26 May 2025
Sitting in the cabin of a C-17A Globemaster III above the Northern Territory, soldiers from 6th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), Battle Group Heeler, were bombed up and ready for a fight.
When a five-minute warning blared over the aircraft’s loudspeaker, they roused into action.
Books and rations were packed away, helmets were donned and weapons checked.
With a gut-lurching plummet, the plane dove towards the target airfield, its steep descent intended to foil any incoming fire.
A one-minute warning was called as the plane touched down on the tarmac.
The soldiers hefted packs onto their backs, slung their weapons and pulled goggles over their eyes as the dusty afternoon heat flooded in the now-open rear door.
They rushed down the ramp at the loadmaster’s signal, pausing only to load their weapons before heading for the nearby treeline to secure the airfield in preparation for follow-on forces.
The mission started on May 5, when elements of Battle Group Heeler departed RAAF Base Amberley to conduct a tactical air landing operation to clear and seize Nackeroo Airfield in the Northern Territory.
It was part of Exercise Global Dexterity, a RAAF 36 Squadron-led exercise to develop the tactical airlift and airdrop capabilities of the Australian, Canadian, US and UK air forces with the C-17A Globemaster III.
'Deploying at short notice to seize an airfield up to 3000 kilometres away from our home base in Brisbane is something that we may well be called upon to do.'
Commanding Officer 6RAR Lieutenant Colonel Edouard Cousins said the scenario was a realistic task for the unit.
“Activities such as this are invaluable to us as the Army’s Ready Battle Group, working in a combined-joint environment with our AUKUS partners with the world's best C-17A and C-27J pilots,” Lieutenant Colonel Cousins said.
“Deploying at short notice to seize an airfield up to 3000 kilometres away from our home base in Brisbane is something that we may well be called upon to do.”
The battle group comprised an infantry company and Bushmasters from 6RAR, a combat engineer section from 2 Combat Engineer Regiment, and two M777 howitzers from 1 Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, transported by three C-17s and one C-27J Spartan aircraft.
For Lieutenant Luke McClay, of 105 Battery, the exercise’s biggest challenge was using a dismounted command post, something rarely seen in modern artillery.
Being light on personnel meant breaking down a Bushmaster’s worth of communications equipment into four backpacks.
“It was a lightweight operation with heavy guns, which is the way they used to do it and the way we would probably be employed if we were to go into a theatre in the Indo-Pacific,” Lieutenant McClay said.
The battery plans to train the dismounted skills again in the jungle, using Manitou off-road forklifts to rapidly deploy guns into position and assist in clearing terrain.
“You can see the tactics translate perfectly,” Lieutenant McClay said.
The battle group conducted a second airfield clearance on return to RAAF Base Amberley, this time in the dark under night vision, which added extra complexity, according to Lieutenant Colonel Cousins.
“These activities provide our battalion focus and they also ensure that we have the opportunity to train and rehearse for what might come,” he said.
