HMAS Ballarat recently sailed from her home port in Western Australia on a three-month regional presence deployment throughout the Indo-Pacific.
Embarked in Ballarat for the deployment is an MH-60R Seahawk, callsign 'Mako', and supporting crew from HMAS Albatross in Nowra.
As Ballarat made her way up the West Australian coast, Mako and its crew conducted a series of training evolutions designed to fully integrate themselves with the Anzac-class Frigate.
HMAS Ballarat's Flight Commander, Lieutenant Commander Benny Wenban, said he and his crew were excited to get underway.
"The team are really motivated to be operating on the front line, integrated with the surface fleet," Lieutenant Commander Wenban said.
"Many of Ballarat's crew have never worked with an aircraft at sea so the training is just as valuable for the ship as it is for the flight."
'The flight will also allow greater integration with partners and allies, which is highly important for regional presence deployments.'
Flight integration training has focused on both aircrew and ship processes including ammunition loading, refuelling at sea, launch and recovery in different conditions, as well as aviation-specific training such as door gunning and sonar dipping.
"The team have achieved an incredible amount since departing Australia," Lieutenant Commander Wenban said.
"One key accomplishment was launching within 45 minutes of being actioned, which is a huge achievement by everyone involved."
Ballarat Torpedos and Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer Lieutenant Emma Cook said embarking a flight for the regional presence deployment provided Ballarat with a critical capability boost.
"Embarked aircraft provide the ship with greater situational awareness at sea," Lieutenant Cook said.
"The flight will also allow greater integration with partners and allies, which is highly important for regional presence deployments."
Regional presence deployments form a significant part of the ADF's contribution to the Indo-Pacific by promoting a secure, safe a prosperous region.
This is the fourth regional presence deployment for the Royal Australian Navy this year, which demonstrates Australia's role as a proactive and reliable security partner in the Indo-Pacific region.
