HMAS Arunta home from 5-month deployment
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Arunta has returned to her homeport of Fleet Base West in Rockingham, Western Australia, following a successful five-month regional deployment, most recently supporting Operation Argos.
CAPTION: HMAS Arunta conducts a replenishment at sea with USNS Amelia Earhart on her way home to Australia, 18 November 2020. Photo by Leading Seaman Jarrod Mulvihill.
During her 164 days at sea, Arunta concluded three-months on a regional presence deployment as part of a five-ship task group in October, taking part in a series of Southeast Asia and Pacific engagements, which included several successful multilateral training exercises.
Arunta briefly returned to Darwin for a logistics visit before embarking on a further seven-week East Asia deployment.
Commanding Officer of HMAS Arunta Commander Troy Duggan said he was proud of his crew’s dedication.
“The crew has remained focussed and professional during this deployment,” Commander Duggan said.
“Importantly, they have built confidence and knowledge among the various partner nations we were operating with.”
Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds said the crew made an important contribution to upholding the rules-based international order, by enforcing United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea as part of Operation Argos.
“Arunta also conducted a number of rights-of-passage transits, which highlight Australia’s commitment to a peaceful, inclusive, sovereign and resilient Indo-Pacific region,” Minister Reynolds said.
Senator for Western Australia, Matt O’Sullivan welcomed the ship’s crew home to Fleet Base West.
“I’m pleased to have had the opportunity to thank our men and women who have done outstanding work during their deployment,” Senator O’Sullivan said.
“Given the entire deployment was conducted during a global pandemic with only essential, COVID-19-mitigated logistical port visits, the crew has performed extremely well in challenging circumstances.”
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