Australia has deployed personnel and assets to Exercise Bersama Shield 2026, with cyber operations one plank of a broader push to strengthen multi-domain defence coordination across south-east Asia.
The Australian Defence Force has committed around 130 personnel and a Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan aircraft to the exercise, which is being conducted under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) alongside Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
While traditionally centred on air and maritime defence, this year’s exercise places increased emphasis on cyber as a core operational domain.
Running across Malaysia, Singapore, and surrounding regions, the exercise is designed to simulate complex, integrated scenarios spanning land, sea, air, and cyber environments.
The inclusion of cyber elements underscores a shift in how regional defence cooperation is evolving, as militaries contend with increasingly sophisticated cyber threats targeting communications, logistics, and command systems.
Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral Justin Jones said the exercise remains a critical mechanism for strengthening interoperability between FPDA partners, particularly as security challenges become more complex and interconnected.
“For more than five decades, the FPDA has played a vital role in regional security. Australia is proud of its enduring contribution to that arrangement, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen these longstanding relationships,” VADM Jones said.
He added that the exercise, alongside the Headquarters Integrated Area Defence System at RMAF Base Butterworth, plays a key role in maintaining operational integration and collaboration between partner forces.
The Five Power Defence Arrangements, established in 1971, remains the longest-standing multilateral defence agreement in south-east Asia.
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David Hollingworth
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.