The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has deployed 120 personnel and six aircraft this week to Thailand to participate in Exercise Thai Boomerang 23. Exercise Thai Boomerang is a bilateral fighter jet exercise between the RAAF and the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), focused on enhancing interoperability through a variety of training scenarios.
Based out of Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand, the exercise involves F/A-18F Super Hornets from RAAF’s No. 1 Squadron working alongside Royal Thai Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon and JAS-39 Gripen fighters. The exercise provides an opportunity to deepen the strategic partnership between Australia and Thailand through defence engagement, by fostering closer understanding, friendship and rapport between aviators at all levels.
Wing Commander Sean Hamilton, Commanding Officer No. 1 Squadron, said the exercise would test and improve combined force integration, as well as strengthen our bilateral partnership and combined readiness.
“Exercise Thai Boomerang provides an opportunity to enhance Australia’s security partnership with Thailand through stronger relationships and interoperability,” Wing Commander Hamilton said. “We look forward to training alongside the Royal Thai Air Force and conducting air combat scenarios with mixed formations of fighters. These shared experiences provide the building blocks for a cooperative working relationship and enable us to learn from one another, to become a more effective fighting force.”
Thailand is an important partner and the two countries share a rich history of defence engagement through education, training and practical security cooperation.
ADF joins Exercise Super Garuda Shield 2023
At the invitation of Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), over 125 personnel from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will take part in Exercise Super Garuda Shield 2023 in September. Exercise Super Garuda Shield is a TNI- and United States Indo-Pacific Command-led bilateral training activity in and around East Java from 31 August to 13 September.
The Australian Army is contributing a troop of M1A1 Abrams tanks from the 1st Armoured Regiment, an infantry platoon from the 10th/27th Battalion, Royal South Australian Regiment, command and control elements, and a range of armoured vehicles, trucks and recovery vehicles.
The tanks were transported from their base in Adelaide to Darwin Port, and loaded onto US Army watercraft bound for Surabaya in Indonesia last week. This provides training and rehearses the ADF’s ability to collaborate with partner nations to effectively deploy significant land forces, including armour, across the Indo-Pacific region.
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