More Defence news: 16 February 2009 - 22 February 2009
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Minister meets counterparts at NATO | Caribou retirement announced | Army engineers – helping Afghans to rebuild | Diggers rebuild bridges in Zabol Province | Commonwealth Disaster Plan update |
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Minister meets counterparts at NATO
20 February - The Minister for Defence, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon, met with his counterparts from a number of nations in Krakow, Thursday, February 19. More: Image gallery | Media release | Media release |
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19 February – After 45 years of proud service, the Air Force DHC-4 Caribou will retire at the end of this year. The announcement was made on 19 February 2009 by Minister for Defence, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, who said, “Our nation is extremely proud of the magnificent service that the Caribou has provided to the Royal Australian Air Force over the past five decades.” RAAF took delivery of its first Caribou in April 1964. Operated by Number 38 Squadron, based in Townsville, the Caribou has supported ADF operations throughout the South West Pacific and in South East Asia. It has seen active service in Vietnam, humanitarian relief in Kashmir, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea, and has also supported peacekeeping operations in Solomon Islands and East Timor. Its retirement was brought forward due to age-related factors including corrosion, fatigue and obsolescence issues, which made the aircraft increasingly difficult and costly to maintain. A future Tactical Battlefield Airlift capability is being procured through Project Air 8000 Phase 2, with a scheduled in-service date of 2013. In the meantime No. 38 SQN will operate up to eight Hawker Pacific King Air light transport aircraft. More: Press release | Air Force fact sheet | Image gallery |
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Army engineers – helping Afghans to rebuild
19 February – Army engineers in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, recently conducted a round of regular inspections on construction projects, including a boys’ primary school. Seven engineers make up the Works Section of the 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF-1). They fall into the categories of civil engineers, construction supervisors, a draftsman and a surveyor. The section supervises the design and management of contracted reconstruction projects, being conducted with local Afghan tradespeople. MRTF-1 undertakes construction work and provides mentoring and training for the Afghan National Army in Uruzgan Province. More: Image gallery |
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Diggers rebuild bridges in Zabol Province
In late December, Australian soldiers successfully completed a dangerous engineering task in southern Afghanistan, by rebuilding two bridges on Highway One that were destroyed by Taliban insurgents in Zabol Province. The 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force was chosen for the dangerous mission by the International Security Assistance Force as the unit had the unique combination of combat power and engineering expertise. The task had its own logistical challenges; 50 vehicles and 200 personnel travelling through three provinces and more than 400kms, facing the constant threat of road-side bomb and insurgent attack, while also working at an altitude equivalent to Australia’s highest mountain. The challenges didn’t stop there, as their task was to rebuild a bridge to span a 30-metre gap over a collapsed crossing. By rebuilding the bridges troops have reconnected communities, re-enabled access for the distribution of humanitarian aid, the conduct of commerce and trade, and access to medical and school facilities. The soldiers of the 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force, completed their mission without incident and well ahead of schedule, in some of the worst conditions experienced during their reconstruction efforts. |
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Operation VIC FIRE ASSIST
Under the Commonwealth Disaster Plan, Defence’s contribution to the continuing bushfire crisis in Victoria expanded to approximately 670 personnel. The Joint Task Force includes an Engineer Support Group that consists of around 75 personnel and seven heavy plant machines, two chainsaw sections and logistics support and is currently operating in nine locations throughout the affected areas. A total of 75 kilometres of containment lines have been constructed to protect Whittlesea, Bradford and Yan Yean Reservoir. Chainsaw teams have cleared 35 kilometres of roads throughout the Mount Disappointment National Park, completed support to fuel reduction tasks and have cut a 20 metre firebreak around four heritage-sensitive Aboriginal art sites north of Myrtleford. Approximately 120 square kilometres of fire damaged areas have been searched, including 1300 houses of which two thirds have been destroyed, in the townships of Kinglake, Flowerdale, Hazeldene, Marysville, St Andrews, Yarra Glen and Traralgon. Defence has established accommodation for 160 people in Alexandra and 200 people in Marysville, including tents, a field kitchen, bedding and stretchers for a relief centre in Alexandra. Defence has commenced the establishment of a major relief centre at Kinglake for up to 1500 people. More: Media release | Image gallery | Operation VIC FIRE ASSIST |
