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Australia and Singapore have celebrated the opening of new and expanded facilities at Shoalwater Bay Training Area.
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The opening coincided with Exercise Trident, the signature biennial joint training exercise between the Australian Defence Force and Singapore Armed Forces.
Australia’s Secretary of the Department of Defence Greg Moriarty and Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How opened the new facilities developed under the Australia-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The Shoalwater Bay Training Area has been expanded to meet the future needs of the ADF and facilitate an increased presence of SAF personnel conducting unilateral training in Australia.
Up to 6,600 SAF personnel will now be able to train for a single nine-week period each year, compared to the previous 45-day period.
New infrastructure and range developments at Shoalwater Bay Training Area include two urban operations live fire facilities, the first of their type in Australia, combined air-land ranges, camp accommodation for up to 2,000 personnel, and medical, administration, exercise control facilities and supporting infrastructure.
Mr Moriarty said the new facilities would enhance training outcomes for Australia and Singapore.
“The expansion of the training area will enable the ADF and SAF to concurrently conduct our own unilateral training, and also support enhanced bilateral training and complexity.”
Exercise Trident 2024 is designed to enhance both nations’ ability to project a combined land force from sea-to-shore, manoeuvre inland and secure an objective.
“This is the latest milestone in our nations’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and we welcome the opportunity to continue to learn from each other in a joint exercise environment,” Mr Moriarty said.
Exercise Trident has grown in scope and scale to enhance interoperability between the Australian Defence Force and Singapore Armed Forces since it was first held in 2013.
This year, Exercise Trident 2024 will focus on airmobile, littoral and urban combat operations. It will involve more than 1,900 SAF and ADF personnel, two ships and include a combined science and technology component focusing on unmanned aerial vehicle interoperability.
