More than 3,000 sailors and officers from 22 participating nations have completed the two-week Kakadu 2022 maritime exercise, the Royal Australian Navy announced Wednesday.
This year’s multinational training — the biennial event’s 15th iteration — drew the largest audience and number of assets to date, involving 34 aircraft, 15 warships, and a submarine.
Kakadu 2022 drilled Australia’s regional partners in capabilities including humanitarian and disaster relief, seamanship, maritime law enforcement, and maritime warfighting, the navy said in a statement.
The exercise also featured “15 air warfare serials, 13 anti-submarine warfare exercises, 17 gun-firing drills, and more than 13,000 rounds of ammunition in high-end training scenarios.”
“The post-COVID environment allowed us once again to build relationships through a range of cross-decking opportunities, where sailors and officers were immersed in the way partner navies do business, creating enriching learning and development opportunities,” Rear Admiral Jonathan Earley said.
The next Kakadu Exercise is slated for 2024.