SHAH ALAM: Australian, Malaysian Training. Military personnel from Malaysia and Australia have, for the first time, conducted interoperability training with Australia’s biggest warship, HMAS Adelaide.
Over 150 Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and Australian Defence Force (ADF) from all three services conducted Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) training onboard HMAS Adelaide which was berthed at the Boustead Cruise Centre at Pulau Indah, Port Klang today (Oct 4, 2017).
The training was focused on enhancing interoperability specifically around humanitarian and disaster relief work, as well as strengthening the already close defence relationship between the two countries.
Chief of Staff Indo-Pacific Endeavour Task Group Lieutenant Colonel Dan Turner says the exercise was an important for both countries.
“This is the first time we have worked with the MAF onboard the new Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships”. “This training is an investment in the future if, and when, we get called to help in a humanitarian disaster and need to work together to provide emergency relief,” said Lt. Col Turner.
The MAF worked with the ADF to load troops and vehicles onto the ships landing craft and then embark them on the Adelaide. The troops and vehicles – two Isuzu DMax pickups and a Land Rover from 4 RAMD – embarked on the landing craft via a boat ramp at KD Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah or the National Hydrograhic Centre, located adjacent to the cruise centre.
The Malaysian troops were given a briefing and a familiarisation tour of the ship before embarking back onto the landing craft for the return trip back to KD Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah.
Today’s training is part of Australia’s biggest joint task group deployment in more than 30 years, Indo Pacific Endeavour 2017 (IPE17).
Six vessels, including HMAS Adelaide, are involved in IPE17. Adelaide and HMAS Darwin arrived at Port Klang last Saturday. They’re due to depart tomorrow morning.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (2)
TQ to ADF which came here sharing amphib EX. Our troops recently went to Kalimantan for EX on Fibua with TNI, Marawi is not far off in EX planners mind.
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Its not Marawi specifically just urban warfare as that has been the norm for the last decade or so. Marawi happened just four or five months ago, planning for both exercises have been done at least 12 months ago
With regards to the Filipinos, Marawi was new. Yes there have been numerous engagements fought in urban areas over the decades but in Marawi the opponent stayed and fought, had more than expected local support and was well armed. This is the unlike urban engagements in the past - whether during the Civil War or after - where outgunned militants would usually retire back to the jungle or mountains after a short period. It was a wake up call for the Philippines army and PMC. The answer lies not just in extra MOUT/FIBUA training and extra gear but also the right mindset.
It won't be politically correct if we invite Assad's troops to brief us on their experiences fighting IS in urban areas but we could invite the Iraqis. The problem is whether our "buddies" the Saudis would get annoyed if we got closer to Shia led Iraq.