The 16th iteration of Australia’s largest biennial maritime warfare exercise, Exercise Kakadu, has come to a successful close at the port of Darwin, Northern Territory. Exercise Kakadu involved warships and personnel from over thirty nations contributing to planning, briefings, sporting and cultural events, to the full spectrum of maritime warfare from constabulary operations through to high end, anti-submarine and anti-air warfare. The harbour phase of the exercise featured a Regional Fleet Commanders’ conference, including presentations on humanitarian and disaster relief responses and discussions between star ranked officers from over 30 nations.
Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Chris Smith, said,“The enduring success of Exercise Kakadu lay in the development of people-to-people connections. The exercise is about so much more than ships and aircraft. This is about bringing our partners together; to discuss shared values and security challenges and to continue to strengthen our mutual understanding. One of the outcomes of this is the assurance that we are all united in a common purpose – the security of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.”
Exercise Director, Captain David Tietzel said,“The exercise also included a number of “firsts”. We were delighted to welcome the participation of the Vietnamese People’s Navy corvette VPNS18 in a constabulary role. These types of activities demonstrate the versatility of our ships, aircraft and personnel to maintain a competitive edge. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to the Northern Territory Government and members of the local community for their ongoing support of the Royal Australian Navy and Exercise Kakadu,” Captain Tietzel said.
A number of expeditionary logistics tasks were successful including a parachute air drop of stores from a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-27 Spartan aircraft to HMAS Warramunga and a replenishment of the frigate from fuel reserves at Port Melville in the Tiwi Islands. Exercise Kakadu, held in the Darwin region, provides a unique and challenging training environment for all participants. Kakadu is the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)’s flagship regional international engagement activity and has grown in size and complexity since its inception in 1993. Exercise Kakadu provides an opportunity for regional partners to undertake multinational maritime activities ranging from constabulary operations to high-end maritime warfare in a combined environment.
