A major international humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HADR) exercise is under way in the Northern Territory.
Australia, the United States (Marine Rotational Force - Darwin) and Indonesia are coming together for Exercise Bhakti Kanyini AusIndo 2024 (Ex BKA 24) to exercise their collective response.
Building on the success of similar exercises held between the three countries, Exercise BKA 24 will test all facets of a disaster response. This includes the provision of assistance to a stricken community such as re-establishing a water supply and providing immediate medical assistance, through to clean-up operations to help a community to get back on its feet.
In such an event, it is vital that participating nations work seamlessly together and exercises such as this help build and reinforce that interoperability.
This exercise not only involves military personnel but is also conducted in partnership with other government agencies including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the United States Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency.
For the first time since its inception, the exercise will include observers from the United Kingdom, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea.
Quotes attributable to Commander Headquarters Northern Command, Captain Mitchell Livingstone:
"Combined exercises such as Exercise Bhakti Kanyini AusIndo 2024 are tremendously important in providing an effective response to natural disasters.
"Designed to enhance interoperability between the three nations, the exercise is based around a major fictitious HADR event that has occurred in the Northern Territory.
"It will cover a number of scenarios, including the loss of essential services to a fictional remote community and will test and hone the response skills of the three nations involved."
Quotes attributable to Commanding Officer Combat Logistics Battalion 5, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin Lieutenant Colonel Rebecca Bolz:
"Exercise Bhakti Kanyini AusIndo 24 provides us with a unique opportunity to enhance our relationships and increase our interoperability with the Australian Defence Force and Indonesian National Armed Forces through the rehearsal of a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operation.
"We are excited to work alongside our allies and partners to enhance our readiness and collectively increase our ability to provide medical support, general engineering, water purification, and motor transport support to humanitarian assistance disaster relief operations."
