Jet-laden giant US carrier arrives in Brisbane
One of the world’s largest and most powerful military ships has arrived in Brisbane laden with jet fighters, with families of the American sailors and pilots on board welcoming them to the River City for some much-needed rest and relaxation.
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LATEST: The USS Ronald Reagan has arrived at the mouth of the Brisbane River for Australia’s largest joint military training exercise with the US.
With more than 4,000 American sailors on board, the vessel docked just after 1pm on Friday.
The ship’s arrival comes days before the launch of the Talisman Sabre bilateral training exercises.
Dozens of families waited eagerly for their fathers and husbands at the port.
Speaking to The Courier-Mail before the ship docked, Makenna Klein, 6, from Arizona, said she couldn’t wait to see her dad.
Makenna and her mother, Charlie Klein, held a poster with ‘Makenna’s dad’ written in colourful glitter as they waved at the ship.
Nancy from San Diego arrived in Brisbane earlier this morning.
While she admitted she was very jet-lagged she said she’s “so excited” to see her boyfriend after two months apart.
She said the last few weeks have been difficult because sailors can only communicate to their loved ones through email.
“We can’t talk or FaceTime. Waiting is never fun,” she said.
Quinn, 10, Evan, 8, and Reese, 6, said they couldn’t wait to see their dad Brent Jaquith who is the commander of strike fighter squadron VFA27.
“I’m going to give him a big hug,” Evan Jaquith said.
The children who live at the America base in Iwakuni, Japan, flew down to Brisbane just for the reunion.
Sisters, Harper, 7, and Emerson, 9, Chrisp also waited for there uncle who they hadn’t seen in three years.
Asked whether they still remember him, they said “a little bit.”
The sailors will be exploring the city over the next few days. They will be visiting the Queensland Children’s Hospital, Lone Pine Sanctuary and the Maritime Museum.
Its arrival comes after two separate submarines were spotted off Caloundra earlier this week – a Royal Australian Navy Collins class submarine and a Los Angeles class American nuclear powered submarine.
OVERNIGHT: A legendary military vessel will dock in Brisbane by the weekend in the lead up to Australia’s largest joint-military training exercise.
The Courier-Mail understands gigantic aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan is expected to arrive in Brisbane in the coming days meaning thousands of sailors will likely hit the streets of the city with cash to spend.
It comes during the Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019 beginning in Queensland this month.
The Talisman Sabre series of exercises is the principal Australian and US military bilateral training exercise focused on the planning and conduct of mid-intensity “high end” warfighting.
An Australian Department of Defence spokeswoman previously told The Courier-Mail the Talisman Sabre training exercise will include one of the largest gatherings of military ships to visit Brisbane for a single exercise in more than three decades.
The majority of TS19 exercises will take place in the Shoalwater Bay Training area near Rockhampton, with up to 25,000 military personnel converging on the Sunshine State for the biennial training activity between now and August, the peak of the exercise being held from July 11 to August 24.
While the US Embassy could not comment on the ship’s arrival, defence experts say residents of Brisbane would be amazed by the “powerful” vessel.
John Blaxland, Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies at the Australian National University said the 18-year-old military ship is a “spectacular sight”.
“It is awesome to see and it is awesome to experience on board, and it is quite an amazingly capable and powerful demonstration of America’s power,” he said.
“There is nothing else in the world that can match the capability of the fleet of US aircraft carriers of which USS Ronald Reagan is a prime example, the potency of these platforms is unrivalled.”
The ship has been defined as a “technological marvel” and cost $4.5 billion to build and $1 million daily to fully operate.
It houses more than 4,400 people sandwiched between an airport that supports more than 60 combat aircraft and two nuclear reactors that provide the ship enough energy to power a small city.
Prof Blaxland said the ship is a “very sophisticated and flexible” platform that can be used to assert American power and provide reassurance to allies.
“Effectively, the aircraft carriers of today operate like mini islands with an airfield on them,” he said,
“They are like little cities, several thousand people on board … and they are all about the ability to project air power.”
The arrival of the USS Ronald Reagan has not been confirmed by authorities, but is believed to reach the Port of Brisbane as early as Friday.
Locals also spotted two submarines in the Brisbane River on Thursday with one believed to be the Australian vessel HMAS Farncomb.
A US supply ship, the USNS Rappahannock, has already docked in the Port of Brisbane.
The Defence Department spokesman confirmed an Australian submarine did pass by the southeast Queensland coast earlier this week.
“A Royal Australian Navy Collins class submarine transited past the Sunshine Coast on 02 July 2019, while a US Navy submarine transited the same passage (on Thursday),” he said.
“Both vessels are in Brisbane for a routine port visit prior to the commencement of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019.”
FAST FACTS:
LAUNCHED: 2001
MOTTO: Peace through strength
DISPLACEMENT: 101,000 tonnes
LENGTH: 333 metres
BEAM: 77 metres
PROPULSION: Two Westinghouse nuclear reactors, four steam turbines
SPEED: 30 knots (56km/h)
PERSONNEL:
4225 sailors
including:
2700 enlisted ship’s company
160 officers ship’s company
1150 enlisted air wing
215 officers air wing
ARMAMENTS:
● Close-In Weapons System (range: 3.5km), rate of fire: 4500 rounds per minute. Purpose: Rader-guided Gattling gun defend against anti-ship missiles
● NATO Sea Sparrow Missile Launcher (range: 16km). Purpose: defends against anti-ship missiles and enemy aircraft
AIRCRAFT: The ship has a mixture of more than 60 aircraft at any time, including F/A-18 Hornet, SH-60 Seahawk, C-2 Greyhound, E-2 Hawkeye
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