The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) landing helicopter dock (LHD) HMAS Adelaide departed Fleet Base East in Sydney to pre-position in Brisbane on Monday, January 17, ready to provide additional humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) support if requested by the Government of Tonga.
The ship's deployment is part of the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) effort in supporting the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) as it coordinates Australia's support for Tonga following the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai underwater volcano on Saturday, January 15.
Adelaide will sail to Tonga to deliver relief aid following the ADF's own aerial surveillance missions of the island nation to help determine the extent of the damage, particularly in more remote locations, and inform the Tongan government's future disaster support requests.
