Ships from Japan, South Korea, and the US, have docked at Garden Island Naval Base in Sydney, Australia, for a contactless, COVID-safe port visit, ahead of the Pacific Vanguard quadrilateral exercise.

Accompanied by HMAS Brisbane, Japanese ship Makinami, Republic of Korea ship Wang Geon, and US navy destroyer USS Rafael Peralta entered Sydney Heads.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Personnel from the three foreign ships will be able to have access to a controlled quarantine area but will have not have an interaction with Australian personnel.

Deputy Commander of Australian Fleet Commodore Jonathan Earley said: “We are pleased to welcome our friends from partner nations for a contactless, Covid-safe visit to Sydney.

“However, the need to abide by NSW restrictions means the crews will only experience Sydney from their ships.”

Personnel from these ships will be able to step ashore only for resupply of their vessels from the quarantine zone on the wharf or for essential medical requirements, in line with the guidelines laid out by the New South Wales (NSW) government.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Commodore Jonathan Earley added: “It is important that we continue to take advantage of multinational training opportunities during the pandemic, so we can work together as a combined force to protect our region in an increasingly complex strategic environment.”

Exercise Pacific Vanguard, which takes place in Australian waters this week, will boost the interoperability of the navies and hone their warfighting skills.

Following the conclusion of the exercise, the three foreign ships will return to Garden Island from 10 to 13 July for another contactless, Covid-safe port visit.

Naval Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Naval Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Virtualitics has secured the Innovation and Business Expansion awards for its Integrated Readiness Optimization (IRO) suite. Discover how its explainable AI is transforming maintenance, sustainment and mission readiness, giving defence leaders faster, clearer, and more confident operational decisions.

Discover the Impact