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The Interesting and Varied Role of the HMAS Canberra

Have you visited us yet? Fridays from 5 pm at Tanunda Recreational Park. Visitors are welcome. 

HMAS Canberra is the Royal Australian Navy’s flagship and one of its two Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships. 

HMAS Canberra

Its core role is to project Australian military power, deliver humanitarian assistance, and conduct joint amphibious operations with the Army and international partners. Over the past two years, it has been heavily involved in interoperability training, amphibious capability development, and medical readiness exercises.

The ship:

1. acts as Australia’s primary amphibious assault ship, capable of deploying troops, vehicles, helicopters, and landing craft.
2. Serves as a joint-force integration platform, hosting U.S. Marines and Australian Army units for combined amphibious operations.
3. Provides sealift capability for heavy Army equipment, including modern armoured vehicles
4. Functions as a medical support hub with scalable medical facilities for casualty care during operations, and
5. Enhances regional stability and deterrence through alliance training with the United States. 

This year has been a busy year for the crew who have, in Exercise Capital Reach:

1. Embarked 350+ Marines from the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin.
2. Conducted joint amphibious manoeuvre planning, landing craft drills, and multi‑domain integration.
3. Strengthened U.S.–Australia alliance readiness and Indo‑Pacific deterrence.

Assisted in the Army Modernisation Trials by: 

1. Validating sea transport of new Australian Army armoured vehicles: AS21 Redback IFV, AS9 Huntsman SPH, and the AS10 Resupply vehicle
   
2. Repeated loading/unloading trials in Sydney Harbour to confirm compatibility with Navy landing craft and littoral deployment.

The Canberra's Medical Operational Health Unit has also conducted training in a range of complex medical readiness exercises.

Our ADF has numerous interesting activities occurring that we never hear about in the mainstream media.

The RAAF's Role After 9/11

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Twenty-five years ago, the September 11 Islamist terrorist attacks in the United States claimed almost 3000 lives and sent shockwaves far beyond its shores.

American airspace was promptly closed and all aircraft grounded.

The first aircraft to fly into New York following the attacks was Australian, putting the crew of a RAAF C-130J Hercules at the centre of an unprecedented moment in history.

At the time, 37SQN was in the US conducting testing of the new C-130J’s Block 5.3 upgrade.

The aircraft, A97-442, was operating from Dobbins Air Base near Atlanta, Georgia, when the attacks occurred.

The crew included Flight Lieutenant, now Group Captain Paul Long. 

“The whole of America stood still,” Group Captain Long said.

“I remember talking to people in the street, and they were in shock, but wanted to talk.

“After a day or two, almost every car was flying little US flags out their windows, and patriotism was front and centre.

“Then the shock turned to anger.”

Three days after the devastating attacks, the RAAF crew was asked to transport personnel and equipment from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to New York to investigate whether biological agents had been involved at the ground zero site. 

On 14 September, the RAAF C-130J Hercules departed Atlanta.

Its arrival at LaGuardia Airport was unlike any flight the crew had experienced before – commercial aviation remained grounded, the weather was poor, and New York was confronting the devastation left by the collapse of the World Trade Center.

As the aircraft approached Manhattan, the crew could see the skyline through breaks in the cloud and the unmistakable absence where the Twin Towers had once stood.

Flight Lieutenant now Squadron Leader Michael Crooks later recalled the surreal sight of the gap in the skyline.

“Although 25 years have passed, the key lesson I have taken from 9/11 is that the world can change in an instant,” Squadron Leader Crooks said.

“When it does, being ready to adapt and respond is what we do.”

For the crew, their flight into New York in 2001 was not a combat mission or a headline-making operation, but something much simpler – delivering people and equipment where they were most needed – something 37SQN has continued to do in the years since.

For the RAAF, the story of A97-442  is a reminder that the role of military aviation is not always defined by conflict.

Sometimes it is about being ready to respond, to assist an ally,and to deliver help when circumstances are at their most uncertain.

The crew who flew that Hercules have continued their careers in different ways, with the experience remaining a small but enduring chapter in 37 SQN's history.

“Two years after that flight, I found myself on the first of many deployments over many years to the Middle East supporting the fight against terrorism,” Group Captain Long said.

September 11 is a day to remember those who lost their lives, those who responded and those whose lives were forever changed.

Twenty-five years on, we remember.

Acknowledgement: Flight Lieutenant Chloe Megson

RAAF Delivers Food Aid to Nepal

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A RAAF C-17A Globemaster III has transported
humanitarian assistance to Nepal

Photo: LAC Campbell Latch

This support by the ADF to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade forms part of the whole-of-Australian government response to the disaster.

The supplies included hygiene kits, solar lighting and other humanitarian support.

The C-17A departed RAAF Base Amberley on September 1 and arrived in Nepal on September 2.

Australia is a reliable and long-established partner in Nepal’s development journey, focusing on areas like climate resilience, education, and social inclusion. The Australian Government also supports various programs aimed at strengthening institutions and economic opportunities in Nepal.

In July 2026, a senior Australian delegation visited Nepal to reinforce the partnership and explore new opportunities in trade, investment, education, and sustainable development. This visit highlighted the commitment to ongoing cooperation and support for Nepal's development journey.
Australia's aid efforts are designed to foster a fairer and more inclusive society, ensuring that the benefits of development reach all segments of the population.