An enemy soldier breaks contact during the decisive action phase of Croc 03. A US Marine from 3 Marine Expeditionary Bde catches his breath after a contact. Marine section members assess the situation during their push towards enemy positions. A US CH46 SeaKnight flies past the moon during night operations over Shoalwater Bay. A paratrooper from the Parachute Bn Gp begins to gather his parachute immediately after landing at Kapyong DZ in the lodgement phase of Exercise Crocodile 03. Photos by Cpl Ashley Roach and Cpl Jason Weeding, 1JPAU(P) A USMC Cobra attack helicopter hovers at Sam Hill Airfield observed by an emergency services vehicle. Photo by Pte Jodie Richter, 1JPAU(P)

The croc's bite
1 Bde's power unleashed in Legais

By Leut-Cmdr Tony Underwood
Two months and many thousands of kilometres later, 1 Bde has returned home to Darwin with renewed confidence in their high level warfighting capabilities and interoperability skills.

The 2200 soldiers from Robertson Barracks threw themselves enthusiastically into two major exercises -Predator's Gallop and Crocodile 03.

The deployment from the Top End was done by road, sea and air. Road departures began on July 31 and it took the convoy of about 470 vehicles three days to reach the exercise area.

The remainder of the vehicles, including specialist armoured and engineering vehicles were shifted by two civil contractor ships into the central Queensland port of Gladstone.

The assets shifted included Leopard main battle tanks, ASLAVs, 155mm medium howitzers; a range of engineering equipment including bridge building capabilities and a variety of large vehicles including Macks and semi-trailers; health support and communications capabilities; and MII3 (APCs) mainly for use by 5/7RAR but, in fact, used by all.

In all, there were some 968 items of major equipment and about 300 armoured vehicles moved.

Initially, some ASLAVs were sent to Townsville, the port of disembarkation of 1 Bde troops flown by civil charter from Darwin.

All arrived in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) between August 5 and 10 for Exercise Predator's Gallop.

This exercise was designed to practice live firing up to company/squadron strength and to practice the warfighting capability of 1 Bde within a combined arms exercise construct.

"We pushed hard on the combined nature of this activity by forming the combat teams and battle groups with which we fight," said Commander 1 Bde, Brig Ash Power.

"These are task-organised forces. We can make them tank-heavy, infantry-heavy or cavalry-heavy depending on their role and tasks and they are further reinforced by artillery, engineers, communications and combat service support."

Field firing of a wide range of weapons accounted for a total of 180 tonnes of ammunition.

"We achieved the results we were after and, in the end, we had a formation advance to contact including a deliberate river crossing - all done using night vision equipment and thermal sights.

"It went off without major injuries and was an extremely demanding activity that was conducted very well.

"Once we'd crossed the obstacle belts the enemy was pushed back to a main defensive position where he was blocked and subsequently destroyed."

In Exercise Crocodile 03, 1 Bde worked closely with US forces.

"1 Bde suceeded by very close cooperation and coordinatioon with 3 Bde who had secured a sea point of disembarkation [SPOD] and air point of disembarkation [APOD] by a combination of air drops, air mobile and amphibious lodgements.

"Some 1 Bde elements were assigned to 3 Bde to assist in doing this."

Activities and exchanges proved most Australian formations were interoperable, Brig Power said.

Cooperation with the USMC, included exchange of liaison officers, including coordination of offensive fire support, and tested interoperability aspects further.

"The final assault was a combined attack coordinated by the (USMC) Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) HQ and HQ 1 Bde which further reinforced our ability to work with US forces," he said.

"We did achieve the exercise aims of practising the high end warfighting skills in a coalition setting to a very high standard.

"We reinforced what we already knew in that the synergies you develop as a combined arms team proved overwhelming.

"There was nothing fundamentally new in the exercise, but it allowed us to conduct training that we can only practice when the entire formation gets into the field for a considerable period."

Challenges?

"Because of the drought, the training area was extremely dry and dust reduced our ability to move at speed, and we had to slow down.

"And the Polygon Range feature through the training area stretched our communications and we had to work around that to ensure our comms were robust and effective."

Brig Power said the focus on high end warfighting skills in Croc 03 would enable the forces involved to adapt to any contingencies the service was likely to face.

"Our same forces were, earlier this year, involved in peacekeeping duties in East Timor, and it's the same for 3 Bde now in the Solomons.

"Exercises such as this allow you to adapt for a wide spectrum of conflict."

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