Indonesia and Australia partner for Exercise RAJAWALI AUSINDO 2010

C-130H Hercules A97-007 from No. 37 Squadron (37SQN) prepares for take off at RAAF Base Richmond. (Foto: Australian DoD)

9 August 2010 -- C-130 Hercules transport aircraft crews from Indonesia will work alongside their Australian counterparts in Darwin from August 9-13 for Exercise RAJAWALI AUSINDO.

The exercise will involve a series of airdrop missions flown by both countries focusing on the use of the C-130 Hercules as an effective air mobility platform. RAJAWALI AUSINDO is one of several regular 'AUSINDO' exercises conducted between the two countries, with other iterations focusing on areas such as maritime patrol and air combat.

A contingent from the Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU, or Indonesian Air Force) No. 32 Squadron will bring a C-130 Hercules to participate in the exercise. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will bring a C-130H Hercules and crew from No. 37 Squadron, based at RAAF Base Richmond. A load recovery team from the Australian Army's No. 176 Air Dispatch Squadron will be located at Delamere Range.

Officer Commanding No. 86 Wing, Group Captain Richard Lennon, said Australia and Indonesia share a history of using the Hercules to assist one another.

"Indonesia sent their Hercules to provide relief to Australians following Cyclone Tracy, and Australia's Hercules provided support in Sumatra for the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami relief effort," Group Captain Lennon said.

"Australian and Indonesian personnel share a history of achieving great feats with the Hercules, and this year's Exercise RAJAWALI AUSINDO will allow them to continue doing so."

As Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago and Australia is the world's largest island continent, effective air mobility plays an important role for both countries. In this role, the C-130 Hercules is able to transport loads of up to 20 tonnes as well as carry personnel, aero-medical evacuation patients, and operate from short, semi-prepared airstrips.

Through Exercise RAJAWALI AUSINDO, aircrew and groundcrew from both countries brief each other to gain a better understanding of how each other operates. "The experience gained through RAJAWALI AUSINDO by both countries is all the more relevant given the unpredictable nature of many humanitarian disasters in our region," Group Captain Lennon said.

"Australia remains committed to working with its neighbours through exercises such as RAJAWALI AUSINDO, sharing methods and practices which will deliver more effective air mobility in the real world."

Australia DoD