Australia In Five Power Defence Exercise

Minister for Defence Media Mail List
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Thursday, 15 September 2005 154/2005

Australia In Five Power Defence Exercise

More than 1000 Australian Defence Force personnel will participate in Exercise Bersama Lima which starts today and will be held in and around the Peninsular of Malaysia, Singapore and the South China Sea.

The two-week exercise for the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) will be hosted by the Royal Malaysian Armed forces and involves Navy, Air Force and Army assets from Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.

Australia's participation includes seven Navy ships, a clearance diving team, up to nine F/A-18 Hornets, a 707 tanker aircraft, two AP-3C Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Air Force airspace surveillance and control elements and an Army RBS70 ground-based air defence troop.

Senator Hill said Exercise Bersama Lima is designed to train participants in the conduct of joint and combined operations in a multi-threat scenario and will also include a maritime interdiction scenario to meet the demands of non-conventional threats.

"The FPDA represents more than 30 years of cooperation with member nations and continues to show its relevance for the regional strategic environment with the inclusion of maritime interdiction scenarios in exercises such as Bersama Lima," Senator Hill said.

"The capacity to respond to non-conventional threats will make the FPDA more relevant to a security environment where threats include terrorism, breaches of exclusive economic zones, smuggling, piracy and illegal fishing.

"Exercise Bersama Lima will also provide ADF personnel with the opportunity to obtain key skills, work as a combined force and build relationships with exercise participants."

Exercise Bersama Lima is the second in the series of FPDA multilateral exercises this year with the first being Exercise Bersama Shield held in April.

ENDS

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