MEDIA RELEASE

Five Power Defence Arrangements exercise commences in South East Asia

Australia has commenced its contribution to Exercise Bersama Lima 2023 with the exercise opening in Malaysia yesterday.

The annual exercise is an opportunity for Five Power Defence Arrangements partners of Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom to train together and strengthen cooperation in support of regional security.

The two-week exercise involves more than 400 Australian Defence Force personnel, F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft and C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft; Hobart class guided-missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane; and a company of infantry soldiers from the Australian Army.

Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Greg Bilton AO, CSC, said the Five Power Defence Arrangements continued to make a positive contribution to collective security.

“Australia has exercised with our Five Power Defence Arrangements partners for more than 50 years in support of regional security,” Lieutenant General Bilton said.

“Exercise Bersama Lima provides an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation in support of a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.”

The Five Power Defence Arrangements were signed by Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom in 1971.