BIG BANG THEORY
This week Navy News takes a look behind the scenes at Lancelin Range

James Cain testing communications with the entries from the spotting tower at the Lancelin Naval Gunfire Support Range. Armoury staff can be seen in the background.

It’s four-wheel drive access only through the sand dunes of the Lancelin Range.

star shell fired from Anzac makes its mark on the range.

A 5-inch shell fired from HMAS Anzac finds its range target.

ABBM Ballard proceeding to the top of the spotting tower at the Lancelin Naval Gunfire Support Range tower.

The North Beach sentry keeps a close eye on the Range as the sun sets over the ocean.

ABCSO Haas, the computer operator at the Range Tower.

All photos by ABPH Joanne Edwards

By Rachel Irving

Ammunition, explosives and the environment may seem like an unlikely combination but that is what Lancelin Naval Gunfire Support Range has managed to blend.

Situated on one of the most beautiful coastlines in Australia, the range is approximately 150km north of Perth; about three and a half hours drive from HMAS Stirling.

The range is half way between the town of Lancelin renowned for its fishing and perfect windsurfing conditions and the crayfishing community of Wedge Island.

And while many readers will be familiar with being on the firing side of Lancelin, there are only a few who will have experienced what it’s like to be on the range itself.

LCDR Peter Radburn, HMAS Stirling’s Gunnery Officer said that the edge of the range, used by Defence since pre WWII, is 25 km north of Lancelin, with the southern tip of the impact area a further 5 km north.

This 30 kms to the impact area takes an hour to negotiate because of the sand dunes and rocky limestone outcrops.

“The front of the range has 25 kms ocean frontage and the depth of the range goes back about 12 kms and tacked onto the back of that is a military exercise area,” LCDR Radburn explained.

“The Navy owns an impact area approximately 8 kms wide across the front facing the beach and about 10 kms deep.

“In there we have eight targets, six of which are gunnery targets, that is shore bombardment targets, and two which are aerial bombing targets.”

The ground along the coastline and the area at the back of the range consists of sand dunes while the middle of the range, where the bombardment and bombing occurs, is limestone and very low scrub.

The original targets the ships fired at were old buses. Now the targets are coppers logs wrapped in orange bunting.

The bright colour is not so the ship can see the target but rather to ensure the range spotters in the observation tower can see them.

“The forward artillery spotter/ range safety officer (RSO) sits in the observation post just outside the impact area and gives ships grid coordinates for the onboard navigation and bombardment teams so they can complete their calculations and ensure their rounds land on or as close as possible to, the target.”

The RSO will give spotting corrections to the ship calling the fall of shot until the projectiles are impacting within 50 yards of the target.

They will then be instructed to ‘fire for effect’.

When that happens the ship expends the rest of the allocated munitions onto the target.

A computer program assesses and records such factors as the “time call to ready” and a range of calculations the ship must apply and the amount of reaction time.

The ship receives a score at the end of the serial which is sent to the RAN trials and assessing unit (RAU) in Sydney.

“They can tell if the ship has an accurate gun system and a ‘swept up’ gun team and plotting team.

The points go towards things such as the Gloucester Cup and Gunnery shields but NGS (Naval Gun Fire Support) is just a small part of Naval Gunnery.”

The Navy has a demolitions area and bunker within the Lancelin impact area, used mainly by Australian Clearance Diving Team Four and occasionally the Army Engineers.

But the range itself is used for a variety of purposes such as tactical explosive ordnance disposal as well as the demolition of obsolete ordnance.

Counter-terrorism training and SAS Cadre courses are also conducted on the range.

When the range is activated, approximately 16 support people deploy from Stirling.

Sentries are posted well before any serial start time to ensure there are no members of the public on the range.

Additionally well before any range activation, a notification will go in the papers as well as warnings to mariners and aircraft.

Notices also go to other groups such as tour agencies.

“When the range isn’t active, all of the range, with the exception of the impact area, is open to the public.

We discourage people from going off the main tracks for environmental reasons and the fact there may be unexploded ordnance,” LCDR Radburn said.

The Lancelin gunnery range has been the subject of environmental concerns for some time, but Navy, who must strictly adhere to an environmental management policy, is working closely with the local residents to allay concerns.

“Up until two years ago, there was a lot of animosity between locals and Defence but now we are working with the locals to achieve the Navy training serials with minimum impact on the public and the environment and the public appreciate the fact that we have their interests in mind.

“A positive step towards Defence working with the local community is the formation of the Lancelin Management Advisory Committee.

“Every three months we have a meeting with representatives from Defence (including Defence environmental management), the Lancelin and Wedge Island communities, regional shires, CALM, FESA, Fisheries (Rock Lobster and recreational), Bee Keepers and WA Wild Flower Pickers associations.

“`At the meetings, any ideas or concerns can be raised and hopefully resolved.

It’s working quite well and we have established a good working rapport.”

The next major range activation will occur later this year in support of Principal Warfare Officer (PWO) Sea Week as well as individual ship work-ups.

 

 

 

 

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