Submarine spotted off Queensland coast one of several navy vessels headed to massive war games
Queensland’s massive war games prove to be a shipspotter’s delight as a submarine was among several foreign and Australian navy vessels spied off the coast. See the video and list of military ships in Australian waters.
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A submarine has been spotted cruising off the coast of Queensland, much to the surprise and delight of locals.
Doug Bazley, 63, of Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast, said he had been on Golden Beach for about two hours Friday afternoon when he noticed some unusual “spray and mist” in front of a container ship heading through the spitfire channel about 3.45pm.
The keen photographer said he grabbed his binoculars and soon spied the surfaced Royal Australian Navy Collins Class submarine about 5km off coast, complete with a person standing on top and at the front of the sub.
“It was going faster than the container ship … which was doing about 15 knots,” he said.
“It was interesting to see it so close.”
The submarine, one of six owned by Australia, had also had also been spotted going past Tangalooma, near Moreton Island off the coast of Brisbane, about 1pm the same day.
Mr Bazley, who had recently also observed some foreign war ships heading along the coast, said he suspected the submarine was heading north to take part in the 10th iteration of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 (TS23), Australia’s largest biennial military training exercise with the US.
“It’s something we don’t see here very often, but I wasn’t surprised because I knew Talisman Sabre was on,” he said.
“Occasionally we see the (HMAS) Brisbane come in and out, but we don’t often see the foreign ships … so I love seeing them.”
Mr Bazley said he had also watched the USS America and USS New Orleans head north about a week ago, while Japanese warships the JS Izumo and JS Shimokita were also spotted sailing past over the weekend after being docked in Brisbane from July 17-22.
They are among 22 ships from at least five nations participating in the maritime component of the TS23 – which comprises more than 31,000 military personnel from 13 countries – throughout Queensland, parts of northern NSW, the Northern Territory and Western Australia from now though to early August.
The Australia-US bilaterally planned, multilaterally executed training exercise culminates in a mock war between all military branches on land, sea and in the air, is designed to train forces in all aspects of combined operations to help improve the combat readiness and interoperability between the Australian Defence Force and its allies.
SHIPSPOTTER’S DELIGHT
Some of the navy ships involved this year include the USS America, which has the US Marine Corps 31st Expeditionary Unit embarked, the USS Green Bay and the USS New Orleans – all of which have already made port stops in Brisbane, with the America also recently spending a day Townsville.
The aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Regan is also returning to Talisman Sabre for the third time, but will be based off the northwest coast of Australia this year.
Besides submarines, the RAN ships participating include the HMAS Adelaide (Landing Helicopter Dock), HMAS Choules (Landing Ship Dock), HMAS Brisbane (Guided Missile Destroyer), HMAS Stalwart (Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ship), HMAS Huon (Minehunter, Coastal) and the HMAS Shepparton (Survey Ship, Coastal).
Members of the British Royal Marine Commandos and the Indonesian National Armed Forces embarked on the HMAS Adelaide in Townsville over the weekend.
The Royal Canadian warship the HMCS Montréal and The Republic of Korea’s ROKS Marado amphibious landing ship and ROKS Munmu the Great destroyer are among some of the other foreign navy vessels taking part in TS23.
A helicopter destroyer designed for antisubmarine warfare, the JS Izumo – the flagship of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) has five helicopters and two search and rescue choppers on board but can carry several more.
JS Izumo’s executive officer, Commander Naoki Shirasaka, 43, said the 248m-long ship had 400 sailors and soldiers embarked for TS23 but could cater for up to 1000, while the 178m-long JS Shimokita, an Ōsumi-class tank landing ship, had about 200 personnel on board.
Commander Shirasaka said five choppers could operate off the Izumo's’s flight deck simultaneously.
“Helicopters can find a submarine in the sea, also they can protect a submarine by themselves and their speed is very quick and fast,” he said.
“Besides that we can conduct … humanitarian assistances and disaster relief.”
Commander Shirasaka said the Izumo was one of two Japanese ships being converted into multipurpose escort destroyers to accommodate F35 Bravo Lightning II stealth fighter jets in coming years, thanks to the Japanese government ordering 42 F35Bs and 63 F35A Conventional Take off and landing aircraft from the US in 2020.
It is the third time Japan has participated in Talisman Sabre but the first time Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) has fired live missiles in the country in an Australian military first.
The Japanese forces conducted a live-fire demonstration of a Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile (SSM) from the East Australia Exercise Area at Beecroft Weapons Range, New South Wales on Saturday.
That same day, other soldiers including from the Republic of Korea – who are participating in TS23 for the second time – Australia, Japan the US conducted a combined joint live-fire demonstration at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area outside of Rockhampton in Central Queensland.
Commander Shirasaka said training between the Japanese forces as well as others from like-minded countries was important.
“We think some of the amphibious operation and capability is quite important to the defence of Japan,” he said.
“In that sense we need more collaboration between the Japan army and Japan navy as well as a collaboration with other navies and other armies of the world.
“We need to share the experiences among the like-minded countries to support stability in the region and safety and peace over the world.”
The officer said, as an island nation, submarines were the “biggest threat to Japan.”
“Japan is surrounded by the sea so that means if we lose sea lines of communication our people will be cut off,” he said.
A written statement released by the JMSDF earlier this month said those embarked on the Izumo and the Shimokita would carry out amphibious training with the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB), the Mine Warfare Force, the JGSDF and the 1st Helicopter Brigade.
The objective for TS23 was to “to develop our operational capabilities, tactical skills, and interoperability regarding multilaterally integrated Maritime and Amphibious Operations, Anti-Air Operations and Joint Anti-Ship Operations including live-fire with Type-03 Surface-to-Air Missile (Chu-SAM) and the Type-12 Surface-to-Ship Missile (12-SSM), by utilising the excellent training environment of Australia,” the statement said.
One of the several goals listed by the JGSDF was to conduct a series of amphibious operations with the US and Germany, comprising maritime manoeuvres, amphibious assaults, and combined arms warfare following landing.
It is the first time Germany has participated in Talisman Sabre, underlining Berlin’s increasing focus on the Indo-Pacific as tensions with China rise within the region.
About 240 people from the German armed forces, known as the Bundeswehr, including 170 paratroopers and 40 marines, have been sent to take part.
TIES STRENGTHENED
Chief of the German Army, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, recently visited the Townsville Field Training Area in Far North Queensland, where he inspected the capabilities of the Australian-made Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicle (CRV) and toured the surrounding bush.
He said getting used to the Australian conditions was one of the challenges for the Germans in TS23.
“The distances, the terrain and the climate are completely different than in Central Europe,” he said.
“This exercise is very exciting for our personnel and, as well as testing our preparedness and procedures, I want our personnel to gain experience of the country and build relationships.
“We share a lot in common with Australia and the region and we want to portray ourselves as a reliable partner.”
This week, Lieutenant General Mais visited Japan’s Ministry of Defence at Camp Ichigaya in Tokyo where he discussed further co-operation between the Japanese and German militaries, according to a statement release by the Japan Self-Defense Force on Tuesday.
“Appreciation is expressed to the German Army’s further commitment to the Indo-Pacific region by joining Talisman Sabre … and LTG Mais also agreed on further promotion of defense co-operation of Japan and German land forces in the Indo-Pacific region to maintain and strengthen (free and open Indo-Pacific),” it read.
More than 31,000 personnel from 13 nations are in Australia for TS23, including more than 18,500 from the US, about 1300 from Japan, 700 from the Republic of Korea and more than 300 from New Zealand.
There are also more than 250 armed forces personnel from Canada, about 240 from Germany, 160 from the United Kingdom, 130 from France, 65 from Indonesia, 50 from Fiji, 40 from the Kingdom of Tonga and about 35 from Papua New Guinea.
Six other nations are also attending TS23 as observers.
The exercise is taking place across a number of locations, using both Defence and non-Defence training areas across Queensland, NSW, the NT and WA from now through to August 4.
Maritime Safety Queensland has put strict contingency and port safety plans in place for all Queensland ports for warship visits to Brisbane, Gladstone, Townsville and Cairns.
Queensland Police have also established a marine exclusion zone approximately three nautical miles, or about 5.5km, off the coast of Kings Beach, near McCanes Bay, in Bowen from now to August 19 while the military exercise is underway.
Originally published as Submarine spotted off Queensland coast one of several navy vessels headed to massive war games
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