The Australian Navy Exercise Kakadu started last Satur­day with the Fijian Naval vessel Kikau taking part.

Fijian Navy Commander, Captain (Navy) Humphrey Tawake said Maritime Commander (Navy) Com­mander Ledua Yaco, with Lieuten­ant Commander Timoci Natuva were also at the exercise.

He said they attended the Fleet Commander’s Conference before the exercise.

He said the Kikau would sail from Darwin to Fiji after the exercise.

A release from the Australian De­fence Force said Exercise Kakadu was launched in Darwin on Satur­day night, and would see the navies from 27 countries train off the Top End coast.

Exercise Kakadu had started with an indigenous smoking ceremony onboard the Royal Australian Navy flagship HMAS Canberra last Sat­urday.

The statement added that Kakadu 2018 was a biannual joint exercise taking place both ashore and at sea off the coast of Darwin.

This year’s exercise involves than 3000 personnel from the 27 nations and more, which represent the larg­est military commitment to the ex­ercise since it began in 1993.

Exercise Kakadu is split into three sections:

• A harbour phase,
• A Force Integration Training (FIT) phase
• and finally a free-play phase.

While the harbour phase allows participants to plan and establish the confidence required to effec­tively work together, the sea phases allow those plans to be put into ac­tion in a realistic maritime envi­ronment.

Exercise Kakadu runs until mid-September.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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