A joint military exercise with the members of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), Australian and U.S. troops was staged in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 8, 2014, to strengthen their defense cooperation. The exercise demonstrated the willingness of the three countries to work together in practical ways.
According to Australian Defense Minister Senator David Johnston, Exercise Kowari 14 will help the participants understand the basic principles, procedures, techniques and equipment that can enhance survival prospects in the harsh environment of Australia. The exercise is scheduled to conclude on Oct. 25.
The Australian Army's 2nd Division leads the exercise that involves 10 PLA members, 10 Australian Army soldiers, five U.S. Army soldiers and five U.S. Marine Corps. Further, 100 military personnel in liaison and logistics roles are supporting the rounded group.
"The troops will have to depend on each other absolutely in order to succeed," Brigadier Peter Clay, commander of the exercise, said.
Brigadier Clay said that the exercise will provide extreme challenging situations in some of the toughest terrain in Australia for the participants to work through. The soldiers will learn how to find their food in the rugged countryside, including how to identify plants that they can use for emergency medicine.
The survival training phase will be conducted by the North-West Mobile Force (NORFORCE). According to Clay, NORFORCE is the ideal unit to provide this training since it has "deep connections to indigenous communities" and has "unrivaled expertise in survival skills."
The three-country military drill is the first time for Chinese troops to train on Australian soil.