An Australian Defence Group (ADF) Joint Task Group, Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2017, is participating in a series of key military exercises throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Running from September to November, Indo-Pacific Endeavour will focus on enhancing military cooperation with some of Australia’s key regional partners including Indonesia, Japan, India, Malaysia, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Brunei, Timor-Leste, Thailand, Cambodia and the Federated States of Micronesia.

The deployment, in planning for more than 12 months, is part of ongoing efforts to enhance and develop strong positive relations with regional militaries through both dialogue and practical activities. The Joint Task Group will demonstrate the ADF's ability to operate across the full spectrum of military operations, from high-end military capabilities such as anti-submarine warfare to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

HMAS Adelaide will be accompanied at various stages of the deployment by HMAS Melbourne, HMAS Darwin, HMAS Toowoomba, HMAS Parramatta, and HMAS Sirius, making it the biggest coordinated task group deployment in many decades. Indo-Pacific Endeavour will also involve service personnel from the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Group and include Defence civilians, ADF helicopters, and fixed wing aircraft.