Cooperative Spirit 2008
Exercise Cooperative Spirit 2008 is a multinational exercise intended to test and improve interoperability and strengthen ties amongst American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Armies (ABCA). Cooperative Spirit 2008 is being conducted by the United States at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre (JMRC), in Hohenfels, Germany between 11 September and 10 October 2008.
The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) is the Australian Army contribution to the exercise, comprising a Battle Group HQ and Combat Team Force Element. The 180-strong 1 RAR contingent is being combined with a company from the 2nd/1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (2/1 RNZIR) to create the ‘ANZAC Battle Group’. Activities will include conducting operations in the field, under stressful battlefield conditions, complete with a sophisticated opposing force and realistic training scenarios in a world-class training facility.
Participating units from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand include the United States 3/2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) and 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, the United Kingdom’s 1st Welsh Guards, the 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment, the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment and B Company, 2nd/1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. Around 2000 participants are taking part in training.
The month-long activity aims to develop skills common to ABCA Armies and increase interoperability for combined operations, offering significant opportunities to train soldiers in a combined (multinational) environment. The JMRC training events focus on Counter-Insurgency (COIN) operations in an Afghanistan scenario. Cooperative Spirit 2008 begins with individual and leader training and builds to collective team and small unit tasks using Situational Training Exercises (STXs) for coth platoon and company level operations. It culminates in the primary training events: the command post exercise (CPX) and field training exercise (FTX).
Cooperative Spirit 2008 provides a realistic, counterinsurgency-based, Afghanistan-focused environment, to test and improve interoperability among the ABCA Armies, identify areas of future ABCA interoperability work and to prepare units for coalition combat operations. Activities will include dismounted and urban security and stabilisation operations, counter IED drills, convoy escort, civil/military cooperation, medical assistance, vehicle checkpoints and field firing.
Cooperative Spirit 2008 will enhance the Australian Army’s ability to operate with our Defence Partners in diverse training environments and coalition activities/operations. The JMRC is a world-class facility providing focussed preparation and training for coalition units deploying on operations and will give 1 RAR a great opportunity to prepare for its deployment to Afghanistan as the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force II (MRTF-2) in 2009.
The Australian Army is proud to take part in Cooperative Spirit 2008 and this exercise reaffirms the strong ties between ABCA Army partners, whilst further developing skills and preparedness for operations in Afghanistan. The Australian Army is committed to working with valued Defence Partners in multilateral environments and has had a long relationship with ABCA dating back to 1963.