The first half of joint Australia-US war games are being hailed as a success despite minor interruptions by bold peace activists.
The biennial Exercise Talisman Sabre, held over 20 days, has seen 33,000 Australian, US, New Zealand and Japanese personnel take part in exercises in central Queensland and the Northern Territory.
US Lieutenant General Stephen Lanza said over the past decade Australia and the US have learned how they want to conduct security operations.
"These kinds of operations ... continue to add the different levels of capabilities and complexity in terms of how we work with partners," he said at Brisbane's Gallipoli Barracks on Wednesday.
"More importantly, how we work with the inter-agency (group) to come to a solution that allows stability to be done quickly."
Lt Gen Lanza said missions in Iraq and Afghanistan had illustrated the need to practice such co-operation.
The training has been targeted by peace activists, including three grandmothers who blockaded a gate at the Shoalwater Bay training zone by setting up a morning tea table on Monday.
The three, who were each fined $500 during appearances in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court, questioned how the Chinese would view the "war rehearsals".
"Do you think it is helping our relationship with our biggest trading partner?" they asked.
But Australian Brigadier Philip Bridie said the exercises should not come as a surprise.
"This is about US and Australia building up our capability (and) being able to work together," he said.
Lt Gen Lanza said it wasn't about any specific country.
"This is exactly what we want when we talk about the re-balancing of the Pacific," he said.
"It's about what you can do to prevent ... conflict in the region, how you lead to security and how you lead to stability."
"Both military security, but also economic security."
Brig Bridie acknowledged the protesters' rights to voice opposing views.
"The only thing that I ask is they do it in a way that takes into account the safety of other people and property and equipment," he said.
During the 2013 exercises, US warplanes were forced to drop four bombs on the Great Barrier Reef when they ran dangerously low on fuel and two inert explosives were left there.
The 2015 event was free of such mishaps, Lt Gen Lanza said.
"From an Army perspective, its been extremely safe and extremely well done."
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