Thousands lined the waterfront at APEC Haus in Port Moresby on 4 September, watching as naval crews stood to attention and ships passed in formation during a Fleet Review reviewed by the Governor-General His Excellency Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae.
The event brought together seven vessels from Papua New Guinea, India, France, Tonga and Australia. It served as a formal naval inspection, showcasing discipline, tradition and the cooperation that links Pacific maritime partners.
Participating ships included Australia’s HMAS Childers, India’s INS Kadnatt, France’s FNS Auguste Benebig, Tonga’s VOEA Ngahau Koula, PNG’s HMPNGS Gilbert Toropo, Ted Diro and Rochus Lokinap.
For Australia, HMAS Childers carried particular importance. Commissioned in 2007, the Armidale Class patrol boat bears the motto “To Serve With Honour”. She lived up to her motto during the Fleet Review, while highlighting Australia’s naval ties with PNG.
Patrol boats like the Armidale class and PNG’s own Guardian class are central to fisheries protection, border security and customs enforcement. They also provide their navies with greater capability to patrol and control waters close to the mainland.
Quotes attributable to Australia's Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond
"It's a wonderful sight to see so many partner nations here celebrating alongside our shipmates from the PNG Defence Force.
Our navies have been sailing together and operating together throughout my entire career, which is almost 40 years.
We are partner nations and partner navies, and it is the seas that connect us together and drive our economic wellbeing from access to the sea.
Our national security springs from that economic wellbeing and as we are united as neighbours, to be here to commemorate such a significant event is absolutely essential.
For both, Rear Admiral Polewara and I, we've been sailing the same seas and the same journey throughout our entire careers. So what you see is just a manifestation of nearly 50 years of side by side focus on maritime security, on growing the maritime capability here in Papua New Guinea and in Australia."
Senior military leaders from Papua New Guinea, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Fiji and Tonga attend the Fleet Review ceremony at APEC Haus.
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