By
SQNLDR Pat Del Guidice
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CO
No. 3 Control and Reporting Unit Wing Commander Chris Westwood
watches Canberra’s skies.
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NO.
3 Control and Reporting Unit deployed a tactical radar, a suite
of radios, support equipment and two Visual Observation Posts
to locations around the Canberra area during Operation Miata,
which provided security support during President Bush’s visit.
Under direction of Headquarters Air Command (HQAC), No. 41 Wing
tasked No. 1 Radar Surveillance Unit (1RSU) and 3CRU to monitor
Air Force One during the flights into and out of Australia.
3CRU also monitored Canberra’s airspace for suspicious activities
during the President’s visit and provided a control capability
for the No. 3 Squadron F/A-18s that patrolled Canberra’s skies.
3CRU’s deployments included about 20 personnel comprised of operators,
technicians, administrative and logistics staff.
The radar picture was sent back to RAAF Base Williamtown and controllers
in the Eastern Region Operations Centre’s Tactical Air Operations
Centre were able to communicate with the F/A-18s, activating the
deployed radios via the Parakeet satellite system.
Additionally, with the support of Ground Telecommunications Equipment
Systems Program Office, 3CRU provided its Recognised Air Picture
and radio communications to Air Commander Australia (ACAUST) at
HQAC.
This gave ACAUST a high level of situational awareness and the
ability to communicate directly with the Hornets in Canberra.
Most people would have been aware of the F/A-18s patrolling Canberra,
but the effort provided by 3CRU remained virtually invisible.
Op Miata was a very successful operation, due in no small part
to the dedication and commitment of the team from 3CRU, a unit
of about 150 people located at RAAF Base Williamtown.
