Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith has denied he buried a box of USBs in his backyard so they wouldn't be discovered by investigators.

Giving evidence for a fourth day at his defamation trial, the former special forces soldier said the devices were sent to him anonymously.

On them were many images of soldiers drinking at a bar on an Afghanistan base known as the Fat Ladies Arms, some using a prosthetic leg.

READ MORE: Ben Roberts-Smith says Victoria Cross win put a 'target on his back'

Mr Roberts-Smith said he left them at a desk in his matrimonial home.

"It came to my attention my wife and her friend…had access to the USBs for many months" he said today.

But he claimed to have saved all images to his laptop and that he sent them to his lawyers.

He also denied he was trying to evade investigators when he used pre-paid phones to talk to other soldiers about who might be talking to the media.

Mr Roberts-Smith said he was worried about hacking, with the News of the World scandal playing on his mind.

"My view was that I just needed to talk on something that wasn't going to be compromised by the media."

READ MORE: Roberts-Smith wipes away tears as he gives evidence at trial

Although the first articles in June 2018 didn't identify him and instead used the name "Leonidas" from the Spartan film 300, he said it was clear they were talking about him.

He said that was because they referred to a person with a large stature, who had links to senior members of the military and had tattoos.

He told the court he had a tattoo of a spartan helmet on his right ribcage.

The former soldier said he fielded many phone calls and messages, but that some were of support.

Seven West Media boss Kerry Stokes among the well-wishers, along with former AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty and then Australian War Memorial director Brendan Nelson who said he was "disgusted" at what had been written.

He spent some of the morning in tears as he described the impact of the allegations on his life.

"It was and it is something that just crushes me, crushes my soul because I gave so much to that job and it's all lies," Mr Roberts-Smith told the court.

READ MORE: Roberts-Smith's relationship with solicitor questioned

"Whilst I put on a brave face because I feel people deserve that when I'm dealing with them and because of what people expect from a Victoria Cross recipient, I very much struggle to get out of bed."

He said he also struggled with anxiety.

"Now when I walk down the street people will look at me and the first thing I think of is that they think I've hit a woman," Mr Roberts-Smith said.

Nine is using a defence of truth and will begin cross examining Mr Roberts-Smith tomorrow.

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It's the stuff of nightmares for many and peak Straya for others.

A giant huntsman emerged on the cockpit ceiling of a Cessna and dropped on top of a panicked pilot, just as the single propeller plane was landing at a tiny airfield in the Northern Territory.

Footage of the high-flying arachnid, obtained by 9News.com.au, shows the huntsman crawl and fall during a flight over the NT's Kakadu National Park yesterday.

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New South Wales tourist Sean Hancock, who was a passenger alongside his wife Colleen and the pilot, called it a "great Northern Territory experience."

The spider, which Mr Hancock described as a 15-centimetre "big boy", had been spotted inside the small plane a week earlier, but workers thought it had escaped.

Not so.

Instead, it could be seen in the video scuttling behind a windshield visor and then dropping somewhere in the cabin, after it had bounced off the pilot's lap.

"He's panicking, trying to brush it off his leg," Mr Hancock said, describing the pilot's reaction. "He wasn't a fan at all."

Mr Hancock had been videoing the plane's descent as it tracked towards a small red-brown airstrip, framed by lush green vegetation.

"I noticed the pilot leaning over to the left and looking over his shoulder at my wife," he said.

His wife Colleen then pointed up.

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"I saw the spider and I just started laughing because I knew it was just a harmless huntsman," Mr Hancock said.

As the plane touched down, the vibrations shook the huntsman loose.

"He'd have been a good 15-centimetres across," he said.

"He was a big boy."

Mr Hancock, who owns pet snakes, said he wasn't scared by the stowaway.

After the flight, Mr Hancock and his wife went to watch "croc jumping" to round out what he said was a perfect day in the NT.

READ MORE: Huntsman spider populations are booming

US military planners are considering setting up a permanent naval task force in the Asia Pacific region to counter China's security threats, reports say.

The proposed naval force would be based on a similar NATO maritime unit that operated in the North Atlantic during the Cold War, POLITICO reports.

The Standing Naval Forces Atlantic was a quick reaction of force from US and western European warships that could rapidly respond to a crisis, but largely sailed around the region, taking part in planned exercises and making goodwill port visits.

READ MORE: China denounces NATO statement, defends defence policy

Typically, about 10 ships from multiple NATO nations served in the force for up to six months.

It is not clear whether a similar Pacific force would be comprised of solely US warships or include vessels from allied navies such as Australia or Japan.

The plan for a beefed-up US naval presence in the Asia Pacific comes after President Joe Biden pledged to crack down on China's growing influence in the region.

NATO allies joined the United States on Monday in formally scolding Beijing as a "constant security challenge."

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Meanwhile, two Australian warships are preparing to hold exercises with a large British naval force in the Pacific.

The Department of Defence has confirmed to nine.com.au that two Royal Australian Navy frigates will carry out naval drills with the UK Carrier Strike Group, led by HMS Queen Elizabeth.

"We are seeking opportunities to engage with the UK Carrier Strike Group at sea and with the air wing during their upcoming deployment," a Defence Department spokesman said.

"This may include activities under Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2021, the Australian Defence Force's flagship regional engagement deployment." 

The Ever Given is no longer blocking the Suez Canal, but the crisis is far from over for companies forced to endure a protracted legal battle in hopes of recovering goods worth hundreds of millions of dollars that have been stuck on the impounded container ship for months.

IKEA and Lenovo are among the companies with products stuck on the Japanese-owned vessel that blocked the Suez Canal for six days in March.

Smaller firms such as UK bicycle maker Pearson 1860 and Snuggy UK, which makes wearable blankets, also have vital orders stuck in limbo.

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"We don't hold out much hope of seeing our stock this year and although it is insured in transit, we have guessed there will be little chance of seeing a settlement for months if not years," Will Pearson, director of Pearson 1860, told CNN Business.

His company has products worth more than US$100,000 ($130,088) on the ship.

An Egyptian court impounded the Ever Given and its 18,300 cargo containers after the Suez Canal Authority filed an initial US$916 million ($1.1 billion) compensation claim against Japanese ship owner Shoei Kisen Kaisha for damages and losses incurred when the ship ran aground in a narrow part of the canal, blocking traffic.

The Ever Given — and its cargo — are being held in the canal's Great Bitter Lake during the legal battle.

Several companies with products on the Ever Given told CNN Business they have been left in the dark about the status of their goods as legal proceedings continue, and are excluded from negotiations surrounding their release.

Even if a deal is reached, the companies or their insurers are likely to be on the hook for a portion of the settlement.

The companies may be forced to pay under a maritime law principle called "general average," which requires parties involved in a voyage to proportionally share costs in the event of a loss.

READ MORE: China hits back at NATO over military threats

The principle has its roots in regulations governing maritime trade set out by the people of Rhodes more than a millennium ago in what is now Greece.

"If somebody [the ship owners in this case] incurs an extraordinary expense for the common good, then everybody is asked to contribute to it," said Jai Sharma, the head of cargo casualty at Clyde & Co., a law firm that represents companies and insurers with over US$100 million ($130,088,900) in cargo on the Ever Given.

The firm estimates the total value of goods on board to be US$600 million ($780,538,800) to US$700 million ($910,628,600).

Shoei Kisen Kaisha declined to comment for this story.

The Suez Canal Authority did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Stuck in limbo

IKEA told CNN Business that it has a variety of products on board the ship, but declined to provide further specifics about the shipment.

Lenovo confirmed it also has cargo aboard the ship, and a spokesperson said the company is "exploring ways to recover the goods."

The stakes are even higher for companies like EasyEquipment, a small UK business that does not have marine insurance on US$100,000 ($130,088) worth of commercial refrigerators that were supposed to be delivered to restaurants before coronavirus restrictions eased in May.

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"Not only have we lost all profits from this crucial order, but this has also affected restaurant businesses that were hoping to reopen their doors after lockdown," said CEO Michael Shah.

"We're caught in this limbo, and I know I'm going to have to foot this added [general average] bill to get my stock back."

Pearson 1860 said it has received few updates regarding legal negotiations and the status of its shipment from canal authorities, Shoei Kisen Kaisha or Evergreen, which operates the vessel.

"There seems to be ongoing shifting of blame and insurance wrangling taking place between the ship owners, Evergreen and the Suez Canal authorities," Mr Pearson said.

That sentiment was echoed by Snuggy, a small UK business that was founded just two years ago.

Co-founder Jack Griffiths said over US$550,000 ($715,488) worth of its best-selling product, a hooded wearable blanket, are on the ship.

The business makes just two large orders per year, and this one was meant to see them through to the start of winter.

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Mr Griffiths said the delay is causing major cash flow issues for the business.

"We haven't been informed of anything, we are completely powerless and left in the dark," he said.

"I wish we were involved or even kept in the loop a little bit more, but we aren't.

"It's really not a great position to be in and it's a hurdle most new businesses will struggle to get over."

You can find out more details about how to book your vaccine through the Federal Government health site here.

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