SAF's largest overseas drill under way in Australia

Over 5,000 personnel and 500 platforms involved in this year's Exercise Wallaby

- Ng Wei Kai Correspondent

Singapore's largest unilateral overseas military drill is under way with more than 5,000 personnel and 500 platforms stretching their capabilities in the vast space of Australia's Shoalwater Bay.

The drill, known as Exercise Wallaby, is in its 35th edition and sees the Singapore Artillery deploy its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) rocket launchers there for the first time.

The Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) deputy lead for the exercise, Colonel Andy Quek, told the media on Oct 24 that the drills demonstrate the SAF's ability to fight at the brigade and division levels, and across multiple domains.

The training area - in the eastern state of Queensland - is five times the size of Singapore and provides the SAF with space to conduct training at a scale, scope and complexity not possible in Singapore, he noted.

Beyond sharpening its war-fighting competencies, the SAF is also working closely with the defence technology community to translate new technology into operational use during the exercise, he said.

The exercise began in September and is scheduled to end in early November. It is now in its third phase or "frame".