Indo-Pacific Endeavour closes in Singapore

Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE), Australia’s flagship regional engagement activity, has come to a close with HMA Ships Adelaide and Stuart leaving Singapore for Darwin.

CAPTION: HMAS Adelaide and HMS Spey alongside PSA Sembawang, Singapore, during Indo-Pacific Endeavour. Story by Lieutenant Mick Wheeler. Photo by Leading Seaman Matthew Lyall.

From late August to early December, IPE involved four ships and more than 2000 personnel.

The contingent visited 13 countries including Brunei, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.

Commander IPE Commodore Michael Harris emphasised the importance of IPE for strengthening relationships with regional partners and contributing to regional stability.

“As Australia’s flagship regional engagement activity, IPE demonstrates Australia’s commitment to working with our friends and partners across the region towards our shared vision of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. One that is peaceful, stable, prosperous and respectful of sovereignty and international law,” Commodore Harris said.

“Australia has a long history of working with our partners to ensure nations are free to act in their own interests.

“IPE is an opportunity to enhance the interoperability between our forces, to improve our coordination, and to work together to reinforce our shared commitment to the region and the rules-based international system.

“As outlined in Australia’s National Defence Strategy, our partnerships are crucial for this. IPE is an important opportunity to further strengthen the relationships we value so highly between our respective Defence Forces, and it aligns with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and the Indian Ocean Rim Association Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. This is our home; we are of, with and for the region, and we are passionate about keeping it safe.”

Commodore Harris spoke of the whole-of-government effort and thanked all personnel and families for their valuable contribution to delivering IPE.

“With involvement from agencies across the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force, it truly was a whole-of-government effort,” he said.

“IPE included exchanges with our friends and partners on important issues such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; maritime law; gender, peace and security; and military medicine.

“I also thank all the host nations who worked with us to ensure IPE’s resounding success.”

IPE highlights:

• RAAF P-8A visit to the Maldives, with engagement and static displays for the Maldives National Defence Force and Coast Guard.
• RAN Chaplain Essa being invited by the Minister of Islamic Affairs in the Maldives to conduct Friday national prayers, which were broadcast across the Maldives.
• Diving activities with Sri Lanka and Cambodia.
• Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief table top exercise with the Philippines.
• First ever Seahawk helicopter landing at Sepanngar Naval Air Station in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
• Badminton competition with Malaysian Armed Forces badminton team, followed by social games where Australian and Malaysian teams mixed to take on some Malaysian Armed Forces veterans.
• Five port visits by Royal Australian Navy ships to Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

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