Protection response put to test

By Cpl Andrew Hetherington
Volume 11, No. 41, April 20, 2006

Toxic avengers: Singaporean CBREDG members remove fictitious WMD items during Exercise Pacific Protector 2006. Photos by PO Damian Pawl

Disarming: Members of the Singaporean CBREDG are shadowed by the robotic arm of the tEODor (a first-approach render-safe robot).

MEMBERS of IRR have located and disposed of potentially dangerous cargo aboard a civilian passenger aircraft.

Fortunately this was not a real-life international incident, but was a scenario practised as part of Exercise Pacific Protector 2006 (EX PP 06).

The exercise on April 6 was the 20th Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) multilateral training activity conducted since Australia hosted the first in September 2003, but it was the first air interdiction exercise held in the Asia Pacific region.

Representatives from 32 countries attended, with six countries participating in the exercise and 26 countries sending delegates and observers.

The scenario involved a known front company, based in the fictitious state of Kamaria, which had acquired sensitive weapons of mass destruction-related (WMD) items from various European sources. Intelligence was received that the items were being smuggled aboard a civilian aircraft flying above northern Australia.

Two 75 Sqn F/A-18s from RAAF Base Tindal intercepted the aircraft, which agreed to land at RAAF Base Darwin.

Officers from Australian Customs, Australian Quarantine Inspection Service and other officials from the US, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK then searched the aircraft and secured the cargo.

Thirty members of the IRR then conducted a further exploration of the aircraft and made safe the “dangerous” items.

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said the PSI was an informal international arrangement designed to combat the illegal trafficking of WMD and related materials.

“Under the PSI, countries agree to cooperate with each other, as necessary, in intercepting and deterring illicit WMD trade,” Dr Nelson said.

“Exercise PP 06 has been designed to test Australia’s procedures to contain and manage a proliferation incident, and to improve interoperability with our PSI partners.

“The PSI framework has been used a number of times to successfully intercept WMD-related shipments. Many PSI interdictions have not been publicised because they involve sensitive intelligence and diplomatic issues.”

IRR CO Lt-Col Stephen Alexander said IRR’s role in the exercise demonstrated how the ADF might support a whole-of-government WMD operation.

“During the exercise the IRR was able to demonstrate its technical capacity to find and exploit WMD-related materials, using personnel from the unit’s Chemical Biological Radiological Response (CBRR) Tp,” he said.

The CBRR Tp contains a small disposal and diagnostic section, a search element, a medical element and a decontamination section.

“During the exercise the IRR also worked closely with the Singaporean Armed Forces’ Chemical, Biological Radiological and Explosive Defence Group, which it has conducted joint exercises with in the past,” he said.

Director of Ex PP 06 Gp-Capt Dean Carr said the exercise ran according to plan and was a complete success.

“[It was] a very successful exercise, which has illustrated how well the ADF can work closely with Australian Government agencies ... and representatives from international agencies,” he said.