By
Captain Catherine Turner
DEFENCE
will assist in providing world-class support to ensure a safe,
secure and successful staging of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth
Games next March.
As part of the overall Australian Government contribution, Defence
will work alongside Victoria Police to provide security for the
Games, as well as providing a range of ceremonial and general
support to M2006 Corporation and the Office of Commonwealth Games
Coordination, the Victorian Government’s Games organisers.
Planning for the operation – known as Acolyte – began
in Strategic Operations Division in 2003, with a Forward Command
Element of 17 personnel established at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne,
to continue detailed planning from February this year.
Op Acolyte will eventually comprise some 2500 personnel from across
the three Services providing a range of specialist capabilities.
The Air Force will deploy a squadron of F/A-18s (from No. 81 Wing);
140 reservists from across the Service; elements of RAAF Explosive
Ordnance Disposal Flight; RAAF Film Production Unit; a number
of specialists/augmenters in Headquarters Joint
Taskforce; and RAAF Central Band.
Colonel Michael Annett, Deputy Commander of the Joint Task Force,
said the operation would “probably set a benchmark for how
future domestic security operations will be conducted”.
“This operation is significant because, unlike the support
provided to the Olympics, it is being conducted in a security
environment that’s post-September 11, with planning occurring
against the backdrop of a high ADF operational tempo,” Colonel
Annett said,
A component of nearly 1200 personnel will provide direct assistance
to Victoria Police by searching venues, operating vehicle checkpoints,
responding to bomb threats and clearing any underwater aspects
of venues and events.
Maritime, land and air assets, including helicopters, fast jets
and ships with the capacity to divert aircraft and intercept vessels
at sea, will join a Tactical Assault Group including Black Hawk
helicopters and a range of chemical, biological and radiological
response assets.
To validate planning to date, about 300 of the 1200 general security
and support operational component, including logistic support,
concentrated in Melbourne during October as part of Exercise Pluto
1 and Exercise Mercury 05.
These exercises rehearsed the Joint Task Force Headquarters and
deployed forces by providing scenarios to test internal processes
and procedures and provided the opportunity for combined training
between the ADF and police elements, which will be working closely
together during the Games.
