The Royal Australian Navy’s west coast oiler, HMAS Sirius, departed Fremantle on August 31 for its final operational deployment.

Living up to her motto of “Serve and Provide”, Sirius’s deployment to Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific will support various RAN exercises and deployments before the ship is scheduled to return home in December to be decommissioned.

HMAS Sirius was commissioned in September 2006 after being converted from the relatively new double-hulled commercial tanker MV Delos, and equipped with a helipad, military systems, and equipment to be able to provide underway replenishment.

HMAS Sirius will be replaced in service by NUSHIP Stalwart – the sister ship of the recently commissioned HMAS Supply. Stalwart arrived in Western Australia in June after completing builder’s trials in Spain, and is undergoing final modifications before acceptance trials and commissioning later this year.