HMAS Ballarat on live-fire exercise with China’s navy

The Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Ballarat participated in a range of maritime exercises with Chinese Navy vessel Huangshan following a successful visit to the People’s Republic of China.

CAPTION: Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Ballarat fires her gun during an exercise with a Chinese ship, near Zhanjiang, China. Photo by Leading Seaman Bradley Darrell.

The Passage Exercise (PASSEX), which was conducted after Ballarat departed the Zhanjiang port, included surface target firing, a search and rescue exercise, communication exercises and a formation activity with aerial photography.

The Chinese Navy and the Royal Australian Navy conduct regular exercises in an effort to enhance mutual understanding, facilitate transparency and build trust.

Australia’s Chief of Joint Operations Vice-Admiral David Johnston said the frigate’s activities showed the valued working relationship between the two navies.

“This exercise and other Australian Defence Force activities with China continue to enhance our mutual understanding and build trust between our two nations,” Vice-Admiral Johnston said.

“We will continue to seek out further opportunities for maritime engagement with the PLA-N in supporting our shared objectives for regional stability.”

Ballarat is currently on a South East Asian deployment with further bilateral exercises planned with regional nations and the multilateral Exercise Bersama Shield, a Five Powers Defence Arrangement activity between Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

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