An Australian defence contingent has spent the past fortnight practising a humanitarian crisis response alongside more than 2,200 French military personnel, as the two countries try to put the cancelled submarine deal behind them.
After a few years of hiatus due to COVID-19, Exercise Croix Du Sud this year included 3,000 personnel from 19 countries responding to a scenario where a tsunami hits the French territory in the Pacific, about 1,500 kilometres east of Queensland.
According to the French Armed Forces, it's the largest multinational exercise ever conducted in New Caledonia.
Australia's contingent of 240 is the biggest after the French, and they have worked alongside numerous countries' personnel, including the French Foreign Legion and the Royal Gurkha Regiment.
"This Croix Du Sud is the largest in this iteration of this series of exercises," said Captain John Cowan, the Australian Defence Force's contingent commander for the exercise.
"It's got the largest number of ships, the largest number of aircraft and the greatest number of land forces.
"One of the things that Australia, we are able to do here is help bring together those very divergent groups of nations, noting that Australia sits very comfortably working with the South-west Pacific, as well as very comfortable working with our European NATO allies."
There are 10 navy ships involved, including the French Landing Helicopter Dock Dixmude, which recently docked in Townsville, along with 15 aircraft.
Australia has contributed a C-27J Spartan aircraft, piloted by the RAAF's flying officer Hayden Krammer, and the vessel Reliant to the exercise.
Personnel have taken part in humanitarian aid drops and a diving mission to identify World War II mines left in New Caledonian waters, alongside members of the US coastguard and French Navy.
"Australia has an essential role," said France's High Commissioner in New Caledonia, Louis Le Franc.
"Because it is a big country here in the South Pacific, it's the biggest.
"It's a country with which France, through New Caledonia, is brought to work [and] coordinate with."
Both countries seem intent on moving on from Australia's decision in 2021 to cancel a multi-billion dollar French submarine contract, in favour of nuclear powered subs through the AUKUS deal.
Mr Le Franc told the ABC France's relationship with Australia is "excellent".
"AUKUS is first of all an alliance between different countries," he said.
"I think despite the problems that you have referred to, France's place here in the Pacific is important because it is completely integral to Australia's, New Zealand's, Japan's force to eventually confront any threats that might arise in the Pacific."
It's a sentiment shared by Australia's Captain Cowan: "French-Australia relations through Croix du Sud are actually very strong."
Commander of the French Armed Forces in New Caledonia Brigadier General Valery Putz says Australia is the most important foreign contingent taking part in the exercise.
"It was very important for us to welcome the country which is one of the two closest countries to New Caledonia, Australia, New Zealand, and which is also a country that has been a long time cooperating from an operational point of view," he told the ABC.
"This cooperation has received a new momentum since the very beginning of March, with ADF representative I signed a cooperation plan for the five years to come.
"So that's an important sign of the cooperation between Australia and France here in Oceania In the Pacific."
Numerous Pacific nations are also taking part in the exercise, along with the US and UK.
Papua New Guinea's (PNG) Defence Force Chief Major General Mark Goina said AUKUS was a matter for Australia as a sovereign nation.
"As partners we will support the decision that Australia does based on their assessment of their security needs," he said.
"As far as we are concerned we have been thoroughly briefed by Australia."
Brigadier Matt Weston, of the New Zealand Army, said he hadn't noticed any tensions between Australia and their hosts.
"There hasn't been any sign of that," he said.
"I think this exercise is about all of our nations coming together on a humanitarian assistance disaster, that disaster relief scenario, and working together and practising how we might operate in future disasters.
"I think that's been a very clear focus and has carried through the exercise really well."
Captain Cowan said Croix du Sud was essential to ensuring countries could work together effectively in responding to future natural disasters.
"We have a very strong and interoperable capability with our French colleagues, as well as we do with our PNG colleagues or Solomon Islanders or Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, etc," he said.
"We find that the more we exercise together, when we're not actually faced with the complexity of a real event … our performance and our ability to support a local population in need during a real event, is that much more well developed."
France has a permanent military presence in the Pacific, with around 1,500 active service members stationed in New Caledonia.
