Relief ops tested

By Michael Brooke

FLTLT Andrew Colledge and FLGOFF Damien Buswell of 37SQN plan out a route to the Nam Phong Drop Zone during Exercise Pacific Airlift Rally in Thailand.

Photo by LAC Col Dadd

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* 20 ADF personnel and a C-130J from RAAF Base Richmond participated in Exercise Pacific Airlift Rally in Thailand last month. The exercise involved 17 countries from Asia, Africa and the Pacific. The exercise is biennial, sponsored by the US Pacific Air Force.

LESSONS learnt by Air Force on deployments such as Operation Sumatra Assist have helped enhance the success of a major multinational disaster relief training exercise.

A group of 20 ADF personnel and a C-130J from No. 37 Squadron, based at RAAF Base Richmond, participated in Exercise Pacific Airlift Rally 2005 (PAR05) in Udon Thani, Thailand, during August 21-26.

The exercise involved 17 countries, including Bangladesh, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga and the United States.

The Australian detachment was lead by No. 86 Wing’s Staff Officer Operations, Squadron Leader Michael Rosenthal, and included personnel from No. 37 Squadron, No. 86 Wing, Headquarters Air Command (HQAC), No. 395 Expeditionary Combat Support Wing and No. 176 Air Dispatch Squadron.

Squadron Leader Rosenthal said PAR05 was a biennial event, sponsored by the US Pacific Air Force, that aimed to promote interoperability by the exchange of lessons learnt in supporting humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HA/DR), including air-land and airdrop delivery techniques.

“Additionally, it promotes regional stability through unity of purpose in coalition building and international cooperation,” he said.

“The exercise allowed the ADF to share the experiences learnt from involvement in Operation Sumatra Assist and other recent HA/DR activities such as Bali Assist.”

“PAR05 saw the Command Post Exercise participants conduct disaster-relief airlift exercise scenarios such as the prioritisation, scheduling and rapid delivery of humanitarian aid, while a concurrent Field Training Exercise, involving RAAF, RTAF, RMAF and USAF aircraft, conducted low-level flying, aerial delivery and landings in support of a simulated relief scenario.”

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