Australian TV Series "Sea Patrol"
I just got through with the Aussie series "Sea Patrol" (available on Youtube, better resolution on IMDb). It was a lot of fun. Kinda like 50% military, 50% soap opera. Good cast and reasonable military behavior. Looks like an interesting, and challenging job. Once I was interested in attending the Coast Guard academy, but, being extremely afraid of heights, I don't like getting up on a step school, I would never be able to climb the rigging on the Coast Guard bark Eagle. So, I went into the Air Force, instead?
Things I took away from the show.
-Armidale-class patrol boats are awesome, armed with a remotely operated stabilized 25 mm Bushmaster autocannon and two mounted 50 cals , and with a top speed of nearly 30 mph, they are very formidable (I think they've been replaced now). Two water jet powered
rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB), (46 mph), independently mounted to allow quick launch, add to flexibility.
-It appears that every type of boat in Australian waters are either: Carrying contraband or smuggling refugees, gold, drugs, radioactive waste, biohazards, illegal tropical fish or coral, pirates, etc. etc.
- Long show, five seasons, stories can be a bit redundant.
- Crew is not too professional in that they allow rescued people on board without checking for weapons or confining to a safe part of the ship, all leading to predictability of problems.
-Initial shows, Aussie crew needed more target practice and man-to-man combat training. They got better in the later series.
-Female Aussie Naval personnel are "hot".
-Commanding Officer was half good half not
- Female Executive Officer, in addition to being quite attractive, played her part very well.
- Aussie Navy salute like Americans, palm down touching the brim or forehead , Army saluted like Brits, open hands against forehead. I think this is similar to Brits too.
-After the war GB tested Abombs off Australia
- Aussie Navy does Coast Guard duty, ala GB?
-Crew was armed with bullpup assault rifles. They are ingenious but not very manly, they look like toys. Crew tended to use bullpups when they should have been using the 50 cal, like when fending off an attacking speed boats, which I am sure was the reason
- In recovering people adrift in the water, they almost never put a rescuer in the water to help, but rather just pulled them up.