Royal Australian Navy Armidale Class patrol boat, HMAS Bathurst sails past USS Emory S. Land as the United States Navy ship prepares to come alongside Kuru Wharf at HMAS Coonawarra, Darwin, NT. Credit: Defence
US Navy submarine tender, USS Emory S. Land, has arrived in Darwin for a port visit. It berthed at HMAS Coonawarra's new Kuru Wharf on 28 May. Darwin is the first port visit of Emory S. Land’s current deployment, which began on 17 May. Since January, the Emory S. Land has been home to more than 30 Royal Australian Navy (RAN) officers and sailors. The officers and sailors have spent five months on the tender, integrating with US sailors and building unique knowledge, skills and experience in how the US conducts nuclear-powered submarine maintenance. The personnel involved range in rank from seaman to lieutenant and include electrical technicians, marine technicians and boatswain’s mates.
A number of Australian personnel are currently travelling on the tender, deepening their experience of tender-based maintenance at sea.
During its stay in Australia, Emory S. Land is scheduled to perform maintenance on a US Navy submarine while both are alongside at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia. “More than 30 of our people have spent the last five months in Guam with our US Navy partners, learning the ropes of nuclear submarine tender maintenance," said Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond. "This unique program will contribute significantly to our Navy’s future, developing our people to have the skills to operate, maintain and steward conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines."
