Australia’s stealth fighter jets and a British aircraft carrier will take part in the major warfighting exercise of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) later this year, defence chiefs from the five-nation pact said on Thursday, as the group aims to enhance its preparedness in an increasingly competitive region.
The annual Exercise Bersama Lima will showcase “a range of high-end, war-fighting exercises” and involve “advanced assets such as the F-35s from the Australian Air Force as well as the UK aircraft carrier,” said vice-admiral Aaron Beng, Singapore’s defence chief, after chairing a conference of defence chiefs from the five countries.
Established in 1971 following Britain’s military withdrawal from east of the Suez Canal, the FPDA, the world’s second-oldest military pact, comprises Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK. Its original purpose was to help defend former colonies Malaysia and Singapore during a period of regional instability, and its members are obliged to consult each other in the event of an armed attack.
Beng’s Australian counterpart, Admiral David Johnston, called the F-35s a core capability of Australia’s defence and welcomed opportunities for collaborative training to strengthen relationships.
“In part, some of the capabilities change, but it’s equally important that the people who are the core of those capabilities continue to come into the region and be part of the training environment,” said Johnston.
Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom Admiral Tony Radakin said that the last time a UK aircraft carrier was involved in an FPDA exercise was in 1997.
Britain’s Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Tony Radakin (centre) arrives at the Five Power Defence Arrangements Defence Chiefs’ Conference in Singapore on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
