Coronavirus: War games on hold but ADF ‘still ready’, says Lieutenant General John Fre­wen

The world’s biggest naval war games, the US Pacific Fleet’s ­RIMPAC off Hawaii, are expected to be ­postponed.

Lieutenant General John Frewen. Picture: Kym Smith

The world’s biggest naval war games, the US Pacific Fleet’s ­RIMPAC, are expected to be ­postponed, scratching a fifth major training exercise for the Aus­tralian Defence Force this year.

Lieutenant General John Fre­wen, who is co-ordinating the ­Department of Defence’s response to the pandemic, said all non-­essential ADF training was being cancelled to ensure Australia’s military capabilities were not ­com­promised by the coronavirus.

He highlighted the impact of the disease on US and French ­aircraft carriers, which have been ­unable to sail with hundreds of crew infected with COVID-19.

“You’ve seen what happened to the (USS) Teddy Roosevelt and the (French carrier) Charles de Gaulle. They are the situations that all of us are trying to avoid at the moment,” General Frewen told The Weekend Australian.

“We are keeping capabilities active where we need to and where we can, but of course mitigating in every way we can to ensure these capabilities don’t get suddenly knocked offline.”

So far, 32 ADF personnel have tested positive, and all but three have recovered. General Frewen said “dozens if not hundreds” of ADF personnel had been forced to self-isolate after coming into contact with positive COVID-19 cases, but operational readiness had not been adversely affected.

Australia was due to send a major contingent to the biennial RIMPAC exercises, held off ­Hawaii, but the state’s governor has asked the US military to delay the international exercises until after the pandemic crisis.

In 2018, the Australian Defence Force sent four surface ships, a Collins-class submarine, a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, and more than 1600 personnel to RIMPAC, joining military forces from 24 other nations.

Defence has also been forced to cancel the RAAF’s largest air combat exercises, Pitch Black 2020, along with the army’s Exercise Hamel 2020.

Major exercises with the US Marines in the Northern Territory will not proceed this year, after the scheduled rotation of 2500 US personnel to Darwin was called off due to health concerns.

And Exercise Bersama Shield, with Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and the UK, has also been cancelled.

General Frewen said the navy had ships at sea, but strict protocols were in place for screening of crews.

“We are observing folks all the time across the enterprise. Crews that are about to go to sea will be screened. Anybody with symptoms … will be isolated and will not go to sea. And these ships tend to go on patrol for a minimum of 14 days, so you are getting a ­parallel quarantine.”

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said her priority was ensuring the safety of ADF personnel, as well as the security of the nation.

“Our primary responsibility to defend our nation continues,” she said. “Defence plans and commitments, however, are being adapted, including those for military activities and exercises.”