Combined operation prove success of Wantok Warrior

After daybreak, on a remote beach in Papua New Guinea, overlooked by the remnants of an Australian World War II gun battery, soldiers power their Zodiacs and other small craft towards shore.

CAPTION: Australian Army soldiers from the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and PNG Defence Force soldiers from the 1st Battalion, Royal Pacific Islands Regiment, put a Zodiac in the water during Exercise Wantok Warrior 2026 in Papua New Guinea. Story by Major Martin Hadley. Photo by Gunner Jesse Linards.

Assault pioneers and infantry soldiers from 1RAR and engineers from 3CER were joined by troops from the PNGDF’s 1st Royal Pacific Islands Regiment (1RPIR).

Rapidly advancing inland, the soldiers executed their complex operation during the culminating training serial of Exercise Wantok Warrior.

CO 1RAR Lieutenant Colonel Benedict Farrell said about 250 personnel from both countries combined on the exercise.

“Wantok Warrior is an annual exercise, and 1RAR has been lucky to be habitual partners with 1RPIR,” Lieutenant Colonel Farrell said.

“We have a company and a half from 1RAR as well as combat engineers from 3CER who are building interoperability and exchanging skills with 1RPIR.

“During this exercise, we’ve had the opportunity to work with HMPNGS Cape Gloucester heavy landing craft, and the PNGDF’s up-armoured SUVs, 12 of which were provided to Papua New Guinea by Australia in 2025.”

Lieutenant Colonel Farrell said the exercise was the culmination of 18 months’ training in Australia.

“We have particularly focused on large-scale combat operations.

“However, bringing our soldiers to PNG gives them an exposure to real-time security training interaction within the community, which we just don’t do in Australia,” he said.

“It has been superb watching how our troops interact.

“We are fortunate that we have a lot of young and enthusiastic soldiers, and all they want to do is serve the country.

“For many of them, and seniors as well, this is the first time they’ve been to PNG, and now they’ve had that opportunity to work alongside the PNGDF.

“The reality is, we’ve got such a great relationship with 1RPIR.”

The exercise covered a range of stability and security-training serials, from cordon and strike, key-asset and convoy protection, to amphibious operations and key-leadership and community engagement.

CO 1RPIR Lieutenant Colonel Eddie Jarope said his priority was what his troops could focus on learning and improving.

“Initially, Wantok Warrior was a one-way training opportunity with us learning training, tactics and procedures from Australia,” Lieutenant Colonel Jarope said.

“But over the years, this transitioned into joint training where we continue to learn from the ADF, as well as they also learn from us.

“Our interoperability improves every year on Wantok Warrior and I see in the future, this series will just get bigger and better.”

.

.


.


.