HMAS Sydney joins the George Washington Battle Group

[Albany Rifles]

Not just an exercise join up but serving for several months as a fully integrated member of the CVBG.


Australian Warship Joins U.S. Carrier Strike Group in Pacific | TIME.com

[Officer of Engineers]

Oh come on, I know they want to get rid of Fosters but this is getting ridicules.

[Zinja]

I think this is a good thing. In the face of shrinking military budgets in the West, i think this is a sensible way of distributing the burden of maintaining western security.

[Officer of Engineers]

It's been that way for over 50 years. The RCN and the RN did the ASW while the USN provided the air cover. During the Iraq War, the Canadian Task Force was the screen against Iran (if they were that stupid) and Iraq while American carriers were launching air strikes.

[Zinja]

Col, the article says this is the second time in memory, would you know of any other time when a US strike group was deployed with a foreign contingent on a routine patrol other than exercises or times of conflict? Or better still, are you aware of any other country right now with is part of a US strike group in any of US strike groups deployed at the moment other the one mentioned in the article?

[Officer of Engineers]

The article actually said second time in RECENT memory. RN and RCN escourts were the norm back in the Cold War.