22 November 2023
Indo-Pacific special forces planners converged on Sydney in October for the annual ADF School of Special Operations (ADFSSO) regional planners course.
More than 30 participants from 13 countries joined several Australian Army personnel from across Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) for the two-week course focused on non-combatant evacuations (NEO).
Special Operations Commander for Australia, Major General Paul Kenny, welcomed the students to Australia during his address, emphasising the importance of working cooperatively in a multilateral environment.
“Whenever I meet with our Five Eyes and Indo-Pacific partners we agree on the need to work together in a multilateral way,” Major General Kenny said.
“Our strategic environment is shifting and it’s important we all work together more to ensure multilateral interoperability and a peaceful, secure and prosperous region.”
Commander of Indonesian special forces (Kopassus), Major General Deddy Suryadi, who was in Australia for counterpart talks with SOCOMD, also met the students at HMAS Kuttabul.
Lecturers from UNSW at ADFA provided lessons on contemporary planning considerations and detailed historical NEO and disaster-response operations.
Students on the course came from Brunei, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
“It’s great to have such a broad spread of Indo-Pacific countries attending the course,” Major ‘J’, from ADFSSO, said.
“Last year’s course participants all continue to communicate and meet up on exercises and in training, and already this year’s course participants are making new friends and interacting more than we’ve previously seen,” he said.
For some of the students it was their first time in Australia, but for others, like Lt Col ‘V’ from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, attending the course was like coming home.
“My unit works closely with 1st Commando Regiment regularly and I’ve visited Australia several times for courses, exercises and personally,” Lt Col V said.
“One of the most interesting parts was learning about each country’s special forces from each of the students.
“I’ve worked with some countries here, but to meet with them and learn more about them will make future training and operations easier.”
