Naval recruits who challenged themselves to obtain a trade qualification have been awarded as much as $125,000 (US$85,900) each after a long-running legal dispute over the qualifications they were promised but did not obtain.  The final sums will be subject to negotiation, taking into account lost interest as well as income tax. New South Wales…

The Royal Australian Navy has started retiring its veteran Armidale patrol boats, with the HMAS Maitland decommissioned after 16 years of service. They’ll be replaced by a dozen much larger Arafura class offshore patrol vessels, which can remain at sea for longer periods and travel further, in the face of growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region….

The Royal Australian Navy is set to phase out its troubled fleet of European-made MRH-90 Taipan helicopters in favour of U.S.-made Sikorsky Seahawks. On Oct. 8, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) approved the sale of 12 Sikorsky MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters to replace the navy’s six Airbus-made MRM-90s for around $1.3 billion (US$985 million)….

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has apologised for editing footage of a naval ceremony that made it appear as if leading dignitaries watched a modern dance troupe perform. Prime Minister Scott Morrison criticised the ABC for misreporting the event, while the dance group has accused the public broadcaster of “deceptive editing” and filming the performance…

The seas around Australia will now be more secure after the Morrison government declared it would invest $1 billion into guided missile capabilities for the Royal Australian Navy. The move is part of the government’s $183 billion investment in creating a “lethal and highly responsive” navy. Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds said on Monday that…

More than 1,000 Australians are ready to join the naval workforce as shipbuilders after the Naval Shipbuilding College (NSC) reached a major milestone in preparing them for their careers. Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said the achievement demonstrated how the Morrison government has been working to deliver a generation of jobs in the sector….