100 Yrs Since Departure of Australian Expeditionary Force from Sydney
On 19 August 1914, an Australian expeditionary force sailed out of Sydney Harbour bound for German New Guinea. The departure was barely 15 days after Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Enlistment of the infantry based Army contingent was completed at Victoria Barracks, Paddington and further preparation and training occurred at the nearby Agricultural Showgrounds. The over 1,000 strong contingent of soldiers would later march down Oxford, College and Macquarie Streets to Fort Macquarie - the current site of the Sydney Opera House - to be ferried to Cockatoo Island. Six companies of Naval Reserve sailors from four states, each of about 50 men were concentrated separately.
DSTO, Lockheed Martin Form Research Collaboration
The Defense Science and Technology Organization (DSTO) and Lockheed Martin Australia have signed a new strategic alliance to collaborate on a range of technologies for strengthening defense and national security. The agreement was signed for DSTO by the Chief Defence Scientist Dr. Alex Zelinsky and for Lockheed Martin Australia by Chief Executive Raydon Gates. “This ten year agreement with Lockheed Martin Australia reaffirms DSTO’s commitment to enter into long term partnerships with industry for enhancing Australia’s current and future defense capability,” Dr. Zelinsky said.
Austal Hosts Keel Laying Ceremony For LCS
Following the official opening of the new ship construction facility last November, Austal USA today hosted a traditional US Navy keel-laying ceremony to signify the start of construction on the Navy’s new breed of surface combatant, the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Whilst the ceremonies have been updated to reflect modern ship construction techniques, Navy tradition dictates that each new ship for the service be honoured on four historic ceremonial occasions: keel-laying, christening (or launching), commissioning and decommissioning. The object of today’s ceremony is a component in the modular construction arrangement that will form part of a 127 metre aluminium trimaran capable of providing high speeds, multi-mission capability and superior aviation operations.
