By Captain Carla Armenti
A combined maritime task group comprised of Australian and Singaporean warships and troops has completed Exercise Trident.
Three warships and over 1600 people were involved in the exercise, a continued commitment to bilateral joint military exercises under the 2015 Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Partnership.
The exercise came to an end with a formal closing ceremony held at Tiger Hill at Shoalwater Bay, Queensland.
During the exercise, troops from the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and 3rd Battalion, Singapore Guards, completed land integration training before embarking on Royal Australian Navy landing helicopter dock HMAS Adelaide and Republic of Singapore Navy landing ship tanks RSS Endurance and RSS Persistence.
Trident’s Deputy Director Captain Tim Byles, from the Royal Australian Navy, said the co-led exercise was an opportunity to build on an over 30-year defence partnership between the Australian Defence Force and the Singapore Armed Forces.
“This year we have integrated our staff, tested our operational planning skills and executed the tactical phase of the training, which includes ship to shore operations, and an offensive land manoeuvre as the culminating activity,” Captain Byles said.
This was the eighth iteration of Exercise Trident and the amphibious training component was a first during the bilateral activity.
“We demonstrated the ability to project a ground combat element from the vessels to the beach, with support from rotary wing assets and small boat teams, before the seizure of an inland objective,” Captain Byles said.
Close air support and troop lift was provided by Republic of Singapore Air Force CH-47D helicopters permanently based at Oakey in Queensland.
The troops will continue their training in the area into October, before the Singapore Armed Forces wrap up additional training in Australia later in the year.
Published by the Australian Department of Defence
