11 April 2025
After a week of high-end anti-submarine warfare training, the Royal Australian Air Force and United States Navy successfully conducted co-crewed sorties above the Indo-Pacific skies.
Exercise Sea Dragon 25 brought together maritime contingents including the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Navy and Indian Navy, rehearsing coordinated anti-submarine warfare prosecution against simulated and live targets from Guam.
For Air Force and US Navy participants, the culminating co-crewed event aboard respective P-8A Poseidon aircraft marked a major milestone in operational interoperability.
Officer Commanding 92 Wing of Surveillance and Response Group, Group Captain Arran Moore, emphasised the significance of this activity within the Air Force and US Navy cooperative P-8A program.
“This level of interoperability demonstrates our ability to operate seamlessly as an integrated force within the maritime air domain,” Group Captain Moore said.
“Today’s strategic environment demands that we work closely with our allies and partners, and this activity highlights just how strong our alliance partnership truly is.
“The fact that we can form a crew comprised of both US Navy and Air Force operators, and successfully conduct high-end anti-submarine warfare missions is a clear demonstration of our preparedness, flexibility and ability to deliver the required effects and achieve the mission at hand.”
For Air Force, the multinational exercise provided an opportunity to enhance individual and group-training scenarios aboard Australia’s most proven multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft.
'This level of interoperability demonstrates our ability to operate seamlessly as an integrated force within the maritime air domain.'
The P-8A Poseidon’s advanced mission system and integrated sensor suite, including a multi-role radar, electro-optical camera, and high-capacity acoustic system, ensure it can conduct maritime patrol missions both individually and as part of a joint force.
Flight Lieutenant Damien Greaves, Commander of the Australian Sea Dragon Detachment, spoke of the next level of multinational interoperability that co-crewed flights such as these would enable into the future.
“Exercise Sea Dragon was a great opportunity to test the embedding of American personnel aboard our aircraft and vice-versa,” Flight Lieutenant Greaves said.
“Between the two crews, we were able to strengthen our knowledge and awareness of each other’s tactics and procedures, and build on our ability to conduct joint mission sets in real-world scenarios for next time.
“The more that we train together, the more effective we become as an integrated force, and this sortie was a perfect example of the direction we are moving toward.”
As geopolitical challenges in the Indo-Pacific continue to evolve, interoperability remains a cornerstone of Australia’s defence strategy.
The ability to co-crew aircraft ensures that Australian and American forces can rapidly respond to emerging threats, deterring potential adversaries and reinforcing regional stability.
