Australian Navy moves in on Pacific to stop China

Australia’s navy has sent its latest warship to the Pacific in a show of the defence force’s Pacific commitment in the face of China’s threat to the region.

The Royal Australian Navy has dispatched its latest warship to the Pacific for a 300-day mission to counter China’s maritime influence push into the region.

The chief of Navy Vice Admiral Mike Noonan has revealed the second-hand purchased ship renamed Australian Defence Vessel ADV Reliant, left the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain on Tuesday on its maiden voyage to Australia before it will “swing” by South West Pacific.

The five-year-old Norwegian-built large-hulled supply vessel was purchased for $93 million to operate semi-permanently in the Pacific region, ostensibly to help our nearest neighbours deal with disasters and help train local navies.

Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noon, AO, RAN delivers his opening address. Picture: Supplied

But it is also designed as a show of Australian Defence Force Pacific commitment in the face of China moving into the region, notably with a military/security pact with Solomon Islands that could see a Chinese navy base on our doorstep.

Speaking at the Indo Pacific 2020 maritime expo in Sydney, the largest biennial conference of its kind, Vice Admiral Noonan said China’s intentions in the region remained unknown.

But he said it was clear Beijing was seeking influence with Pacific neighbours and the ship was another capability and would join other HMAS warships currently at sea in the region.

Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, AO, RAN, and Commander of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Vice Admiral Fahad bin Abdullah S. Al Ghofaily.

“I think if we see a military base in a sovereign country, controlled by another entity, it is very, very worrying and different dynamic … for another country to seek to establish a military base in this region would be seriously destabilising.

“We’re not seeing that yet but certainly there is potential for that to happen. Certainly the concerns that we have with respect to the security pact between the Solomons and China is something that we’re keeping a very close eye on.”

Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan AO, RAN met with counterparts from the United States, Japan and India during the Royal Australian Navy Sea Power Conference. Picture: Supplied

Adm. Noonan, who finishes his four-year tenure as chief in July, said the elevated strategic competition in the past three years in the region was like nothing he had ever seen and events in Europe too were unexpected and flagged how prepared Australia needed to be.

“The last thing that I seek to do is send men and women from the Royal Australian Navy to conflict,” he said.

“That’s certainly a decision for government but I have to be ready with a force of well trained men and women and high end capabilities and so I am ready to respond to any tasking that the government might choose for our Navy to undertake.”

The Indo Pacific 2022 expo brings regional militaries from 40 nations to Australia to hear security presentations, see the latest tech and mingle with industry. The RAN did not invite China to this one, despite previous invites, and rescinded its invitation to Russia.

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