HMAS Sirius off the coast of Darwin during Exercise Kakadu.

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Two thousand sailors and airmen from nine nations are gearing up in northern Australia for Exercise Kakadu IX, an important international Defence exercise.

The 19 day exercise will bring together Defence personnel from Australia, New Zealand, the French Armed Forces - New Caledonia (FANC), Singapore, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, Japan and Thailand; with observers from the Philippines, Indonesia and India.