MEDIA RELEASE

MIN 31 /97 Wednesday February 5, 1997

AUSTRALIAN AND US FORCES PREPARE FOR TANDEM THRUST

The Minister for Defence, Mr Ian MacLachlan, today released further details of Australian and United States military preparations for Exercise Tandem Thrust 97 (TT 97).

The first of five Maritime Pre-positioning Force (MPF) ships of the United States Naval Service arrived in Gladstone, Queensland, last night. SS CAPE MOHICAN, a Heavy Lift Ship, is off-loading its stores and equipment to support US Marine Corps soldiers taking part in the exercise.

Other MPF ships will progressively berth and off-load in Gladstone, including the SS CAPELLA, SS CHESAPEAKE, the MV PFC DEWAYNE T WILLIAMS and the MV 1STLT JACK LUMMUS.

At Rockhampton, there will be a steady build up of both US and Australian exercise support troops, expected to peak at about 1 500 personnel during the main phase of the Exercise.

Engineers from Australia's 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment, the US Guam National Guard and a US Navy Construction Battalion are now engaged in preliminary maintenance and construction activity in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA).

The Guam National Guard Engineers have also completed some restoration work on an historic homestead near Byfield as a gesture of goodwill toward the local community.

Further north at Townsville, elements of the US Forces will begin arriving with the US ship, KILALEUA, due on Sunday.

Townsville will host a US Army Infantry Battalion from the 25th Infantry Division, based in Hawaii, elements of the US Army Texas National Guard and its aircraft, and a Royal Australian Air Force squadron and substantial logistic support.

In all, about 1 750 US and Australian personnel taking part in TT97 will deploy through Townsville.

Exercise TT97 is a combined US/Australia exercise based on a US Pacific Command Joint Task Force. The exercise is not based on a specific threat scenario. It is designed to test the capacity of the military forces of both countries to operate together in a demanding exercise environment.

Minister McLachlan said, "Exercises such as Tandem Thrust 97 demonstrate Australia's commitment to supporting the forward deployment of United States Forces in the Western Pacific.

Tandem Thrust will give both the Australian and the United States military valuable high quality training and will help us to work together."

The combined Australia/United States military exercise will be held in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA), north of Rockhampton and in the Coral Sea off the Central Queensland coast between 10-22 March 1997.

The exercise will include airborne and air-mobile deployments, amphibious assaults, maritime, land and air manoeuvres, and significant maritime, ground and air live fire activities.

A US Navy Carrier Battle Group and Australian warships will operate off the coast of SWBTA.

Approximately 21 500 United States and 5 000 Australian Defence Force personnel will take part in Exercise TT97.

Further information:

Colonel Andrew Reynolds (06) 265 2999 (b/h)
0419 292 455 (mob)

MARITIME PRE-POSITIONING FORCE
US MARINE CORPS - GLADSTONE.

Five MPF ships and approximately 900 US personnel will off-load stores and equipment in Gladstone this month in support of the field phase of Exercise Tandem Thrust (TT97) to be held between 10-22 March 1997.

The Maritime Pre-Positioning Ships (MPS) concept provides for rapid deployment of personnel by airlift to link up with pre-positioned equipment and supplies embarked aboard MPS which are forward positioned for contingency response.

The Maritime Pre-Positioning Force complements amphibious operations. Pre-positioning of equipment reduces strategic lift requirements and provides an immediate credible force in time of crisis.

Five MPS will off-load stores and equipment in Gladstone.

· SS CAPELLA, Vehicle Cargo Ship.

· SS CHESAPEAKE, Product Tanker.

· SS CAPE MOHICAN, Heavy Lift Ship.

· MV PFC DEWAYNE T WILLIAMS, Vehicle Cargo Ship.

· MV 1STLT JACK LUMMUS, Vehicle Cargo Ship.

The two MPS-3 AMSEA Class ships, the MV WILLIAMS and MV LUMMUS have the following specifications:

Displacement, 184,111 tons.
Combined deck area, 904,302 square feet.
Expansive cargo spaces can hold 1400 vehicles ranging from trucks to tanks.
An additional 195,840 cubic feet is provided for general cargo.
Each vessel stores 82,000 gallons of potable water.