NAVY AND AIR FORCE IN FIVE POWERS DEFENCE AGREEMENT EXERCISE
WHAT: Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) personnel have deployed to Malaysia and Singapore to participate in a Five Powers Defence
Agreement (FPDA) exercise called Exercise Bersama Padu 2006.
WHERE: The
exercise will occur over the Malaysian peninsula and South China Sea with RAAF assets based at Republic of Singapore Air
Force (RSAF) Base Paya Lebar
(PLAB) and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base
Butterworth (BUT). RAN assets will berth at Changi
Naval Base prior to commencement of the sea phase.
WHEN: The sea phase of the exercise began on Monday, 11
September. The exercise concludes on 22 September 2006.
Exercise Bersama Padu is a Five Powers Defence Agreement (FPDA) exercise to
conduct combined and joint operations in a multi-threat limited conflict
scenario.
The defence forces of Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom will exercise together in, and around, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore and the South China Sea.
The FPDA represents more than 30 years of cooperation
and continues to show its relevance for the regional strategic environment.
RAN assets
participating are HMA Ships Darwin, Stuart and Gascoyne,
and Clearance Diving Team One.
RAAF aircraft
scheduled to deploy as part of Exercise Bersama Padu 2006 include the F/A-18 Hornet, F-111, Boeing 707 and
AP-3C Orion.
Various RAAF
specialist and support personnel and equipment have also deployed as part of
Exercise Bersama Padu 2006.
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