John Currin
15 years in Royal New Zealand Navy
USS America (LHA-6), is an amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy and the lead ship of the America-class amphibious assault ship. The fourth U.S. warship to be named for the United States of America, she was delivered in spring of 2014, replacing Peleliu of the Tarawa class.
Her mission is to act as the flagship of an expeditionary strike group or amphibious ready group, carrying part of a Marine expeditionary unit into battle and putting them ashore with helicopters and V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, supported by F-35B Lightning II aircraft and helicopter gunships.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_America_(LHA-6)
USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: April 22, 2024
U.S. NAVAL INSTITUTE STAFF – APRIL 22, 2024 12:40 PM
These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of April 22, 2024, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.
Ships Underway
| Total Battle Force | Deployed | Underway |
| 294 (USS 234, USNS 60) | 93 (USS 63, USNS 30) | 53 (33 Deployed, 20 Local) |
In Japan
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is in port Yokosuka. The carrier is set to depart for a repair availability in Washington state later this year. USS George Washington (CVN-73) will replace Reagan in Japan. USS America (LHA-6) is in port in Sasebo.
In the South China Sea
Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is underway in the South China Sea.
The carrier has been using older C-2A Greyhounds as a temporary carrier-onboard delivery vehicle while the CMV-22B fleet was grounded following the November crash of an Air Force MV-22B Osprey off the coast of Japan.
Earlier this month, Naval Air Systems Command lifted the grounding of the Ospreys and the Navy has started re-certifying crews and aircraft for the logistics operations.
Carrier Strike Group 9
Carrier
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), homeported at San Diego, Calif.
Carrier Air Wing 11
- The “Fist of the Fleet” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 25 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.
- The “Black Knights” of VFA 154 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Lemoore.
- The “Blue Blasters” of VFA 34 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
- The “Flying Checkmates” of VFA 211 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
- The “Rooks” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 137 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
- The “Liberty Bells” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 115 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif.
- The “Providers” of Fleet Logistics Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Station, Norfolk, Va.
- The “Wolf Pack” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.
- The “Eightballers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8 – MH-60S – from Naval Air Station North Island.
Cruiser
USS Lake Erie (CG-70), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
Destroyer Squadron 23
Destroyer Squadron 23 is based in San Diego and is embarked on Theodore Roosevelt.
- USS John S. McCain (DDG-56), homeported at Naval Station Everett, Wash.
- USS Halsey (DDG-97), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
- USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
In the Red Sea
U.S. ships continue to patrol the Red Sea as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, the U.S.-led multinational effort to protect ships moving through the region. Houthi forces in Yemen continue to attack merchant shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, while U.S. naval forces in the region have continued strikes against Houthi weapons that U.S. Central Command says are a threat to naval and merchant ships. Houthi forces say they are targeting ships with connections to the United Kingdom, the U.S. and Israel.
As of Monday, the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group was operating in the Red Sea.
Ike deployed on Oct. 14, while several of the carrier’s escorts left on Oct. 13. The carrier transited the Strait of Gibraltar on Oct. 28 and transited the Suez Canal on Nov. 4. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin extended the ship’s deployment late last month, a defense official confirmed to USNI news.
The U.N. Security Council on Jan. 10 approved a resolution calling on Yemen’s Houthi rebel group to “cease its brazen” attacks in the Red Sea.
Carrier Strike Group 2
Carrier
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), homeported at Norfolk, Va.
Carrier Air Wing 3
- The “Gunslingers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
- The “Fighting Swordsmen” of VFA 32 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
- The “Rampagers” of VFA 83 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
- The “Wildcats” of VFA 131 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
- The “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
- The “Screwtops” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 123 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
- The “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Air Station Norfolk.
- The “Swamp Foxes” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
- The “Dusty Dogs” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7 – MH-60S – from Naval Station Norfolk.
Cruiser
USS Philippine Sea (CG-58), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
Destroyer Squadron 22
Destroyer Squadron 22 is based in Norfolk, Va., and is embarked on Eisenhower.
- USS Gravely (DDG-107), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
- USS Mason (DDG-87), homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.
On Tuesday, CENTCOM “forces successfully engaged two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas in Yemen,” according to a news release from the combatant command.
In the Persian Gulf
U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters are forward-deployed to the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships with U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East. Initially deployed in 2003 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, PATFORSWA is now a permanent presence based out of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
In the Eastern Pacific
The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD-4) returned to San Diego, Calif., delaying its deployment after suffering a casualty, USNI News reported. The two San Diego dry docks large enough to accommodate a big deck amphibious warship are currently occupied, complicating the repairs of Boxer.
Naval Sea Systems Command told USNI News on Monday that it has not yet made a decision on the way forward.
“Boxer is currently pier side at Naval Station San Diego. As inspections and assessments are continuing, a decision on the most efficient way to execute repairs is still being determined,” reads the statement.
In the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic
The ships carrying pieces to build a humanitarian aid pier in Gaza are now mostly in the Mediterranean Sea.
Four U.S. Army watercraft, a Military Sealift Command transport and a Maritime Administration ready reserve transport ship are all now in port or operating near the island of Crete in the Eastern Mediterranean.
As of Monday, USAV General Frank S. Benson (LSV-1), USAV SP4 James A. Loux (LSV-6), USAV Montorrey (LCU-2030), USAV Matamoros (LCU-2026) were operating near Crete, along with Military Sealift Command ships USNS 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez (T-AK-3010) and MARAD ship MV Roy P. Benavidez (TAKR-306). USAV Wilson Wharf (LCU-2011) was in the Eastern Atlantic off the coast of North Africa, not yet in the Mediterranean Sea.
Lopez and USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo (TAK-3008) were transporting parts of Naval Beach Group One’s similar floating pier system to operate in tandem with the Army’s system.
2nd Lt. John P. Bobo returned to Jacksonville, Fla., after experiencing a fire in its engine room, the Navy said Wednesday. The crew extinguished the fire and no injuries were reported. The fire is under investigation, according to the statement. The Navy is now assessing how to get the gear aboard Bobo to the Eastern Mediterranean.
The general concept will have the Army build a pier that it will anchor to the shore in Gaza, with no U.S. personnel setting foot on land. The Navy will build a transfer point two to three miles offshore where cargo – likely originating in Cyprus – will be transferred to the Army watercraft to be taken to the pier.
Based on the initial timelines, the pier could be completed by mid-May.
In the Western Atlantic
The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) is operating off the East Coast.
The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) is underway conducting basic training.
In addition to these major formations, not shown are others serving in submarines, individual surface ships, aircraft squadrons, SEALs, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, Seabees, EOD Mobile Units and more serving throughout the globe.
A Fallen Bomber Faced Disaster on the Ground—Until a Boneyard Miracle Rescue
When a B1-B Lancer’s engine failed, an unexpected savior rose from the desert.
BY KYLE MIZOKAMIPUBLISHED: APR 22, 2024 7:30 AM EST
SAVE ARTICLE
U.S. Air Force
- The Air Force is recalling a bomber sent to a desert retirement back to active duty.
- “Lancelot” enjoyed a brief vacation in Arizona before a vacancy in the fleet needed filling.
- The bomber is currently undergoing preparations to return her to the 45-strong B-1B force.
The U.S. Air Force is bringing a bomber back from the dead—or, rather, from the Boneyard. The B-1B bomber #85-0081, also known as “Lancelot,” is undergoing a refurbishment designed to ready the big, swing-wing bomber for active duty, replacing another bomber lost in a fire. The process illustrates how “The Boneyard” is not always a final resting place for America’s warbirds and how planes might be ‘reanimated’ to make up for combat losses.
Bomber Down
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B-1B engine fire on grand at Dyess AFB
In 2022, Dyess Air Force Base mechanics were running the engines of B-1B Lancer bomber while fixing its hydraulics. A crack in an engine disc resulted in the #1 engine catastrophically disassembling, severing fuel lines in the process. The fuel caught fire and the engine was destroyed in a fireball, with parts landing up to five hundred feet away from the parked aircraft. No injuries were reported. The event was captured on video and the bomber was written off as a total loss.
The Boneyard
U.S. Air Force
In 2020 an older B-1B Lancer bomber was donated to Wichita State University from the Boneyard to create a “digital twin”, precisely measuring all the parts that make up the bomber for research and ongoing maintenance purposes.
In 2021, the Air Force retired 17 B-1B bombers from the active force. The B-1B bomber force—stripped of its ability to carry nuclear weapons under the New START arms control treaty with Russia—was often used in Iraq and Afghanistan as a close air support aircraft. Its combination of high speed, long range, and ability to drop precision-guided bombs proved a major asset for troops on the ground. As a result, the B-1B fleet had one of the lowest readiness rates of all aircraft types, due its age (the bombers first entered service in 1986) and years of hard use.
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The Air Force plans to retire all B-1B bombers by the early 2030s, replacing them with the new B-21 Raider bomber. The readiness problem, however, was so bad that the Air Force decided to retire some bombers early to save the rest. The service cut 17 of the bombers from a fleet of 62, flying them to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI//Getty Images
Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group employees remove a part from a B-1 Lancer bomber stored in the boneyard on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base May 2015.
Davis-Monthan is the home of the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, otherwise known as AMARG, or The Boneyard. The Boneyard is the home of thousands of aging Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps aircraft retired from flying status. The high desert temperatures and low humidity prevent corrosion and rust, preserving the planes.
In most cases, the planes are stored—awaiting some emergency that might recall them to active duty—and are eventually cut into scrap. Other planes, including B-52G bombers, are cut into pieces and then preserved to allow Russian satellites to verify that they have been permanently retired from the nuclear force. Still other planes are slowly cannibalized for spare parts to keep other planes going. That was the expectation for the retired B-1B planes.
Knight Resurrected
Wikimedia Commons
“Lancelot”, photgraphed in 2000.
B-1B serial number #85-0081 was one of the 17 bombers retired in 2021. The plane had been photographed by aviation enthusiasts for years—visiting Edwards Air Force Base, Misawa Air Base in Japan, Abbotsford Airport in Canada, and other locations. In 2004, the aircraft suffered a collapse of its nose gear after landing at the U.S. airbase on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The plane, call sign SABRE 01, is well known enough among plane spotters that you can buy a reproduction of the nose art online.
Four of the seventeen retired B-1Bs were kept in flyable condition, in case there was a need to bring them back. And as it turns out, that happened sooner than anyone expected. Air Force officials immediately began plotting to bring one of the bombers back, and Lancelot was selected to replace the bomber lost in the 2022 fire.
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Lancelot was first flown to Tinker Air Force Base, where it underwent programmed depot maintenance at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex. According to Arnold Air Force Base, the bomber will also receive upgrades that it missed during its brief retirement to bring it up to par with the rest of the active fleet. Pilots from the 10th Flight Test Squadron flew the aircraft from the Boneyard to Tinker, and then flew test sorties with the rejuvenated plane before handing it over to the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base.
A Lesson for Future War
Richard Baker//Getty Images
Dozens of F-16 fighters, shrinkwrapped in protective plastic, await the call to be turned into silverware…or fly again. Some F-16s are converted into QF-16 drones.
America’s aging warplane fleet means that, often, there are models of aircraft sitting in the Boneyard while the same models are on active duty. While this is obviously not as good as having the latest planes, there is a major, hidden advantage.
In the event of a major war, it is inevitable that the armed services will take aircraft losses. It would take only five lost B-1B bombers to reduce the fighting force by ten percent. Bringing back planes from the Boneyard and refurbishing them to modern standards takes less time than building new ones. The process can also count on decades of institutional knowledge about the airframe. In its press release, the Air Force mentioned one civilian analyst who helped with the resurrection—he had been part of the B-1 program for 30 years.
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BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI//Getty Images
Rockwell B-1 Lancer bombers are seen in a boneyard at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base May 13, 2015 in Tucson, Arizona.
In some ways, the Boneyard is not a retirement community for airplanes—it’s a bank and insurance policy rolled into one. The Air Force, Navy, and Marines deposit less useful planes (that are often expensive to operate) and wait. The aircraft sit silently in the desert, among the horned toads, rattlesnakes, and scorpions, until someone decides that they are worth more as scrap than they are as warplanes. Most never leave the Boneyard under their own power. But a few, like Lancelot, turn on their engines and roll down the runway to serve once again.
Kyle Mizokami is a writer on defense and security issues and has been at Popular Mechanics since 2015. If it involves explosions or projectiles, he’s generally in favor of it. Kyle’s articles have appeared at The Daily Beast, U.S. Naval Institute News, The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, Combat Aircraft Monthly, VICE News, and others. He lives in San Francisco.
Royal New Zealand Navy
STORY
The Inshore Patrol Vessel is one of the busiest ships in the fleet, travelling from port to port as junior officers work to pass their three-week sea phase of the Officer of the Watch (Basic) course, commonly known as ‘Bravos’. This is the foundation course for warfare officers, teaching the fundamentals of navigation and bridge routines.
Midshipmen Samuel King, Jaamin Fuller, Leighton Turner and Sub Lieutenant Lian van Etten are ‘Bravo’ officers near the end of their sea time. While all agree that ship’s watches and pilotage can be intense and stressful, nothing beats the feeling when your hard work pays off.
“The course takes from pretty much knowing nothing about navigation, to driving a ship around the Hauraki Gulf. Coming down the east coast, the navigator will plan a route for the ship, and the Officer of the Watch will follow that plan. Then coming to the Marlborough Sounds and Nelson, another steep curve. It’s a lot of work and pretty stressful navigation. But you come out the other side thinking: man, I did that.” ~ Midshipman Leighton Turner
Read more 
nzdf.mil.nz/bravos-course
From left, MID Samuel King, MID Jaamin Fuller, SLT Lian van Etten and MID Leighton Turner, on board HMNZS Taupo in Wellington.
#NZNavy #Force4NZ
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Gisborne – Anzac Day TV coverage from C Company Memorial House
Apr 24 2024Updated 3 hours ago – Matai O’Connor, Kaupapa Māori Reporter
The C Company Māori Battalion Memorial House is set to broadcast coverage of Anzac Day this year to help share stories and history of those from Tairāwhiti who went to war.
Dr Monty Soutar said the C Company Māori Battalion Memorial House was approached by Whakaata Māori (Māori Television) a couple of years ago and was planning to broadcast for Anzac Day last year, but because of the region still reeling from the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle, it was decided to postpone to this year.
Veteran broadcaster Julian Wilcox (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa) will be joined in Gisborne by military historian Dr Monty Soutar (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou), who throughout the broadcast will comment on what is happening and why certain things are done during a dawn ceremony.
“It’s a huge honour for the C Company Memorial House to be the setting for it as it’s run by a voluntary trust and all income for it comes from koha, so to have this opportunity to promote what we do is great,” Dr Soutar said.
Throughout the morning broadcast there will be features about different kaupapa related to the region and Anzac history.
There will be a tour through the Memorial House, a closer look at Sir Apirana Ngata and the background to his work The Price of Citizenship, and a visit to St Mary’s Memorial Church in Tikitiki, which celebrates 100 years since laying its foundation stone.
Coverage will also feature a piece on Toti Tuhaka (Ngāti Porou), who served with the Royal New Zealand Navy in Korea, and the exploits of Lieutenant Te Rauwhiro Tibble (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-a-Apanui), of Tikitiki, who won the Military Cross for bravery in Italy.
Tokomaru Bay kapa haka group, Te Hokowhitu-a-Tū will perform waiata associated with the 28 Maori Battalion and the stories behind these will be shared.
The broadcast will cross over to the Auckland dawn ceremony as well as the Gisborne dawn ceremony at the Cenotaph.
Anzac Day is about not forgetting the sacrifices made in the past by those who served, Dr Soutar said.
“It’s quite special this year as Māori TV have chosen a quote that is on C Company house from Sir Apirana Ngata, who said at the beginning of World War 2: ‘We are of one house and if our Pākehā brothers fall, we fall with them’.
“It’s almost ironic, with what is going on with the Māori language and the moves by the current Government to do different things that impact on Māori, that we should not forget what he said.
“I guess we really need our Pākehā brothers to stand alongside Māori today in the continued battle for equality.”
NZDF teams up with Warriors Anzac Day League fixture
A full-capacity Go Media Stadium is set to host the largest contingent of New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel commemorating Anzac Day anywhere in the world.
23 APRIL, 2024
The NZDF and One New Zealand Warriors have combined forces on an unprecedented scale for the Warriors’ 2024 Anzac Day encounter with the Gold Coast Titans on Thursday.
Rugby league fans will be treated to ceremonial pomp and pageantry, the sight of military hardware on the ground and in the air, and an appearance from some canine personnel.
This is only the second time the New Zealand side has hosted the Anzac Day fixture, nine years on from the first occasion which marked the 100 year anniversary of the start of the Gallipoli campaign in 2015.
“It’s a special honour for us to host the Anzac Day game again,” said One New Zealand Warriors CEO Cameron George.
“From our viewpoint, it’s appropriate that the NRL should commemorate such an important day for our two nations.”
The association between Anzac Day and New Zealand and Australia’s major sporting codes runs deep, and in particular for the One New Zealand Warriors.
“We’re extremely grateful to the New Zealand Defence Force for lending such valuable support to ensure we are able to mark the day in a dignified and respectful way,” Cameron George said.
From having the New Zealand Army Band leading proceedings on the field, with vocalists, a bugler, and a Royal New Zealand Navy guard of honour taking on the ceremonial duties, more than 150 serving personnel will be front and centre on one of the country’s largest sporting stages in front of a sold out crowd.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force A109 helicopter will deliver the match ball in spectacular fashion, touching down on the halfway line before the match.
The Australian Defence Force will also be represented with a flagbearer on the field.
“The commemoration of Anzac Day is one of the most important national occasions on both sides of the Tasman,” said Lieutenant Colonel Tony Sumner, Director of Defence Public Affairs.
“While Anzac had its origins on the beaches and hills of the Gallipoli Peninsula over a century ago, this day continues to symbolise the very close bonds we have with our Australian friends.
“To be able to commemorate those who have served, fought and fallen on such a large sporting stage is a particular honour.”
Some of the NZDF’s frontline capabilities will be on display at Go Media Stadium, with Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) and the Army’s new armoured Bushmasters available for fans to look through, and meet the soldiers who operate them.
Supporters will also get the chance to see the NZDF’s military working dogs showcase their incredible skills during a halftime display.
The One New Zealand Warriors will also wear a special commemorative jersey to mark the occasion, made up of several key design elements honouring the servicemen and servicewomen who have fought for New Zealand and Australia.
Fans are encouraged to turn up to Go Media Stadium early on Thursday for a special Anzac-themed curtain-raiser, when the NZDF’s women’s rugby league team takes on their New Zealand Police counterpart.
Across the Tasman, the NZDF men’s team will also warm up the crowd at Accor Stadium in Sydney, by taking on the Australian Defence Force’s rugby league team in a hotly contested fixture, before the annual Anzac Day clash between the Sydney Roosters and the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Navy Bandsman explores Gallipoli history through musical predecessor
Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) Band member Petty Officer Fraser Robertson has returned to Gallipoli to play his part at Anzac Day commemorations for a third time.
23 APRIL, 2024
A tuba player from Te Awamutu, Petty Officer Roberston played at the commemorations in Türkiye in 2014 and 2017 and was chosen again for this year’s event.
During the pre-deployment briefing, New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) contingent historian Dr Andrew Macdonald noted there were plenty of serving brass-band musicians who landed at Gallipoli in 1915.
Sometimes they were members of regimental bands, but other times they were serving as soldiers in the front lines according to Dr Macdonald, a specialist military historian who holds an honorary captaincy with the RNZN.
“That kind of resonated for me after being to Gallipoli twice,” Petty Officer Robertson said.
While he was aware musicians had waded ashore at Anzac Cove he said he hadn’t know that some instruments had also been carried onto the peninsula.
Other research by author and editor Chris Bourke showed that while band music was almost absent from the historical record of Gallipoli, it was nonetheless heard by New Zealand troops serving there.
His research showed enough bandsmen landed on Gallipoli to form four bands.
In particular, Petty Officer Robertson was interested in the life of Private William Griffiths, who also played the tuba.
Private Griffiths was a stretcher bearer in the Auckland Battalion. During the August offensive to open the approach to Chunuk Bair, he suffered a gunshot wound to the head and later died at a hospital in Egypt.
Private Griffiths was born and raised in Timaru, but was based in Auckland at the time of his enlistment into the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. For many years this young man – known to family and friends as Sandy – was a bandsman in the Auckland City Corps of the Salvation Army.
“It’s quite intriguing,” Petty Officer Robertson said.
“Brass bands have played a significant part in my family and life. I am a third-generation member of the Te Awamutu Brass Band, and my family is still heavily involved with the local band.”
Most of the 40-strong NZDF contingent arrived in Türkiye about a week before the 25 April anniversary to acclimatise and rehearse before the ceremonies.
Battlefield tours were part of the programme so the members could learn more about their predecessors and the battles that were fiercely fought at Gallipoli, and where, in some places, both sides’ trenches were as little as five metres apart.
“The landscape still amazes me. You see how far away the Turkish soldiers would have been from the New Zealanders to the point where they could have easily had a conversation,” Petty Officer Roberston said.
As well as conversations, Turkish soldiers would have heard music being played by the New Zealand troops – an aspect of the campaign which is not well known.
According to New Zealand music website Audioculture, while musicians and music were not common during the campaign, they did feature.
Small musical gatherings were sometimes held relatively close to the Turkish lines.
For safety reasons, the Canterbury Battalion’s musicians played their first concert in the dark in Canterbury Gully – also known as Rest Gully. The following evening, the Turks brought their own band to the trenches. Both events were eventually drowned out by rifle and artillery fire.
The commander of the Wellington Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel William Malone, also documented that musical gatherings took place. He wrote that the musicians – whom he thought would not perform well in war – had proved their bravery as stretcher bearers.
During the NZDF contingent’s recent battlefield tour, Dr Macdonald outlined the importance of song at Gallipoli, explaining how veterans he had interviewed talked about occasional sing-alongs among small groups of soldiers when away from the front line at places such as Rest Gully, the Maori Pah and Plugge’s Plateau, among others.
“Based on what these elderly men – men who had served at these places inside the Anzac perimeter – told me, song was a form of distraction from what they had been through, as well as a form of camaraderie. It was also a means of relaxation.”
As Turkish ship heads to Japan, industry eyes Eastern exports
ISTANBUL — A Turkish military vessel set sail April 8 for a nearly five-month deployment to Japan and other nearby countries.
The navy deployed its Ada-class corvette TCG Kinaliada to both celebrate the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Japan, as well as commemorate the 134th anniversary of the sinking of the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul during a typhoon following its visit to Japan.
But there’s a deeper message behind the ship’s eastward trip, experts told Defense News, one that could see Turkey’s defense industry gain a greater foothold in Asia.
The Asia Anew Initiative, which Turkey launched in 2019, essentially drives the country’s relationships with others in the region, according to Diren Doğan, a lecturer at Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University in Turkey.
“With this initiative, Turkey defines itself not as a ‘foreign country’ that noticed the rise of Asia and started to attach importance to the continent, but as a country with an Asian identity at every stage of history. And in addition to struggling with the challenges that the continent has brought throughout history, in parallel with the changing conjuncture, it also benefits from the advantages it has produced,” Doğan told Defense News.
Some of the nations Kinaliada is scheduled to visit are users of Turkish defense products. On its way to Japan, the ship and its crew have already stopped in Saudi Arabia and Djibouti, with plans to also visit Somalia, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China and South Korea.
As it returns home, the vessel is to stop in the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Djibouti and Jordan.
Such port visits by military ships are used to improve diplomatic and geopolitical relations. An exhibition of Turkish defense wares, involving company representatives, took place during the crew’s stop in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah, according to the Turkish Defense Ministry.
Doğan noted that despite displays of military equipment, the Asia Anew Initiative does not call for Turkey to choose a side “as great power competition escalates.” And that in itself makes Turkey’s weaponry attractive, she added.
“This initiative is considered a comfortable area because it puts mutual benefit above the countries’ personal ambitions, and avoids touching their political sensitivities. This created comfort zone increases preferability, even in a sensitive sector such as the defense industry,” Doğan said.
According to statistics shared by the Defence and Aerospace Industry Exporters’ Association, one of Turkey’s industry umbrella organizations, the nation’s total exports in 2023 were worth $255.8 billion, of which $5.5 billion came from the defense and aerospace sector.
None of the countries that TCG Kinaliada is visiting during its deployment are mentioned in the association’s top 10 list of export customers. But sales to Asian nations — with the exception of those in the Commonwealth of Independent States — made up 16% of Turkey’s defense and aerospace exports, or nearly $1 billion.
“As the Southeast Asian countries move away from their former suppliers, such as Russia and China, and seek to modernize their militaries, they will look for cost-effective suppliers that would not hinder their autonomy. Turkish companies, especially in uncrewed systems, could have significant advantages in the region,” said Çağlar Kurç, an assistant professor at Abdullah Gül University in Turkey, who has written about the local defense industry’s international ambitions.
“Turkish companies have an advantage in price and capacity when selling to Asian countries,” he told Defense News. “Turkish arms are high quality and cheap, compared to U.S. systems. Turkey does not use its arms trade relations as leverage; thus, it is a dependable and credible supplier.”
Turkish defense contractor FNSS has been active in Indonesia and Malaysia since early 2000. For the former, it developed a prototype medium tank that the firm eventually evolved into the Kaplan MT, jointly produced by Indonesian company PT Pindad. In Malaysia, FNSS has provided the ACV-300 Adnan armored infantry fighting vehicle.
Naval engineering specialist STM, also a Turkish defense company, signed a contract in 2013 to build a support tanker for Pakistan’s naval force. Delivery took place in 2018, the same year Turkey’s ASFAT inked a deal to manufacture a modified Milgem-class corvette for the same nation.
In 2021, Turkey sold six T129 Atak combat helicopters to the Philippines for $629 million.
And this year, the Maldives announced it chose the TB2 combat drone from Bayraktar to patrol the island nation’s exclusive economic zone. The unmanned aerial system gained prominence from its use by Ukraine in the war against Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.
Indonesia announced in January plans to buy 45 Atmaca anti-ship missiles from Turkey. The TCG Kinaliada is armed with the weapon, which means defense officials in the host countries may have an opportunity to see the missile in person.
And in March, Malaysia unveiled plans to acquire Ada-class corvettes for its Littoral Mission Ship Batch 2 program. For its part, the TCG Kinaliada is the fourth ship of the Ada class — the first type of combat naval platform designed and constructed in Turkey.
But if Turkey wants to gain a greater Eastern foothold, Kurç said, it should consider engaging with South Korea, which has emerged as a leader in regional defense exports.
Still, it’s very much a balancing act for the potential customers, Doğan noted.
“While the countries in the region are economically fed by China, they are trying to fend off the security-oriented challenges brought by Chinese aggression with the security umbrella of the USA,” she said. While implementing all these strategies, they must try not to get too close to the USA and infuriate the dragon [China], while they also have to be careful not to get too carried away by the added value that China brings to their economy and go out of the protective atmosphere of the USA.”
“Turkey stands out as a preferred middle ground for countries to diversify their hands in this harrowing process,” she added.
About Cem Devrim Yaylali
Cem Devrim Yaylali is a Turkey correspondent for Defense News. He is a keen photographer of military ships and has a passion for writing about naval and defense issues. He was born in Paris, France, and resides in Istanbul, Turkey. He is married with one son.