Mount Bundey Training Area Explained

The Mount Bundey Training Area (MBTA) is a NaN117,300 military training area in the Northern Territory of Australia.

History

Formerly a cattle station, the property was acquired as a Defence Training Area in 1988.[1]

An Urban Operations Training Facility was constructed in 2005.

The MBTA has been heavily used by the US Marine Air Ground Task Force since its first deployment in 2012.

In mid-2017 the ADF held Exercise Southern Jackaroo at Mount Bundey with elements of the 1st BrigadeAustralian Army, US Marine Rotation Force – Darwin (MRF-D) and the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force (JGSDF).[2]

In 2021, prime minister Scott Morrison visited Robertson Barracks, where he announced a spend of million to upgrade the Robertson Barracks Close Training Area, Kangaroo Flats Training Area, Mount Bundey Training Area, and Bradshaw Field Training Area. This was part of a total of billion allocated for spending on defence installations in the Northern Territory.[3]

Location and description

MBTA is a NaN117,300 military training area located south-east of Humpty Doo, south of the Arnhem Highway, between the Mary River and Kakadu National Park.[1]

The United States and Singaporean militaries both conduct joint tank exercises with Australian forces in the MBTA.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mt Bundey Training Area, Northern Territory. Australian Government: Department of Defence. https://web.archive.org/web/20200720092500/https://www.defence.gov.au/id/_Master/docs/NCRP/NT/1199MtBundeyTrainingAreaNT.pdf. 20 July 2020. dead.
  2. Web site: Hartigan. Brian. 2017-05-31. Exercise Southern Jackaroo 2017. 2020-07-20. CONTACT magazine. en-US.
  3. Web site: Vivian . Steve . PM visits Howard Springs as Commonwealth spruiks $747 million Top End ADF upgrade . ABC News . 28 April 2021 . 9 February 2024.