Royal Australian Air Force deploys F/A-18F Super Hornets and C-27J Spartan in Malaysia for FPDA Exercise Bersama Lima.

Flying out of north-west Malaysia, the Royal Australian Air Force has deployed six F/A-18F Super Hornets and a C-27J Spartan to support Exercise Bersama Lima, one of the numerous exercises organized in the framework of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).

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  A Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet departs from Royal Malaysian Air Force Base Butterworth during Exercise Bersama Lima 2023 in Malaysia (Picture source : RAAF/Cpl Sam Price)

F/A-18F Super Hornet pilot Flight Lieutenant Russel said the integration between the members of the Five Power Defence Arrangements has involved everything from air planning and working with Malaysian mission controllers to flying mixed formations with various fast-jet aircraft: “We’ve been exercising an air component defence of the Malaysian Peninsula, including down to Singapore. We’ve been working closely with the maritime capabilities of the five nations to identify simulated threats to either maritime assets or Malaysian land targets. When an aircraft is detected, we proceed to intercept, identify and engage those targets as a combined force, which is a great opportunity for us to train with our partners.”

Deploying to Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base Butterworth, 1 Squadron has been supported and sustained by a range of aviators. “Our technical and maintenance staff work around the clock to make sure the aircraft are good to go for each mission,” Flight Lieutenant Russel said. “We’re also really fortunate to operate out of RMAF Butterworth, which has strong ties to the RAAF. We’ve got the support of 19 Squadron based here, which has made our deployment run really smoothly.”

Being challenged in an unfamiliar environment and taking the opportunity to learn from the Malaysian and Five Power nations – Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom – has been a key benefit of Exercise Bersama Lima. “Working to become familiar with operating away from our main bases is huge. Getting the experience of flying in Southeast Asia, including the weather here, is really important,” Flight Lieutenant Russel said.

Five Power Defence Arrangements

The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) are a series of bilateral defence relationships established by a series of multi-lateral agreements between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, all of which are Commonwealth members that once belonged to the British Empire. Signed in 1971, the FPDA consists of the five powers consulting each other "immediately" in the event of a threat or an armed attack on any of the FPDA members for the purpose of deciding what measures should be taken, jointly or separately in response.

There is no specific commitment to intervene militarily, and the agreement is merely consultative. The Five Powers Defence Arrangements do not refer to exclusive economic zones (EEZ), and the enforcement of a state's EEZ rights is a matter for that state, which may request the assistance of other states in so doing.