13 March 2025
HMAS Hobart joined 17 nations off the coast of Indonesia in February in one of the region’s most significant multilateral exercises – Exercise Komodo.
Consisting of a shore and sea component, Komodo gave participating navies opportunities to hone their skills together and foster closer relationships.
Ashore on the island of Bali, subject-matter experts exchanged knowledge and best practices to increase planning and response cooperation.
Time was set aside for members from participating navies to parade together and compete in a hard-fought ‘fun sports day’, with Hobart’s crew digging in at the tug-of-war, among other activities.
At sea, 25 ships conducted maritime scenarios, including a search and rescue, to elevate their ability to work together in response to contingencies within the region.
Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral Justin Jones said it was the fifth time Australia has supported the exercise.
“Our participation in Exercise Komodo, along with other bilateral and multilateral exercises with Indonesia, demonstrates our shared commitment to an open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific region,” Vice Admiral Jones said.
'Building these cooperative relationships ashore is just as important as building them at sea.'
Hobart’s ship’s company proudly represented Australia in both phases of the exercise, and demonstrated Australia’s willingness to lend a hand, pitching in with members from the Indonesian Navy and Australia’s Consulate-General for a cleaning activity at Mertasari Beach.
Commanding Officer Hobart Commander Alisha Withers remarked on her crew’s pride in participating in another significant exercise.
“Building these cooperative relationships ashore is just as important as building them at sea. I was proud to see the enthusiasm from my team,” Commander Withers said.
“The exercise was an outstanding success. I am immensely proud of the work and professionalism demonstrated by my team.”
Hobart undertook Exercise Komodo as part of the ADF’s first regional presence deployment for 2025, which concluded on February 27.
Indo-Pacific regional presence deployments demonstrate Australia’s commitment and ability to maintain a near continuous presence in the region to support regional security and stability.
