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Land of the giants
By Andrew Stackpool and FLGOFF Eamon Hamilton
Volume 49, No. 13, July 26, 2007 |
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AIR FORCE News takes a final look at some of the memorable moments from Exercise Talisman Saber 07.
Australia’s strategic airlift capability recently received a significant boost when a new airfield on the Bradshaw Field Training Area was constructed in just 16 days.
Nackaroo airfield was officially opened on June 29 after being constructed under the terms of the Joint Rapid Airfield Construction Exercise (JRAC) during Exercise Talisman Saber.
The aim of the exercise was to construct a C-17-capable airfield within 25 days, with two turning aprons completed in another three days.
Starting on June 3, 110 personnel from Air Force and Army and 105 US Navy, Army, Marine Corps and Air Force personnel battled 70mm of unseasonable rain to complete the airfield in 16 days. However, certification was delayed until the 22nd day, June 25.
Rain also delayed the aprons, but they were still completed within four days.
The teams used several new technologies for the job, including GPS location software, deployable communication systems and remote-controlled plant equipment, such as bulldozers that can be operated from a distance of up to 300 metres away.
Starting from a green-field, the team built the airfield using a surface-hardening spray-on polymer for the aircraft parking aprons.
Twenty civilians from the US Army Corps Engineer Research Development Centre were also involved in the exercise.
The airfield, which will be maintained for future training exercises by the Defence Support Group Northern Territory/Kimberley, is capable of unloading two C-17s on its aprons, while servicing a third Globemaster simultaneously on the runway.
The capability was demonstrated in part during the ceremony when a 36SQN C-17 and a USAF C-17 landed at the airfield and deployed military vehicles.
CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Shepherd and Commander US 7th Fleet VADM Doug Crowder led the VIP party who witnessed the event.
“The JRAC project has been a highly successful joint training opportunity for engineers from the US and Australia,” AIRMSHL Shepherd said.
“The building of this runway has fostered strong and mutual respect between Australia and the United States, as well as delivering excellent and varied training to all personnel participating in the exercise.”
A week after construction began, a 37SQN C-130H landed to test the condition of the runway.
Then, on June 28, 36SQN’s C-17 landed for a final check. AIRMSHL Shepherd embarked for the serial.
In the joint spirit of the JRAC, USAF exchange pilot MAJ Lee Guthrie and RAAF pilot FLTLT Jarrod Pendlebury flew the strategic airlifter.
Before Nackaroo was constructed, the Bradshaw Field Training Area was only accessible by road during the dry season, or by helicopter. Now, the airfield will provide the ADF with an invaluable training environment.
“The ADF is still developing Bradshaw, and an airstrip which can accommodate Australia’s newly acquired C-17s is a major boost for the facilities here,” AIRMSHL Shepherd said.
While Nackaroo is intended to be used only as a training base, the concepts applied in its construction can be used to create new forward deployment airfields in areas of operation for both strategic and tactical heavy-lift transport aircraft. |
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Special mission
By FLGOFF Skye Smith
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COMMUNITY SERVICE: 77SQN members and a US Marine Corps pilot visit patients and staff at Ronald McDonald House in Townsville during Exercise Talisman Saber 07.
Photo by LACW Melina Mancuso |
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Members from 77SQN took time out during Exercise Talisman Saber to pay a special visit to children at the Ronald McDonald House and Townsville Hospital.
B Flight commander SQNLDR Matthew Leach said the visit provided the opportunity for members to give something back to the community after spending four weeks in Townsville during the major exercise.
He said it was good for his personnel to get out of the work environment and spend some time with the kids.
“It is such a great organisation and provides a much-needed service to the families,” SQNLDR Leach said of the Ronald McDonald House.
Members talked to the kids about their role as pilots and avionics or aircraft technicians, as well as their involvement in the exercise.
The visit to Ronald McDonald House had a special meaning for squadron WOE, WOFF Stephen Lewis, who stayed there when his daughter was sick.
“The Ronald McDonald House is great not only for the kids, but their whole families as well,” WOFF Lewis said.
The children were especially keen to meet CAPT Tom Cunningham, an F/A-18 pilot from the US Marine Corps.
“Spending time with these kids was a real eye-opening experience,” CAPT Cunningham said.
“We don’t really have organisations like Ronald McDonald House back home in the States, but you can see that it really makes a difference.” |
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GRAND ENTRANCE: A 36SQN C-17 taxis down the newly-constructed Nackaroo airfield after landing in a plume of dust during Exercise Talisman Saber.
Photo by PTE Shannon Joyce |
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ON GUARD: LAC Callum Wynne and Rusty (front), and CPL Adam Need and Saxon help protect visiting USAF aircraft at RAAF Base Townsville.
Photo by LACW Melina Mancuso |
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RAPID RESULTS: CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Shepherd and US Commander 7th Fleet VADM Doug Crowder congratulate each other on the construction of the Nackaroo airfield at Bradshaw Field Training Area.
Photo by PTE Shannon Joyce
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IN TOUCH: SGT Cliff Friend from 1CCS helps to keep communications up and running at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area during the exercise.
Photo by CPL Chris Moore
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THANKS MATE: Defence Minister Brendan Nelson gives the thumbs up to 38SQN loadmaster WOFF Jason Minns after receiving a lift in a Caribou to Exercise Talisman Saber.
Photo by CPL Chris Moore
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CATCH UP: CPL Warwick Leven from 323CSS talks to the air traffic control tower as LAC Matt Wright from 321ECSS secures a cable into the support blocks of the arrestor cable at RAAF Base Townsville.
Photo by LACW Melina Mancuso |
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IN CONTROL: SQNLDR Peter Hartley from 44WG works with 4th Field Regiment to control the air traffic at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area.
Photo by CPL Michael Davis
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