U.S. – Australia Relations
US-Australian Troops to Commence Exercise Crocodile 2003
Canberra — 26 August 2003
MSPA 249/03
A combined force of about 10,000 Australian and United States troops are about to commence the final phase of Exercise Crocodile 2003 (CROC 03), the most significant Australian Defence Force (ADF) activity for the year outside of operational commitments.
Almost 7,000 ADF personnel will join with 3,000 of their US counterparts to take part in the Field Training Exercise (FTX) conducted throughout September in north and central Queensland with particular focus on Townsville, Gladstone, Rockhampton, the Shoalwater Bay Training Area and maritime exercise areas including the Coral Sea.
CROC 03 is designed to exercise and train Australian and US forces in the planning and conduct of an Australian-led and US-supported combined operation.
Navy, Army and Air Force elements from the ADF, as well as Navy and Marine forces from the US Pacific Command, will participate in the exercise.
Ships from the east and west coasts of Australia have steamed towards the exercise area, defending themselves from attacking FA-18 and F111 strike aircraft as they transited.
Land forces have started to deploy to the Shoalwater Bay Training Area while United States advance forces have begun arriving at Rockhampton and Gladstone.
Over the next week exercise participants will continue to conduct work-up activities including an anti-submarine activity as well as amphibious training off Townsville.
The commander of the combined Australian-US task force will be the Commander of Australia’s 1st Division, Major General Mark Evans.
His headquarters will be based on the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters (Land), or DJFHQ(L), augmented with joint staff from the Maritime, Air and Special Operations Commands and combined staff from the US 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force.
The exercise scenario is fictitious and involves the planning and conduct of an Australian-led, US-supported war-fighting campaign to project combat power offshore to a fictitious island called Legais.
The scenario allows for the exercising of a wide range of combined military operations at sea, in the air, and ashore.
The following is a brief summary of exercise participants:
- Royal Australian Navy. The maritime forces participating include frigates, submarine, amphibious ships, RAN helicopters, replenishment ships, mine-hunting and hydrographic ships, clearance diving teams and a number of auxiliary and support ships.
- Australian Army. Army participation will predominantly involve the Brisbane-based DJFHQ(L) as well as elements of the 7th Brigade, the Townsville-based 3rd Brigade (including the parachute battalion from Sydney), and the Darwin-based 1st Brigade. Special Operations forces, the 16th Aviation Brigade, the Logistics Support Force and other regular and reserve units from across Australia will support these formations.
- Royal Australian Air Force. RAAF will provide F/A-18 fighters, F-111C strike and reconnaissance aircraft, P3C maritime patrol aircraft, PC9 Forward Air Control aircraft, as well as C130 and short range transport aircraft. Expeditionary combat support units including airspace control, airfield defence and logistic units will support these aircraft.
- United States Navy. The USN will provide two frigates/destroyers, a submarine, clearance divers and construction engineers.
- United States Marine Corps. The USMC will provide a brigade headquarters and a battalion group sized force consisting of a command element, a battalion ground combat element, and air combat element with helicopters, F/A-18 fighters, and an air-to-air refuelling aircraft complete with a logistic support element.
CROC 03 will continue through until September 25, at which time the exercise will cease and participating forces will redeploy to their home locations.
Original document from www.defence.gov.au.
Last update: Friday, 15 August 2008 GMT+1000
