GALLERY: ADF Staff Protect Australian Offshore Energy Resources

Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel have completed Exercise IRON MOON 2013, a two week Maritime Counter Terrorism training exercise in the waters off Exmouth and Dampier in North West Australia.

The annual exercise involved several hundred personnel from across Defence and Australian federal and state civilian agencies. The exercise is designed to enhance and validate the ADF Maritime Counter Terrorism response capability in the most realistic environment possible.

Commodore Peter Lockwood, Senior Defence Officer Western Australia, said the Special Operations Command-led exercise, which concluded on 29 September 2013, was one of a number of ADF exercises and operations in Australia’s North West region this year as part of the Australian Government’s maritime security framework.

 “The ADF, and in particular our Special Forces, has a long history of exercising on and around Australia’s Offshore Energy Installations since the early 1980’s, but the multi-agency aspect of more recent exercises is important in sharpening our joint security response skills,” Commodore Lockwood said.

“This year’s exercise, held in the maritime zone around the North West, rehearsed a range of scenarios focused on maritime disruption and recovery operations in the event of a significant threat against offshore resource interests.”

Commodore Lockwood highlighted how critical these training exercises are in supporting Australia’s national interests.

“The ADF plays a very important role in Australia’s national security and exercises like IRON MOON enable us to maintain and continually develop our capabilities so that we can effectively respond to and resolve potential threats related to Australia’s off-shore interests.”

“I would like to thank local residents, businesses and industry for their cooperation and support during this important training,” Commodore Lockwood said.

Exercise IRON MOON 2013 is one of a series of Navy, Army and Air Force exercises planned for the North West this year.

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Press Release, October 1, 2013; Image: Australian DoD