The five-nation joint military exercise dubbed "Exercise Bersama Lima" has started this week in the disputed South China Sea, but the Australian Defence Forces has quickly denied the military activity is in response to China's increasing military assertiveness in the region.

As Australian troops, planes and warships have jointly begun the annual military war games with Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the Royal Australian Air Force Wing Commander, Greg Jervis, made it clear that the exercise being conducted is not meant to send a message to Beijing.

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Consistent and Clear

"Absolutely not, the Australian position in the South China Sea has always been consistent and clear,"Jervis told the ABC in an interview from an air force base in Malaysia.

Around 400 Australian personnel are participating in the three-week "Exercise Bersama Lima," together with their four allies that compose the Five Powers Defence Arrangement (FPDA) nations.

The multinational military exercise, being hosted by Singapore this year, will also be conducted in the waters of the South China Sea amid existing tension among the claimant-countries.

Operation

The Australian contingent commander said the annual military exercise will benefit the FPDA allies tremendously and that the skills and strategies they would all learn from the exercise will be useful to their respective armed forces.

"The aim of the exercise is to enhance the operability of the armed forces of Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and the UK by extending the knowledge of each other's tactics and our operational staff positions," the commander said.

He added that the war games will enable them to practice their "planning and coordination in the combined joint operational procedures within the region."

Freedom of navigation patrols

Australian naval forces have been joining the US in its freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea, reportedly angering Beijing.

Recently, a former US Naval Commander Ret. Admiral Dennis Blair called on the Australian forces to continue joint patrols and military exercises with the US in the disputed waterway in an apparent display of force amid China's protests.

" I think Australian and American ships should exercise together in the South China Sea, showing that, when they need to, they will send their armed forces in international airspace and water," he said.

Tags"Exercise Bersama Lima", South China Sea, Australian Defence Forces, FPDA nations, Singapore, Ret Admiral Dennis Blair, china