Page 129 - Australian Defence Magazine Dec-Jan 2023

Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Vice Admiral David Johnston AC RAN and British Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin KCB ADC, Canberra, 2022
UK PERSISTENT PRESENCE
Southwest Pacific
• HMS SPEY and HMS TAMAR have engaged with Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu
• Supported the multinational Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief response to the volcanic eruption in Tonga in 2022
• Royal Navy participation in the multilateral Exercise KAKADU
• Fijian sea-riders embarked on HMS SPEY following the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the UK and Fijian Governments
• RAF Typhoon Fighter Jets and a Voyager tanker conducted the 8,600 nautical mile journey to Australia for Exercise PITCH BLACK
• British Army personnel integrated with the Royal Australian Engineers in Exercise PUK PUK in Papua New Guinea and alongside the Royal Australian Corps of Signals in Exercise RAVENS CYBER
• UK participation in Exercises EQUATEUR and CARTWHEEL, multinational Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief exercises in New Caledonia and Fiji
HMS SPEY in the Pacific Ocean, 2021
Wider Indo-Pacific
• Royal Navy participation in the Japanese International Fleet Review and Exercise RIMPAC
• The British Army has conducted 64 engagements, exercises and partner force training serials across the Indo-Pacific region, including Exercise PANTHER GOLD alongside the Royal Thai Army and skill development and training in Bangladesh and Indonesia
• The UK participated in FPDA Exercises BERSAMA SHIELD and SUMAN PROTECTOR
• Approximately 1,000 British troops are permanently stationed in the Jungle Warfare School in Brunei
• The UK distributed COVID vaccines across the Indo-Pacific
• RAF personnel and aircraft conducted defence engagement serials in India and Malaysia after departing the Southwest Pacific
Ex. PITCH BLACK Australia, 2022
Ex. PUK PUK at Goldie River Training Depot Papua New Guinea, 2022