Australian, Chinese and American troops are arriving in Darwin to begin Exercise KOWARI 15, a survival training exercise designed to build cooperation, friendship and trust between the three nations.
This is the second time the trilateral exercise has taken place, this year involving 30 soldiers and marines working closely together in the harsh Australian outback. Participants will conduct team building activities around Darwin before deploying to an area near Daly River for the survival and field phases of the training.
Deputy Commander of the 2nd Division, Brigadier Damian Cantwell said the three-week activity would see the troops undergoing specialist training from NORFORCE, the Army’s survival experts, followed by a survival exercise to put their skills to the test.
“This will be an unforgettable experience for the soldiers from the three countries,” Brigadier Cantwell said.
“Despite the obvious cultural and language differences, they will work together in order to survive in arduous conditions. They will have neither food nor water supplied to them, so will have to work as a team, using the skills we give them, to get through.
“Our experience last year was that the participants quickly built strong bonds of trust and friendship in their mixed teams, and coped amazingly well with conditions that are hot, dry, and very challenging.
“Our countries already cooperate at a number of levels through trade, regional humanitarian projects and joint naval exercises, and this is another way we can learn from each other and build friendships forged through adversity,” he said.
The 30 exercise participants, 10 from each country, will be supported by about 120 staff from the Australian Army.