Australian warship visits HCM City
(VOV) -Nearly 130 crewmembers of the Australian Navy warship, HMAS SYDNEY, are scheduled to pay a goodwill visit to Ho Chi Minh City from October 29-November 3, according to the Australian Embassy in Vietnam.
They will meet with senior officers and sailors from the Vietnamese People’s Navy to conduct a professional exchange on ship borne helicopter operations.
The crew will participate in a friendly sporting activity with cadets at the Naval Technical College and play Australian Rules Football against the Vietnam Swans at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT).
They also plan to receive children from Sunrise Special School (Binh Minh), supported by LORETO Vietnam-Australia program.
“This is an excellent opportunity to build upon the Australian Vietnam Defence cooperation relationship that commenced in 1999 and has recently been reaffirmed at the meeting between our two Defence Ministers in Hanoi in August 2012,” said Group Captain Matthew Dudley, Australian Defence Attaché in Vietnam.
“Since 1999, the Australian Defence Force has trained over 1,200 Vietnamese People’s Army officers in Vietnam and Australia,” he added.
HMAS SYDNEY is commanded by Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Captain Luke Charles-Jones.
The ship is a modified ADELAIDE Class guided missile frigate with roles including air defence, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, interdiction and reconnaissance.
HMAS SYDNEY is also fitted with a flight deck and hangars for two helicopters and has a top speed of 29 knots.