The HMAS Toowoomba frigate, numbered 156, was led to the Saigon Port at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
This was the second time that the frigate visited HCMC, the first one being in 2018 along with the HMAS Anza and the HMAS Success.
A representative of the Australian Embassy in Vietnam said the HMAS Toowoomba's visit would happen from October 12 to 17, with several exchange activities between soldiers of the two countries, including exchanges on emergencies, search and rescue.
Sailors line up on the HMAS Toowoomba as the vessel approached the port. There are 191 sailors, soldiers and specialists within the frigate's ranks.
The vessel's visit occurred as Vietnam and Australia commemorated their 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.
The activity is part of the IPE23 program framework by the Australian government, with the aim of bolstering cooperation between Australia and other nations in the region to ensure peace, prosperity and security.
Personnel at the Saigon Port worked with a tether of the frigate.
The HMAS Toowoomba is one among eight Anzac-class frigates of the Australian Navy. It was laid down in 2003 and commissioned in 2005.
The vessel spans 118 m and has an operation range of around 6,000 nautical miles and travels at a speed of 18 knots (about 33 kph). The maximum speed of the vessel during ideal sea and weather conditions is 27 knots (over 50 kph).
The main weapon of the frigate is the 127 mm Mark 45 gun. It is also equipped with Mark 46 torpedoes and the Mark 41 vertical launch system, among others.
The vessel has a landing pad and a chamber to store helicopters.
Harpoon missile launcher systems are placed in the front.
The frigate has completed a maintenance and upgrade session in April 2022. The maintenance period lasted 18 months in Australia.
Tony McCormack (5th L), commander of the IPE23 program, shakes hands with Nguyen Viet Anh, deputy chief of staff of the Navy Area 2, at the welcoming ceremony for the HMAS Toowoomba.
McCormack (C) stresses that military cooperation activities between Vietnam and Australia have important meaning in the bolstering of bilateral relations.
He hoped the visit would heighten the relations between the two countries' naval and military forces.
Navigators of the Vietnam Border Guard and specialists at the Saigon Port leave the frigate.
Darin MacDonald, commander of the HMAS Toowoomba, said the navigators and specialists got on board at around 5 a.m. to help sailors move on the Saigon River before reaching the port.
MacDonald said the navigators knew the river's patterns well and have provided clear instructions for the frigate to reach the port safely.
Several Australian sailors got on deck to observe the Bach Dang Port after the welcoming ceremony ended. MacDonald said it was the first visit to Vietnam for most of the sailors on board.
McCormack said the Australian navy would maintain frequent activities over the Indo-Pacific region, and hoped that Australia would have more visits to Vietnamese ports.
As part of IPE23, besides Vietnam, Australia also has cooperation activities with other countries in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, such as Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia and India.
