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Australian Army personnel and US Marines from Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (MRF-D) have completed Exercise Koolendong, a high-end live-fire warfighting exercise in the Northern Territory.
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Exercise Koolendong has enhanced the ability of the Australian Defence Force and MRF-D to work together to rapidly respond to crises and assist partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds observed the high-end bilateral training during her week-long visit to the Northern Territory. Minister Reynolds was accompanied by US ambassador to Australia Arthur Culvahouse jnr for the visit.
Both agreed the exercise reflected the enduring partnership and interoperability that exists between Australia and the US.
MRF-D Commanding Officer, Colonel David Banning, said Koolendong was designed to build proficiency and interoperability between the Marines and the ADF to better respond to security challenges in the region.
“The exercise provided the long-anticipated opportunity for the US Marines, currently deployed to Darwin, to engage with our Australian counterparts and build upon the long history of military co-operation between our two nations,” COL Banning said.
Culvahouse said during a doorstop, "We saw the Alliance in action and in important respects, the presence of the Marines would not have happened if it weren’t for the courageous support of the federal government and the Northern Territory government, in getting the Marines here, the leadership of the Marines and the ADF in making sure that they complied with all the COVID protocols, and that they were able to do some important training that was really quite creative.
"It’s not only military training but also preparatory training for disaster assistance, humanitarian assistance in the region, not only in Australia but throughout the region."
Just over 1,000 US Marines from MRF-D partnered with approximately 400 Australian Army personnel from 1st Brigade and 1st Aviation Regiment, to conduct infantry manoeuvres supported by aviation, logistics and indirect fire support.
Commander Headquarters Northern Command, Group Captain Stewart Dowrie, said this year was the most complex scenario ever attempted, with highly defined interoperability objectives and a deeper focus on exercise design.
“Koolendong had enhanced collective readiness and prepared the ADF and US Marines extremely well in the lead-up to the MRF-D 2021 rotation and next year’s Exercise Talisman Sabre,” GPCAPT Dowrie said.
The safe conduct of Exercise Koolendong reinforces the ADF’s ability to continue operating in a COVID-19 environment.
Exercise Koolendong was conducted at the Mount Bundey Training Area from 1 to 11 September 2020.
