The UK has sent its largest ever military contingent to war games in Darwin, in what its ambassador says demonstrates Britain's intentions in the Indo-Pacific.
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The British forces will participate in Predator's Run, an exercise alongside the Philippines and Australian special forces.
The land-based exercise coincides with Pitch Black, one of the largest tactical air operations in the world, hosted by the Australian Royal Air Force and includes 20 countries, more than 140 aircraft and 4500 personnel.
But the strategic move by the UK to send large rotations could be the start of ongoing British military and naval presence in the north and west of the country under the AUKUS partnership.
"I think what this demonstrates is what Britain is intent on doing, which is to play our part in this part of the world as well," British High Commissioner to Australia Vicki Treadell told the ABC.
"Our return to this region is not just in the strengthening of our diplomatic presence."
A defence strategic review released last year stated Australia, through its AUKUS agreement with the UK and US, needed "to strengthen multilateral, trilateral and bilateral partnership … while enhancing regional multilateral exercises".
Next week the top brass from the US, UK and Australian navies will meet for the first time in Sterling, WA, where the home nation plans to eventually house one of its nuclear-powered submarines.
Ms Treadell said she was pleased with the progress at Sterling after speaking with the federal and state governments about the redevelopment.
"I was very pleased to see the first nuclear-powered submarine that came into Perth was actually a British class submarine … and we will see astute-class submarines beginning to rotate into Perth in the coming years."
Ms Treadell told ABC relationships between the incoming government and Australian government had started within 24 hours of UK Labor taking office.
"Within 24 hours of Keir Starmer becoming a new prime minister, he was on the phone to your prime minister … three days later, the new foreign secretary had his first call with Foreign Minister Penny Wong," she said.
Australian Associated Press
