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North Queensland is hosting a bilateral military training exercise aimed at bolstering air mobility capability.
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The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Udara, or TNI-AU) have linked up at RAAF Base Townsville for Exercise Rajawali Ausindo.
The bilateral activity, to take place from 25 to 29 September 2022, involves air mobility exercises supported by a C-27J Spartan for the first time.
Activities are expected to include aerial delivery of supplies and cargo to a drop zone, and rehearsal of non-combatant evacuation operations.
Wing Commander David Torrington, Commanding Officer of the RAAF’s No. 35 Squadron, said the exercise would ensure both nations are equipped to effectively respond to emergencies across the region.
“Both our countries have a long history of using air mobility to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in the wider Indo-Pacific,” WGCDR Torrington said.
“Exercise Rajawali Ausindo 22 will allow Indonesian and Australian aviators to understand each other’s practices, plan air mobility missions together, and fly in a range of scenarios.
“The training and relationship building in this exercise will benefit the RAAF and TNI-AU when we conduct operations together in the future.”
Australia and Indonesia have shared responsibility for hosting Exercise Rajawali Ausindo since the inaugural activity in 1994.
Exercise Rajawali coincides with Exercise Trident — an amphibious military training exercise involving more than 1,600 personnel from Australia and Singapore.
The exercise, taking place from 23 September to 3 October at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, includes the deployment of Royal Australian Navy Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) HMAS Adelaide, set to operate alongside Republic of Singapore Navy vessels RSS Persistence and RSS Endurance.
This builds on over three decades of joint military engagement between Australia and Singapore in an effort to bolster interoperability and strengthen bilateral ties in support of common regional interests.
Exercise Trident forms part of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership — a deal aimed at jointly developing key training areas in Queensland under the Australia-Singapore Military Training Initiative.
[Related: Australia, Singapore combine for amphibious training ]
