Centre open day a blast

By Cpl Andrew Hetherington
Volume 11, No. 38, March 8, 2006

Switched: Cpl Adam Keys (above) displays some different methods of triggering and concealing IED devices. Pictured is a digital timer and a cordless telephone.

THE safety of all ADF personnel deployed on operations will be greatly enhanced following the official opening of the Army Explosive Hazards Centre (ExHC) at Gallipoli Barracks.

CA Lt-Gen Peter Leahy opened the ExHC on February 17 with a little bit of help from a remotely piloted vehicle at the unit’s new HQ in Enoggera.

Lt-Gen Leahy said it was great to see this unit and capability finally come to fruition.

“This is a capability that we need now and a capability that I fear we will need increasingly in the future,” he said.

“Right now the Australian Army is at war. People are trying to kill our soldiers, whether it is through normal kinetic means with rifles, rockets, or with these modern ways of IEDs or weapons of mass destruction.

“The threat has diversified and to stay ahead of the threat we have to adapt. This is a vital capability to make sure our soldiers survive on the battlefield.”

The ExHC was officially established on January 16. ExHC OC Maj John Anderson said the idea for the unit was an initiative of VCDF Lt-Gen Ken Gillespie and Commander Land Command Engineers Col Bill Sowry, in recognition that explosive hazards such as mines, IEDs, VBIEDs and UXOs were a significant threat to our deployed forces, particularly in the MEAO.

“A proposal for the ExHC was submitted to the Army Capability Management Committee and was approved by Army HQ on July 27, 2005. Essentially the unit has gone from a concept to establishment within a 12-month period, which is very fast,” Maj Anderson said.

Snip: CA Lt-Gen Leahy cuts the opening ribbon (right) with a little bit of help from a remotely piloted vehicle and WO2 Donald Quick. Photos by Cpl Andrew Hetherington

He said the ExHC had two roles – it conducted explosive hazards awareness training (EHAT) for all ADF personnel deploying overseas and provided a deployable explosive hazards coordination cell.

“This cell collects information and tracks explosive hazard events, providing situational awareness to commanders and forces on operations. It also coordinates all explosive hazards operations and can conduct up-to-date EHAT training in-country,” he said.

“We conduct the explosive hazards component of the force preparation courses run by DFSU, and then contribute to the mission rehearsal exercises conducted by the CTC.”

Maj Anderson said the force preparation courses at DFSU lasted about five days and, depending on what mission or operation the units were going on, the centre would provide anything from a 40-minute lesson to half a day of training, which included theoretical and practical training.

“We can tailor course packages as required. We can make it operation/mission, area and/or threat specific, and provide different levels of information to those who need it,” he said.

“We have the expertise and can draw on information and intelligence to give [the training] a certain level of clarity.”
The type of training the centre provides is quite extensive and Maj Anderson said new training techniques and technology aids provided a high degree of realism.

“During MRE training, we try to make it as real as possible in relation to scenarios that soldiers may face, and by replicating the explosive hazard threat, which includes mines, UXO or IEDs, and the effects those hazards would have on the soldiers.”

He said the unit regularly updated its information and training on the current types and methods of delivery of explosive hazards in the countries in which ADF personnel were deployed.

“Here at the unit we have explosive ordnance disposal operators that have operational experience, and we have the ability to reach back to the Defence Intelligence Organisation, which has links to a number of other international agencies that provide us recent information on all explosive hazards,” he said.

“This information includes capabilities of people making a threat, their tactics, techniques and procedures, what technology and equipment they have and how they are employing it.”

The ExHC also aims to provide a 24-hour-a-day service for explosive hazards advice for deployed units. “This has been utilised on recent operations, where guys have found explosive ordnance they can’t identify,” he said.

“They take a digital photo of it and send it back to us. So far, we’ve been able to provide an answer inside of 12 hours.”
The ExHC can be contacted on (07) 3332 5837.

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