Advertisement
Lockheed Martin taps AW Bell for domestic GMLRS canard production
Lockheed Martin Australia is collaborating with Australian supplier AW Bell to progress production verification activities for the...
Breaker secures pre-seed funding to scale artificial intelligence, mass autonomy development
Australian-founded artificial intelligence company Breaker has secured $2 million in pre-seed funding to scale its AI agents and d...
New mine plough and combat dozer blades for Polish M1A2 SEPv3 tanks
New M1A2 SEPv3 main battle tanks will be equipped with track width mine ploughs and combat dozer blades under a contract awarded t...
US Department of Defense announces rapid review of US military personnel standards
The US Department of Defense has announced a review of existing personnel standards across all US military branches. ...

Exercise Vigilant Scimitar puts Aviation to the test

Exercise Vigilant Scimitar puts Aviation to the test
"Australian Army MRH90 Taipan from the 5th Aviation Regiment prepares to land behind the CH-47F Chinook at the forward arming and refuelling point during Exercise Vigilant Scimitar at Ingham Airport, Queensland." Credit: Department of Defence. Photographer: Corporal Jarrod McAneney

The annual exercise hosted back in May tested the 16th Aviation Brigade’s foundational training, comprised of elements from Darwin’s 1st Aviation Regiment and Townsville’s 5th Aviation Regiment.

The annual exercise hosted back in May tested the 16th Aviation Brigade’s foundational training, comprised of elements from Darwin’s 1st Aviation Regiment and Townsville’s 5th Aviation Regiment.

Between the 14th and the 28th of May, Exercise Vigilant Scimitar tested the combined missions capabilities of the 16th Aviation Brigade, equipped with Tiger ARH’s from the 1st Aviation Regiment and the Chinooks, MRH-90 Taipans and AW-139s from the 5th Aviation Regiment.

AW-139s were also leased to play a supporting role.

Throughout the task, the Brigade undertook troop lifts and simulated combat scenarios to challenge the Brigade’s foundational warfighting capabilities.

“In the past, we have worked as part of the combined-arms team in a supporting role,” Commanding Officer of 5th Aviation Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Christopher McDougall said.

“It’s fantastic that we had this opportunity to be the primary focus of a training exercise, integrating all of the combined-arms team under an aviation headquarters.”

LTCOL McDougall explained that building relationships with the local community was critical to the task.

“We have been working closely with the Charters Towers council, Queensland police and the local community to establish relationships and provide a service to the town,” he continued.

The multi-echelon exercise occurred within a deployed joint task force environment, with elements of 3rd Brigade, 7th Brigade and 17th Sustainment Brigade supporting the task, as well as members from the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force.

According to Defence, the exercise allowed soldiers to “get back to the basics”.

“Foundation-level training underpins capability,” LTCOL McDougall concluded.

[Related: RAAF completes CBRND training exercise]

You need to be a member to post comments. Become a member for free today!