Australian Navy Commander: Our naval forces are experiencing maximum growth since World War II
Australian Navy Commander Vice Admiral Michael Noonan spoke to 125 alumni of the Royal Australian Naval College in Jervis Bay. This is the school's first graduation since the September partnership agreement between the US, UK and Australia. Under this agreement, Australia will purchase 8 submarines from the United States.
As the admiral emphasized, speaking to the alumni, a new generation of officers joined the the fleet Australia at its most important moment. The country's naval forces, according to Noonan, are experiencing the greatest growth since the Second World War. The Australian Navy is becoming, as the admiral noted, more efficient and professional than ever.
There are 89 men and 36 women graduates of the college, including 2 mechanical engineers, 3 electrical engineers and 11 commanders for the submarine fleet. The graduation ceremony was already the second in a row this year, but there is a plan to double the number of cadets by 2023. In February 2022, college enrollment will increase to 225.
All newly minted naval officers marched in full dress in honor of their graduation from the naval college. Then on Thursday, college graduates gathered on the lawns of the school's ceremonial area. Here Vice Admiral Noonan spoke to them and said: "You have to serve on nuclear submarines."
Noonan also called on the newly minted officers to be flexible, to easily adapt to the changing conditions of service in the modern naval forces. Earlier in parliamentary hearings, Noonan stated that the Navy has 900 qualified submariners, but there are plans to increase their number to 2300. The overall growth of the personnel of the Australian Navy in just one year amounted to 1 people.
In 2014, fewer than 500 submariners were serving in the Australian Navy. But in seven years their number has doubled, and the command believes that the number of submarine personnel should be increased further.
One of the main tasks of the fleet is to train young personnel for service on nuclear submarines. Despite the fact that the first nuclear submarines of the Australian Navy will receive no earlier than 2035, the fleet should be ready for their appearance much earlier. Australia will work with the United States and the United Kingdom through the AUKUS partnership to help naval officers acquire skills in managing nuclear submarines.
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