CR03: Planning finalised

By Capt Noel Gilby

Planning for the ADF’s major training activity for the year, Exercise Crocodile 2003 (CR03), is being finalised at the ADF Warfare Centre, RAAF Base Williamtown.

CR03 is a major combined Australian led exercise with the United States, which is focussed on practising ‘high-end’ warfighting. For the ADF to be effective and prepared for all possible roles, it needs to maintain levels of preparedness for war fighting across all capabilities.

As we have seen in recent operations, when the ADF needs to fight it will most likely be with US Forces, so we need a high level of interoperability with our major ally.

Even though parts of the ADF have been involved in actual operations with US Central Command forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is still very important for the ADF to undertake this major exercise.

While some of the participating US forces will have served in Iraq, most of those involved in CR03 are drawn from US Pacific Command and have not had recent experience working with the ADF.

Significantly, in CR03, Australia will be responsible for command and control of the combined Australian and US forces. Other parts of the ADF will also gain benefit from the very wide range of demanding military and logistic activities that are included in our ‘must do’ list of exercising objectives.

CR03 will let us conduct a range of activities that require a war fighting joint/combined force exercise environment beyond the scale available in smaller exercises. Also, it will allow us to do experiments and trials in areas that may enhance our operational capabilities.

Command Post Exercises for CR03 have already been completed. The major field training activity, to be held in August and September this year, will be in North Queensland, the Coral Sea, the Townsville region, Gladstone, and the Shoalwater Bay Training Area. The exercise includes live firing of weapons by many force elements.

The scale of CR03 aims to be similar to previous Crocodile and Tandem Thrust exercises, but of course the recent and ongoing conduct of real world operations means that there will be some adjustment to parts of the exercise.

AIRCDRE Dennis Green, the exercise director and Commandant of the ADF Warfare Centre, says CR03 is very important for the ADF, “It is one of the most significant training activities which the ADF conducts. It gives us the opportunity to conduct comprehensive training with our major ally from the most tactical elements through to the strategic level.”

Safety is critical to the conduct of CR03 and is being done in accordance with ADF and single Service health and safety risk management policy. For CR03, a Chief Safety Officer has been appointed with responsibility to oversee safety planning and risk assessment.

CR03 will be undertaken in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner that will ensure minimal environmental impact.

Exercise activities have been assessed for potential environmental impacts, and the activities fully accord with Australian national legislation and ADF policy.

A very important part of exercises like CR03 is identifying and recording lessons for future operations. There is going to be a very comprehensive evaluation process in place.

After all the forces have returned home, the Warfare Centre will work on incorporating the lessons into our doctrine, training and exercising, in order to enhance ADF preparedness for future operations.

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