HMAS Sheean arrived in Launceston for a maritime activities

HMAS Sheean is usually kept in Western Australia, but has made the venture to Tasmania to conduct activities with the locals and maritime exercises in Bass Strait.

HMAS Sheean Commanding Officer, Commander Tim Markusson explained that the submarine will be part of a series of exercises with military personnel from across the country.

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"Assets from the East Coast and the West are coming together in the Bass Strait, we're improving each other, we're allowing the aircraft and ships to train and interact with the submarines, searching for and detecting submarines," he said.

"We have some officers who are training for command and as part of that training they are tasked with using the platforms to find ships, to evade the aircraft and execute all our functions at sea."

The stop is one of four other planned stops around Tasmania which will include the crew of HMAS Sheean marching in Latrobe's ANZAC Day celebrations.

HMAS Sheean derives its name from Latrobe Edward 'Teddy' Sheean, who became the navy's first Victoria Cross winner last year when he posthumously received the military's highest honour.

Teddy Sheean was recognised for his efforts on December 1, 1942 where he swam back to his abandoned ship HMAS Armidale under heavy Japanese aircraft gun fire.

Teddy manned the gun as the ship continued to sink, managing to take down one bomber and distract the other aircraft away from his fellow crew members.

He is the only ordinary seaman to have a Royal Australian Navy vessel named in his honour.

Commander Markusson said it was special to be able to bring the submarine to Launceston given the significance of Teddy Sheean.

"I can't tell you how proud I am of this boat and the crew and the work they're doing," he said.

Commander Markusson said it was an honour for the crew to stop in Launceston.

"We're very lucky, it's rare you get an opportunity such as this to come to bring a submarine to Tasmania ... but to be able to come into ports such as Hobart, Devonport, Burnie and Launceston, the crew are very excited."

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