Duncan Looi
EXERCISE Bersama Lima 2026 commences with Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom joining forces to train maritime, air and land forces in combined and joint operations across a range of security scenarios, strengthening preparedness, interoperability and collective resilience.
Held form Oct 5-23, Bersama Lima is the Five Power Defence Arrangements’ (FPDA) landmark tactical-level exercise hosted by Singapore this year, marking 55 years since the FPDA was established. It is the sole, oldest existing multilateral security arrangement of its kind in Southeast Asia, being a consultative security framework.
This edition convenes 1,900 tri-service personnel, 42 aircraft, seven ships, one submarine and staff in the combined exercise Headquarters. Australia dispatched around 220 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, Royal Australian Navy (RAN) replenishment ship HMAS Stalwart with its embarked Lockheed Martin MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II strike fighter and Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) will participate in the exercise this year.
Representing the United Kingdom, the Royal Navy’s pair of Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessels (OPV) HMS Spey and Tamar. Deployment of the Spey and Tamar also emphasised the significance of the UK’s continued presence in Southeast Asia amidst evolving regional and global security, recently passing the five-year milestone in their landmark mission being forward-deployed to the Indo-Pacific region.
Australia’s Commander Joint Operations Vice Admiral Justin Jones said each Exercise Bersama Lima deepens interoperability and strengthens key partnerships. “Our strength lies in our ability to operate seamlessly together across all domains. Exercises such as Bersama Lima strengthen our combined warfighting capability, integrate high-end military effects and ensure our forces are ready to respond alongside trusted partners when required. By training together in increasingly complex environments, we enhance joint force readiness, strengthen our ability to fight and operate together, and contribute to a credible collective deterrent across the Indo-Pacific,” the vice admiral continued.–-shp/adj/dl (Pix:FPDA)
