Australia's and Papua New Guinea's current joint military exercise will next week see a mock assault on a stretch of coastline near Port Moresby.
600 Australian and 200 PNG soldiers have been involved in Operation Olgeta Warrior which will next deal with a fictitious scenario where a government has lost control.
The exercise comes amid calls in PNG to reverse the cuts to its military.
While Australia has favoured seeing PNGDF numbers stable or be reduced, the PNG government and military are keen to nearly double the force to about 5,000.
Colonel Vagi Oala, who is in charge of the PNG side of the exercise, says PNG has six million people but only 2,500 men in the force.
