Elements of the various sectors of the Australian Defence Forces will shortly take part in two separate joint exercises off the Australian Coast - Exercise Cassowary and ASWEX

Australian and Indonesian Navies unite for Exercise Cassowary
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) have joined forces in Darwin today for the bilateral maritime Exercise Cassowary which will take place over the coming week. Involving Australian patrol boats HMAS Albany and Dubbo, and the Indonesian vessels KRI Layang and Kakap, the exercise focuses on surveillance and maritime operations in the Timor Sea and is scheduled for completion in Kupang, Indonesia at the end of the week.

The exercise was opened today at HMAS Coonawarra by the Maritime Commander Australia, Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas, RAN, and the Indonesian Eastern Fleet Commander, Rear Admiral Moekhas Sidik, TNI-AL. “Training in exercises such as Cassowary is essential for our people to further develop our surveillance skills and to maintain proficiency across a range of core mariner skills,” said Rear Admiral Thomas. “Cassowary will certainly strengthen the relationship between the two navies and enhance our mutual cooperation, interoperability and understanding of our common operating environments.”

The task group will depart HMAS Coonawarra on Wednesday.

Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces unite for ASWEX
Ships, submarines and aircraft from the Royal Australian Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal Australian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force have gathered in the Western Australian Exercise Area off the coast of Perth to participate in two consecutive navy exercises. The Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise 2006 (ASWEX-06) between 13 and 24 November aims to test the Anti-Submarine Warfare skills of the units participating in the two-week exercise.

The Principal Warfare Officers’ Sea Assessment Week between 27 November and 1 December completes the training and provides assessment for officers on the Royal Australian Navy’s Principal Warfare Officers’ Course. During both exercise periods there will be increased air activity in the Western Australian Exercise Area airspace, which extends 80 nm west of Rottnest Island and north and south between Lancelin and Geographe Bay. This increased air activity may result in occasional aircraft noise being heard by some coastal residents.

Ships and Submarines participating in these exercises will also be seen at the FBW Navy Open Day on Garden Island on Sunday 26 November 2006.

Background Information:
HMA Ships Anzac, (with a S70B Seahawk helicopter embarked), Ballarat, Sirius, and HMA Submarines Farncomb and Sheean, will participate in these exercises along with Royal New Zealand Ships, HMNZS Te Kaha (with a SH2G Sea Sprite helicopter embarked) and a Royal New Zealand Airforce P-3K Orion maritime patrol aircraft.

Support will be provided by Hawk jets from 79 Squadron based at Royal Australian Air Force Base Pearce in Western Australia, two 92 Wing AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft from South Australia with F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from RAAF Williamtown arriving to participate in the second exercise.