Australia deploys Spartan to Exercise Bersama Shield

Australia has deployed a Royal Australian Air Force C‑27J Spartan aircraft and a contingent of around 130 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel to participate in Exercise Bersama Shield 2026. Exercise Bersama Shield is a key component of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), a multilateral security arrangement involving Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The exercise will occur across Malaysia, Singapore, and the surrounding air and maritime regions. It is designed to enhance combined joint operations in complex, multi‑domain scenarios across land, sea, air and cyber environments. Through integrated planning and coordinated missions, participating forces will strengthen their interoperability and reinforce resilient military partnerships. Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones, AO, CSC, said Exercise Bersama Shield remains an essential demonstration of Australia’s commitment to working alongside FPDA partners to support a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region. “For more than five decades, the FPDA has played a vital role in regional security. Australia is proud of its enduring contribution to that arrangement, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen these long‑standing relationships,” Vice Admiral Jones said. “FPDA exercises, and their operational headquarters – Headquarters Integrated Area Defence System at Royal Malaysian Air Force Base Butterworth – are essential to maintaining people‑to‑people links between partner nations and building interoperability.” Established in 1971, the FPDA is the longest‑standing multilateral defence arrangement in Southeast Asia, representing more than five decades of collaboration, trust and collective commitment to regional stability. Exercises such as Bersama Shield remain critical to ensuring the FPDA continues to adapt to contemporary security challenges while promoting cooperation and preparedness among partner nations. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at [email protected]