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Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Melbourne (FFG 05) breaks away from a replenishment at sea refueling with auxiliary oiler replenishment vessel HMAS Success (AOR 304) during Exercise CROCODILE. The USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) is in the background.
Photo by AB Neil Richards, RAN |
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[Exercise CROCODILE] gives us the opportunity to conduct comprehensive training with our major ally from the most tactical elements through to the strategic level
Air Commodore Dennis Green,
Royal Australian Air Force Commandant,
Australian Defence Force Warfare Centre
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Australian Army air dispatchers prepare a 105mm Hamel Gun for pallet loading onto a C-130 Hercules as part of Exercise CROCODILE.
Photo by Cpl. Mark Eat |
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High explosive ordnance is ready for loading on an F-111 aircraft as part of Exercise CROCODILE..
Photo courtesy of Australian Department of Defence |
Almost 7,000 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel from Navy, Army, and Air Force elements joined over 3,400 U.S. Navy and Marine counterparts to take part in Exercise CROCODILE conducted in and around Australia. Exercise CROCODILE 2003 was the last of the CROCODILE series, a combined Australian-U.S. air, land, maritime, and amphibious exercise that refines and strengthens U.S. and Australian procedures for planning and con ducting Combined Task Force (CTF) Operations. The CTF was commanded by Australia and supported by the United States. Australian Air Commodore Dennis Green, Commandant of the ADF Warfare Centre, was Exercise Director.
The exercise CTF was under the command of Maj.-Gen. Mark Evans, Commander of 1st Division, Australian Army. U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Kenneth Glueck, Jr., Commanding General, 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, was CTF Deputy Commander. The ADF’s Deployable Joint Force Headquarters (Land) served as CTF headquarters. Members of the ADF’s Maritime, Air, and Special Operations Commands augmented by officers from the U.S. 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force composed the combined staff.
Exercise events took place over a large geographical area in the northern and central sections of the state of Queensland. These sites were Townsville, Gladstone, Rockhampton, the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, and in adjacent coastal waters, including the Coral Sea. The exercise included the arrival of U.S. Marine augmentation forces via strategic airlift and ships, a force-on-force exercise, and live-fire training. The exercise scenario involved an Australian-led, U.S.-supported war-fighting campaign to project combat power offshore to a fictitious island called Legais in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area. Over the course of two weeks in September 2003, Australian and U.S. forces executed the scenario, testing and evaluating the interoperability and readiness of air, ground, and combat service support forces.
Compiled by Asia-Pacific Defense FORUM staff from press releases by Public Affairs and Corporate Communication, Australian Department of Defence; the Combined Joint Information Bureau Exercise CROCODILE 2003; Capt. Noel Gilby, Australian Army; Pte. John Wellfare, Australian Army; Cpl. Jason E. Miller assigned to Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, Japan; Louisa Te’I assigned to U.S. Seventh Fleet, Yokosuka, Japan; and Marge Holtz and Sheree Callahan assigned to Military Sealift Command.
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