Landing a role on Baltic operations
The Royal Australian Navy’s Lieutenant Commander Josh Cowell gained amphibious warfare experience while recently deployed on operations in the Baltic Sea region with the Royal Navy Littoral Response Group (North) aboard HMS Albion.
CAPTION: Lieutenant Commander Josh Cowell has been deployed on operations in the Baltic Sea with the Royal Navy Littoral Response Group (North) on board HMS Albion.
As one of two task group warfare officers on board the amphibious transport dock, he was responsible for directing operations and maintaining momentum on behalf of Commanding Officer Albion Captain Simon Kelly.
Embedding key professionals in operational units demonstrates Australia’s close cooperation with the United Kingdom and the RAN’s focus on interchangeability of skills and people.
“Deploying to the Baltic Sea this year has been a career highlight for me and one example of where Navy careers can take you,” Lieutenant Commander Cowell said.
The British and Australian defence forces are reviewing littoral force structures separately but with many common themes.
Lieutenant Commander Cowell has participated in the UK Future Commando Force review, learning valuable lessons for the ADF.
Originally from Mackay, he joined the ADF via the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2005 following completion of a junior warfare application course.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Management by 2008. After completing the Principal Warfare Officer’s Course in 2015, he has applied it in multiple deployments to the Middle East, Indo-Pacific and Headquarters Joint Operations Command as an above-water warfare specialist.
Lieutenant Commander Cowell has accrued significant operational experience in amphibious warfare and said he enjoyed working in the triservice environment – with, as he puts it, “the support of my amazing family”.
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