Royal Navy aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious left Babcock's Rosyth dockyard within budget, and with improved capability, to commence sea trials following a successful 16 month docking period.

After 17 years of dedicated service, the Royal Australian Navy's amphibious transport ship, HMAS Manoora, was decommissioned at her homeport of Garden Island, in Sydney, last week.

Sea acceptance for the Anti-Ship Missile Defence capability for HMAS Perth has been completed successfully after the ship engaged a Phoenix unmanned aerial target using an Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile.

But for the six Balikpapan Class LCHs, this country boasts an amphibious fleet whose capability for land force maritime manoeuvre is downright parlous.

The module constructions problems disclosed last year were the tip of a significant iceberg for the Air Warfare Destroyer program. The project is now 12 months behind schedule with the potential for further delays if other problems emerge.

The module constructions problems disclosed late last year were the tip of a significant iceberg for the Air Warfare Destroyer program. The project is now 12 months behind schedule with the potential for further delays if other problems emerge.

The Government announced on April 6 that Australia had been successful in its bid to acquire the UK's Bay Class amphibious ship Largs Bay at a cost of GBP65 million.

HMAS Tobruk will be docked in Sydney from this week for previously announced required maintenance, which is expected to take around two months.

Potential buyers of the HMS Ark Royal will get their first chance to look at the Royal Navy's former flagship.

This ASPI Policy Analysis notes that the future submarine project will almost certainly be the largest Australian defence project ever.

Thirty-eight Australian soldiers, sailors and airmen have embarked on a 16-week humanitarian aid mission, sponsored by the Commander US Pacific Fleet.

Australia has been successful in its bid to acquire the UK's Bay Class amphibious ship Largs Bay.

A review is underway to develop a plan to reform the management and repair practices that led to the early decommissioning of HMAS Manoora and the extended unavailability of HMAS Kanimbla.

While there may be no shortage of equipment vendors, ADM suspect there will be few prime contenders for Phase 4 of Sea 1442 which aims to modernise the communications capability of the RAN’s eight Anzac class frigates.

The hull of the first of the RAN’s two 27,800 tonne Canberra-class LHDs has been launched and the keel of the second is now on the slipway in Spain, but what may be the program’s greatest single challenge has yet to be faced.

Fingers crossed - by the time this edition of ADM is published, the Anzac frigate Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) program may be close to achieving long-anticipated success.