The United States, Australia and Italy participated in a multilateral naval exercise to improve collaboration and interoperability in command and control, tactics and anti-surface warfare.
The event in the South China Sea, which took place from Sept. 8 to 11, provided soldiers with practical experience in fixed-wing air defense and combined anti-submarine warfare operations while also offering subject matter experts an opportunity for knowledge exchange. Several ships and aircraft participated in the event, including the U.S. Navy’s USS Russell, the Italian Navy’s ITS Alpino Carlo Bergamini-class frigate and the Royal Australian Air Force’s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
Rear Adm. Giancarlo Ciappina, commander of the Italian Carrier Strike Group, said the multilateral exercise highlights the professionalism of each service’s readiness to operate and capability to join and train as a unit.
“Our cohesion and integration in the planning and preparation of the serial activities allowed us to work as a tight and strong team, synergizing our efforts and enhancing the value of multinational cooperation and proving the existing and effective interoperability among our forces,” he said.
The exercise is part of the U.S. Navy’s commitment to upholding international order by offering training opportunities that develop tactical interoperability across allied forces in the Indo-Pacific region.