HMAS Darwin’s boarding party team, embarked on the rigid hull inflatable boats, prepare to conduct a boarding of a suspicious vessel suspected of carrying illegal narcotics. *** Local Caption *** HMAS Darwin is currently deployed to the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO).

This is the 57th rotation of a Royal Australian Navy warship to the MEAO since the first Gulf War in 1990 and the 33rd deployment under Operation Slipper.

Operation Slipper is the Australian Defence Force Contribution to the international campaign against terrorism, counter smuggling and counter piracy in the Middle East maritime security environment, an area of over 2 million square miles, encompassing the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman.