RAN officer to command coalition naval forces

I am proud to announce that a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) officer has been selected as the next commander of coalition naval forces in the Northern Persian Gulf.

Commodore Peter Lockwood, supported by a staff of 21 specialist RAN personnel, will command Task Force 158 (TF158) - a coalition naval force of around 10 warships and up to 2000 personnel. Included in this force is the Australian ANZAC class frigate, HMAS Ballarat, which has been on station in the Gulf since March 2006.

Commodore Lockwood and his staff will command all Coalition maritime operations in the northern part of the Persian Gulf.  He will exercise command from a United States Navy warship and will be responsible to the Coalition Forces Maritime Component Commander.  This appointment reflects the high level of respect held by the US Navy for the RAN, and the close relationship our two navies share.

The Northern Persian Gulf is a very complex operating environment. The task ahead for Commodore Lockwood and his team is demanding, but he is an outstanding naval officer, and I’m sure he and his well trained command team will continue to represent Australia in a manner that will make us proud.

Australians should not underestimate the exceptional work of our armed forces in the Middle East, and this is another example of the ADF’s capacity to make specialist contributions to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraq. 

A secure and stable environment in the Gulf will encourage commercial maritime trade and prevent the smuggling of goods through the Persian Gulf, strongly contributing to Iraq’s economic development.  Notably, the two offshore oil terminals export most of Iraq’s oil. 

Commodore Lockwood is scheduled to take up his appointment today and will handover to another coalition commander in November this year.

There are currently around 1700 personnel deployed to the Middle East area of operations.

Media note:

Associated images are available from: http://www.defence.gov.au/media/download/

For a free subscription to Defence Direct, the Minister for Defence's monthly e-newsletter, please follow this link: <http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/defencedirect/spt/subscribe.html>