Go Bold #88: Commodore David Mazur reflects on the Royal Australian Navy Exercise Kakadu 2024

For this episode of Go Bold we are proud to welcome back Royal Canadian Navy Commodore David Mazur, the Commander of Canada's Pacific Fleet.Our topic is Exercise Kakadu, which is a biennial exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), and is supported by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).Exercise Kakadu is the RAN’s flagship regional international engagement activity and has grown in size and complexity since its inception in 1993.Exercise Kakadu provides an opportunity for regional partners to undertake multinational maritime activities through a broad spectrum of activities, from constabulary and humanitarian operations, to high-end maritime warfare in a combined environment.For those that are interested for more context, please listen to Episode 45 of Go Bold, where we spoke with Australian Navy Captain Pete Bartlett about the previous iteration of Exercise Kakadu.  For this year, Exercise Kakadu took place from September 9 to 20, and was the largest and most diverse iteration of the exercise yet.Nearly 3,000 personnel from over 30 countries, ships from 10 countries, and aircraft from five nations all gathered at the North Australian exercise area which was centered at Darwin.Canada was one of the participants with HMCS Vancouver taking part, and Commodore Mazur had the privilege to lead a Task Group at sea during the exercise.You will hear Commodore Mazur's reflections on the exercise, which started with a large Fleet Commanders Conference.You'll hear about the ships that participated and the type of warfare they exercised, including serials against a submarine and 5th Generation fighter jets.The Commodore shares lessons from the exercise and how he will leverage them for Canada's upcoming Exercise Trident Fury in 2025.This wide-ranging discussion offers a rare glimpse into the intricacies of one of the world’s most complex maritime exercises so it is a must-listen episode for anyone interested in the strategic importance of maritime operations and the leadership behind large-scale multinational exercises.This is a conversation that you will only find here on Go Bold, the platform that is uniquely known to feature the voices of senior military leaders from Allied Forces.Our thanks to Commodore Mazur for his time and kindness. Go Bold!