017. Fincantieri was also represented in the exercise by one of their frigates, ITS Caribiniere (F593), which visited Fremantle in late-January 2017.

Aircraft

Aircraft taking part were deployed to RAAF Base Pearce, north of Perth, including:

Ten McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18A Hornets of 75 Squadron, RAAF
- A21-3 F/A-18A ‘3 Squadron 100 years’ special blue tail markings
- A21-11 F/A-18A 2 OCU markings
- A21-14 F/A-18A 3 Sqn markings
- A21-24 F/A-18A 75 Sqn markings
- A21-31 F/A-18A 75 Sqn markings
- A21-35 F/A-18A 75 Sqn markings
- A21-37 F/A-18A 3 Sqn markings
- A21-46 F/A-18A 77 Sqn markings
- A21-51 F/A-18A 77 Sqn markings
- A21-115 F/A-18B – no unit markings
Two Lockheed AP-3C Orions of 10 Squadron, RAAF (serials unknown)
168849 Boeing P-8A Poseidon of VP-10, US Navy – callsign ‘LANCER 99’
A30-001 Boeing E-7A Wedgetail of 2 Squadron, RAAF
A97-468 Lockheed-Martin C-130J-30 Hercules of 37 Squadron, RAAF
Boeing C-17A Globemaster III of 36 Squadron, RAAF
Learjet 35As (civilian-operated, four for target towing/target simulation and one for electronic warfare training):
- VH-LJA
- VH-LPF (‘AMBULANCE’ titles on wingtip tanks)
- VH-OVB
- VH-SLD
- VH-ESM Raytheon titles – callsign ‘SHADOW’ – electronic warfare training

Ship-based aircraft included:

Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawks of 725 Squadron, Royal Australian Navy:
- N48-020 ‘Gold Digger’ on HMAS Ballarat
- N48-021 ‘Blackjack’ on HMAS Parramatta
NH Industries MRH-90 Taipan of Australian Army
- A40-018 on HMAS Adelaide
- A40-037 on HMAS Adelaide
MM81584/3-08 NH Industries SH-90A of GRUPELICOT 5 (5° Gruppo Elicotteri), Italian Navy, aboard ITS Carabiniere (F593)
NZ3619 Kaman SH-2G(I) Seasprite, of 6 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, aboard HMNZS Te Kaha (F77).

Ships

Warships known to have participated include:

ESPS Cristobal Colon (F105), Frigate, Spanish Navy
HMNZS Te Kaha (F77), Frigate, Royal New Zealand Navy
HMNZS Endeavour (A11), Oiler, Royal New Zealand Navy
ITS Caribiniere (F593), Frigate, Italian Navy
HMAS Adelaide (L01), Landing Helicopter Dock, Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Anzac (FFH150), Frigate, Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Parramatta (FFH154), Frigate, Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Ballarat (FFH155), Frigate, Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Darwin (FFG04), Frigate, Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Melbourne (FFG05), Frigate, Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Success (OR304), Multi-product Replenishment Oiler, Royal Australian Navy
HMAS ??, Collins-class Submarine, Royal Australian Navy
USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723), Los Angeles-class submarine, US Navy

NOTE: In an unrelated exercise, four Australian Army Sikorsky S-70A-9 Blackhawks also operated from Pearce during March 2017, including A25-101, A25-102, A25-103 and A25-223.