HMAS Sydney took part in the ‘RIMPAC Rodeo’, an international naval gunfire support serial during the sea phase of Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Fourteen ships from 11 nations lined up to demonstrate their marksmanship skills and compete for the most accurate gun.
Poised with his finger on the trigger for Sydney’s five-inch gun, inside the Combat Information Centre, was gun weapon system operator Able Seaman Julian Rogers.
“We had a 15-round provide order. Five rounds for a PAC [pre-action calibration] firing in order to warm up the gun barrel – it’s a pre-firing routine to make sure we have all of our ballistic data correct and can fire accurately,” Able Seaman Rogers said.
“After the warmup we proceeded into our spot where we shot one round, got feedback and made corrections to our profile as required, followed by another round until we’ve shot five correctional rounds.
“The third phase is the graded mission. We think it went really well. We had only one correction in the spotting mission and the rest were on target. The results will be announced at the RIMPAC closing ceremony.”
Able Seaman Rogers, 23, from Gunnedah, NSW, said the live-fire exercise was an exhilarating experience.
‘The vibration of the gun firing shakes the whole room.’
“You do heaps of simulated training and you never hear the bang in all the training. But each time I shoot for real it’s always a thrill,” he said.
“The vibration of the gun firing shakes the whole room.”
Gun captain Petty Officer Lachlann Taylor, who was stationed inside Mount 51 below decks, said it was always enjoyable to test the capabilities of sailors and equipment.
“Today showed that both our people and our equipment are of the highest standards,” Petty Officer Taylor said.
Commanding Officer Sydney Commander Hayden Jenkins said RIMPAC provided opportunities for Sydney’s crew to test their skills against international counterparts and improve readiness for a wide range of potential operations.
