[Mishmash] 'Legoland' braces for invasion as part of troops' urban war games (http://theaustralian.news.com.au report)

[David Brown]

My how things change.  When I was invited to join the army in 1972, Vietnam
was the go.  Shoalwater Bay was the last phase of jungle training prior to
departure.  I find it hard to visualise it as an urban training facility.

 

You caught my eye with the legoland title.  We are off to Copenhagen on
Thursday.  One of the places on my agenda is legoland.  Anna said it is for
kids.  I said so?

 

We now have a new mufti.  The previous mufti was outspoken and not well
liked in the general community.  Comments like women in immodest clothing
were like uncovered meat did not help his cause but he also was reported as
sending donations to the Taliban and fellow travellers.  He was replaced on
the weekend by someone who is apparently more moderate.  We will see if the
new bloke can mend a few fences.

 

Cheers

 

David

 

From: mishmash-bounces at mishmash.net [mailto:mishmash-bounces at mishmash.net]
On Behalf Of Fred Atkinson
Sent: Tuesday, 12 June 2007 12:50 AM
To: Mishmash
Subject: [Mishmash] 'Legoland' braces for invasion as part of troops' urban
war games (http://theaustralian.news.com.au report)

 


Fred Atkinson ( <mailto:fatkinson at mishmash.com> fatkinson at mishmash.com)
suggested you might be interested in this
<http://theaustralian.news.com.au> http://theaustralian.news.com.au report. 

 



  <http://www.theaustralian.com.au/images/masthead.gif> 


'Legoland' braces for invasion as part of troops' urban war games
Sean Parnell and Mark Dodd
12 June 2007

A GLEAMING, high-walled building in the middle of a muddy marketplace will
be the focal point for tens of thousands of US and Australian troops as they
improve their preparedness for war.

To a growing number of protest groups, the newly constructed building - part
of the Urban Operations Training Facility at Shoalwater Bay in central
Queensland - is a mosque, demonstrating the West's deep-seated suspicion of
Islam. 

But to Lieutenant Colonel Peter White, overseeing construction of a
fictional town at Raspberry Creek, due to be occupied for the first time in
Exercise Talisman Sabre, which is getting under way, the building is simply
a generic cultural centre. 

Although the building could be used to depict a mosque in exercises - some
of the US marines who have arrived at Shoalwater Bay see it that way - it
could also be a church or museum. 

In a place known to contractors as "Legoland", the cultural centre is the
only building with glass windows instead of kickable perspex, and is built
of brick instead of reconfigured shipping containers. 

"The purpose is for troops in exercises to treat this building differently,
with the appropriate respect and sensitivity," Lieutenant Colonel White told
The Australian. 

The Shoalwater Bay facility is revolutionising defence training. 

While troops once trained on open plains, recent conflict and the threat of
terrorism presented a need for urban warfare training, and the UOTF is part
of Defence's $11 million response. "It's an incredible system, like a
paintball game except 1000 times more complex," said Australian Defence
Force spokeswoman Lieutenant Barbara Butler. 

"It's got tunnels," she said. "It's built up from 370 (shipping) containers
and made to look like something out of Mogadishu with real role players,
villagers and merchants. 

"The big challenge of urban warfare is civilians. It's dangerous because you
are fighting close to (unarmed) people." 

The war scenario to be played out in Exercise Talisman Sabre has not been
revealed. But it will be undertaken on a massive scale, with US and
Australian forces combining to lend 30 ships, 125 aircraft and 27,500
personnel for the exercise, which will intensify from tomorrow. 

The UOTF will have a continuing role as part of a national and ultimately
global defence training network. It has control centres with hi-tech
instrumentation systems, motion censors and cameras across the town (in
particular the government offices) and GPS tracking and laser weapons and
vests for the soldiers who will train there. 

Up to 80 "civilians" will occupy the town for exercises and pyrotechnics and
a concussion cannon will be used to simulate explosions in an area where
live firing is banned. 

"The soldiers will be routinely training in a joint army, navy, air force
environment and get to practise with various other assets that would be
available to them," Lieutenant Colonel White said, emphasising the lower
cost and risk. 

"If they're going to Afghanistan and getting air support from the Americans,
they can practise that all in Australia first."



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