THE Royal Australian Navy survey ship HMAS Leeuwin has successfully concluded a five-week hydrographic survey deployment to Papua New Guinea, supporting safer navigation, strengthening maritime cooperation and enhancing defence ties between Australia and PNG.
Conducted from 13 July to 16 August 2026, the mission focused on surveying previously uncharted waters in Morobe Province. HMAS Leeuwin mapped coastal and offshore areas, conducted beach and littoral surveys, and collected tidal data to support the production of updated nautical charts.
The new charts will improve navigation safety for local communities, ferry operators, commercial shipping and visiting vessels, while supporting PNG’s maritime sovereignty and economic development.
Personnel from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force Maritime Element (PNGDF-ME) also participated in the deployment, gaining practical training and mentoring in hydrographic survey techniques while contributing valuable local knowledge to the operations.
Commander Danny Finn, Commanding Officer of HMAS Leeuwin, said the mission continued Australia’s long-standing support for PNG’s hydrographic capabilities.
“We’ve had a very long relationship with Papua New Guinea and about 50 years’ worth of history surveying Papua New Guinean waters, and it’s great to come back to help improve the charting quality here for the safety of PNG personnel and also for ships transiting through,” he said.
“Deployments like this deepen our partnerships with the PNG Defence Force and the local community.
“We have also been working with our Papua New Guinea Defence Force partners to upskill them in survey work, while our PNGDF partners help our crew gain local insights.”
Lieutenant Samuel Bayagau of the PNGDF-ME said the deployment reflected the close partnership between PNG and Australia.
“We are here as equal partners in sharing our knowledge and our environment,” he said. “Working with the Australians has been a worthwhile experience, strengthening ties that go back to World War II.”
“Working with HMAS Leeuwin has been a great experience and an honour to operate in our territorial seas. The relationship between PNG and Australia goes way back, but now we have created our first alliance with the Pukpuk Treaty, and this has strengthened our ties.”
Community engagements conducted during the deployment further strengthened people-to-people connections and reinforced the enduring partnership between PNG and Australia.
The successful mission highlights the importance of continued cooperation in maritime safety, defence capability and hydrographic knowledge, contributing to a secure, stable and prosperous Pacific region.