Australia and Indonesia will conduct a counter-terrorism exercise, the second since resumption of joint training involving the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) and the controversial Kopassus special force.
But defence won't say when, where or how many troops from each side will take part. "No specific information on this type of training activity will be released due to operational security reasons," a defence spokesman said.
The exercise follows the first joint SASR and Kopassus counter-terrorism exercise conducted in Perth in February last year.
That exercise, code-named Dawn Kookaburra, concentrated on counter-hijack and hostage recovery operations. The upcoming exercise will be the second in the series and with venues commonly rotated, it likely to be in Indonesia.
"The Australian Defence Force has taken steps to develop training with TNI (Indonesian Armed Forces) in the areas of hostage recovery and counter-hijack operations," the spokesman said today.
"TNI's Kopassus Unit 81, currently represents Indonesia's most effective capability in these areas. "In the event of a terrorist incident, the safety of Australians in Indonesia could rest on effective cooperation between the ADF and TNI."
The spokesman said building links through joint training between the ADF and Kopassus would increase Australian effectiveness in working with TNI in the event of a terrorist incident.
Former defence minister Robert Hill announced a resumption of joint training between Australian and Indonesian special forces in December 2005, ending an eight year moratorium.
Australian defence ties with Indonesia grew through the 1980s and 1990s, mainly between Kopassus and the Perth-based SASR, but ended abruptly in 1999 when Australia led the international mission to East Timor.
The relationship with Kopassus was always controversial because of its well documented involvement in human rights abuses in East Timor, Aceh and West Papua.
A 2004 report released by the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University warned that Kopassus frequently, if not exclusively, operated in an illegal manner and there was little evidence it had changed its ways.
Kopassus Unit 81 has a specific counter-terrorist role. The government believes it possesses the most effective capability to respond to a hijack or conduct a hostage recovery operation involving Australians in Indonesia.
Other joint training between the ADF and TNI is planned. The RAAF and Indonesian Air Forces will conduct a maritime surveillance exercise called Albatross Ausindo off Northern Australia in the second half of this year.