Command post exercise solidifies interoperability

On a dark airfield in Hokkaido, Japan, a contingent of about 250 personnel from HQ 1 Div arrived on a RAAF KC-30A to participate in Exercise Yama Sakura 91.

The exercise tested the ability of Australian, Japanese and US forces to operate as a coalition to conduct fires, manoeuvre and sustainment, multi-domain operations, and integrated air and missile defence. It was also a rehearsal for the HQ in the command and control of the operations.

Exercise director Lt-Col Robert Tierney said a persistent challenge for Australian forces was integrating effectively within larger and increasingly complex military coalitions.

“HQ 1 Div conducts operational planning very well, but what Exercise Yama Sakura 91 provides is the opportunity to practise operating at scale within a coalition, to build depth of experience in regional operations and fight through interoperability challenges to prepare for contingencies,” Lt-Col Tierney said.

“As we continue to increase our level of engagement with Japan across air, land, sea and cyber domains, we demonstrate our commitment to enhanced defence and security cooperation.”

Cmdr 1 Div Maj-Gen Ash Collingburn said 2026 marked the 75th anniversary of the Australia, New Zealand and US Security Treaty and the 50th anniversary of the Australia-Japan Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.

He said these relationships provided the foundation for the division to translate Australia’s alliance with the US and strategic partnership with Japan into practical warfighting.

“Decades of trust, cooperation and shared purpose contribute to collective deterrence and a secure and prosperous region,” Maj-Gen Collingburn said.

“Exercise Yama Sakura 91 prepares 1 Div for modern large-scale combat operations, where emerging technologies shape the speed, scale and complexity of decision-making.

“It challenges the HQ to maintain situational awareness and coordinate forces when space-enabled communications, navigation, positioning, timing and intelligence are critical and contested.

“Exercise Yama Sakura provides an excellent opportunity to rehearse against a realistic and contemporary threat, allowing us to build the technical, procedural and human interoperability needed to fight and win as a coalition.”