A hosting first for HMAS Adelaide
A US Army special operations Chinook, from the ‘Night Stalkers’ regiment, conducted deck landings on HMAS Adelaide during Exercise Balance Action.
CAPTION: A Royal Australian Navy aviation support sailor marshals a United States Army MH-47G Chinook after it landed on HMAS Adelaide during Exercise Balance Action. Story by Captain Sarah Kelly. Photo by Able Seaman Rikki-Lea Phillips.
Two MH-47G Chinooks, from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) Night Stalkers, arrived in Australia last month for Exercise Talisman Sabre.
The SOAR stayed on after the exercise to conduct further interoperability training with special operations command units in the Sydney area.
The deck landings demonstrated the cohesion between Navy’s amphibious assault landing helicopter docks and US military helicopters.
US Army pilot Captain ‘A’ said the SOAR always welcomed the opportunity to practise deck landings with foreign naval vessels.
“Royal Australian Navy assets such as HMAS Adelaide have enabled us to successfully work on a variety of missions side by side with our closest allies and friends,” Captain A said.
“We never know when this training will pay off across the Indo-Pacific, should we ever need to deploy on any future special operations missions.”
The deck landing training was the first time Adelaide had hosted a SOAR helicopter.
Navy aviation support sailors from Adelaide refuelled the SOAR Chinook before it departed to re-join a Special Operations Command maritime training activity.
CAPTION: Royal Australian Navy aviation support sailors lash down a United States Army MH-47G Chinook after it landed on HMAS Adelaide during Exercise Balance Action. Photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Emma Schwenke.
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