ADF Participates in Pacific Multination Exercise

ADF Participates in Pacific Multination Exercise

More than 450 personnel from the Australian Defence Force will be participating in Exercise CROIX DU SUD 2010, a French-led six nation multinational humanitarian assistance disaster relief exercise in Noumea during the period 8-23 April 2010.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) will be providing the Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Manoora and a contingent of Australian Army personnel from the Townsville-based 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR). Additionally, the ADF will provide personnel to augment the Combined Joint Task Force Head Quarters in Noumea.

Chief of Joint Operations Command, Lieutenant General Mark Evans, said that the opportunity to work alongside personnel from France, New Zealand, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief was important given recent experience responding to disasters.

“The aim of this biennial exercise is to enhance interoperability between participating nations with a focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as well as evacuation operations involving civilians,” LTGEN Evans said.

“Defence personnel have the opportunity to improve their skills in a challenging environment, preparing them for real-life situations such as those experienced in the earthquake-ravaged Haiti in January this year,as well as the earthquake in Padang, Indonesia and the tsunami in Samoa, of last year.”

The exercise will be conducted under the French-led Command of Brigadier Olivier Tramond, Commander of the Armed Forces of New Caledonia.

Exercise CROIX DU SUD was first established in 2002 and is the largest exercise in which Australia participates with France in the Pacific region.

Following the conclusion of the exercise, personnel will remain in location to participate in ANZAC Day commemorations.

ENDS

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