Singapore Navy Enhances Interoperability in Multilateral Exercise in Australia

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) participated in Exercise Kakadu, a multilateral naval exercise held in the Northern Australian Exercise Area off the coast of Darwin, Australia from 12 to 24 September 2016.

Hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the exercise saw the participation of 19 ships and submarines, 18 aircraft and more than 3,000 personnel from Australia, Canada, France, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Tonga and the United States.

During the 13-day exercise, the navies conducted anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine exercise serials.

The RSN's Victory-class missile corvettes RSS Vigour and RSS Valiant, an F-50 maritime patrol aircraft and 156 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel took part in the exercise. The missile corvettes were each embarked with a ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that provided the ships with the ability to constantly conduct localised surveillance and identification of threats.

Commanding Officer of RSS Vigour, Lieutenant-Colonel Wong Chng Tong said, "The realistic training in the exercise allowed us to deepen our expertise in conventional warfare especially in the area of UAVs, which we deployed for the first time in a multilateral exercise. The exercise also allowed us to enhance mutual understanding with personnel from the other participating navies."

This year's exercise Kakadu is the 13th in the series. First held in 1993, the biennial exercise provides a valuable opportunity for the navies in the region to strengthen interoperability and promote mutual trust. Exercise Kakadu also underscores the good working relationship and professional cooperation among the participating navies.