Australian Navy warship HMAS SYDNEY will pay a goodwill visit to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The Australian Navy warship, HMAS SYDNEY will visit Vietnam from 29 October to 03 November 2012 on a goodwill visit. The port visit is expected to strengthen the relationship between our two navies and to enhance the nation to nation ties between Australia and Vietnam.

The guided missile frigate HMAS SYDNEY will arrive in Ho Chi Minh City on 29 October with a crew of 35 officers and 194 sailors. The Commander and crew will meet with senior officers and sailors from the Vietnamese People’s Navy to engage in a range of goodwill activities and to conduct a professional exchange on ship borne helicopter operations. The crew will also 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), Ho Chi Minh City Campus. While in Ho Chi Minh City, the crew will host a visit by children from Sunrise Special School (Binh Minh) - supported by LORETO Vietnam-Australia program as well as taking advantage of the opportunity to explore Vietnam’s rich culture and to meet the people of Vietnam.

Group Captain Matthew Dudley, Australian Defence Attaché in Vietnam, stated “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. Since 1999, the Australian Defence Force has trained over 1,200 Vietnamese People’s Army officers in Vietnam and Australia. I know that the officers and crew of HMAS SYDNEY are looking forward to their visit to Ho Chi Minh City as one of the highlights of their deployment.”

HMAS SYDNEY is commanded by Captain Luke Charles-Jones, Royal Australian Navy (RAN). HMAS SYDNEY is a modified ADELAIDE Class guided missile frigate with roles including air defence, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, interdiction and reconnaissance. HMAS SYDNEY is capable of countering simultaneous threats from the air, surface and sub-surface. Weighing 4,200 tons and 138 metres in length, HMAS SYDNEY is armed with SM-2 surface-to-air missiles, Harpoon Block 2 Anti-ship missiles, a Mk 75 76 millimetre gun, a 20 millimetre Mk-15 Phalanx anti-missile system and six Mk 32 torpedo tubes. HMAS SYDNEY is also fitted with a flight deck and hangars for two helicopters and has a top speed of 29 knots.

Media Contact:
Group Captain Matthew Dudley, Australian Defence Attaché, Vietnam Mob 0903 444 945