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Townsville, Australia — Exercise Southern Jackaroo 2026 opened with a multinational ceremony bringing together forces from the United States, Australia, and Japan. Running from May 29 to July 3, the training aims to build a cohesive force capable of operating across the Indo-Pacific’s complex environments.
U.S. Marines and Sailors from 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment and Combat Logistics Battalion 5, both with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 26, are working alongside the Australian Defence Force’s 3rd Brigade, with maneuver elements from the U.S. Army and Japan Self Defense Force.
This year’s primary focus is advancing interoperability by aligning communications, tactics, and procedures during rigorous field training to reduce friction and enable seamless cooperation, preparing the forces to respond to regional challenges as a unified front. The exercise is also designed to test combined-arms integration through a demanding progression that includes force-on-force offensive and defensive operations, mounted machine-gun gunnery, and mortar employment.
Through coordinated live-fire attacks and mounted maneuvers, participating units will demonstrate their ability to synchronize fires, maneuver, and effects for a decisive battlefield advantage, culminating in a multi-national combined-arms live-fire exercise.
“Exercise Southern Jackaroo enhances our collective capability by integrating U.S. Marines alongside our allies in realistic, demanding scenarios. By practicing how we communicate and work together on the ground, we ensure that our combined forces maintain a high state of combat readiness and a decisive tactical edge.” Lt. Col. Mark Saville, commanding officer of 1st Bn., 5th Marines.
The month-long training brings together U.S. Marines, Sailors and Soldiers with the Australian Defence Force and Japan Self Defense Force to hone combined-arms integration and tactical interoperability through rigorous live-fire scenarios, with the goal of operating seamlessly together across the Indo-Pacific.
