Role of Far Northern air base only going to grow says defence researcher

Defence needs to take the most affordable but serious steps to rapidly strengthen the resilience of Australia’s northern bases to air and missile attacks, says a leading defence researcher.

The entrance to RAAF Base Scherger near Weipa, Cape York – Photo: Cameron Laird

Defence needs to take serious but affordable steps to rapidly strengthen the resilience of Australia’s northern bases to air and missile attacks, according to a leading defence researcher.

Last year’s Defence Strategic Review earmarked $2bn for critical air bases in Australia’s north, including funding for upgrades to RAAF Base Scherger, positioned on The Cape near Weipa.

Troy Lee-Brown, a research fellow at the Defence and Security Institute of the University of Western Australia, says the money is there now, but we need to do the work to “harden” these bases to ensure they can remain operable during and after an attack.

“Hardening has two aspects. There is ‘passive hardening’ which means runway repairs, concrete shelters, but also the ability to disperse quickly which needs personnel,” he said.

A Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster III aircraft (No. 36 Squadron) at RAAF Base Scherger, Far North Queensland, during Exercise Global Dexterity 21.

“Say there is an attack aircraft that will need to leave there in a hurry and may need to land on civilian airports or roadways to get out of the firing line until something like a missile barrage passes.

“The other aspect is things like land-to-air missile defence systems.”

Mr Lee-Brown said there are some other key aspects that needed improving quickly.

“Runway and apron repairs are needed, security needs to be improved around the bases, accommodation to support more and more personnel and the big one is supply and fuel storage that need to be hardened as well.

“So there is quite a lot to do and the quicker the better, so they need personnel up there to undertake the work.’’

Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment are dropped into the RAAF Base Scherger training area by an Australian Army CH-47F Chinook helicopter from the 5th Aviation Regiment during Exercise Woomera Strike 2021. Photo: Defence Media

While RAAF Base Tindal is the key air force location in Australia’s north, Mr Lee-Brown said all of our bases will need to be used effectively should a conflict occur.

“(RAAF Base) Curtin in the Kimberley and Scherger in Weipa are your next level bases behind Tindal in the NT,” Mr Lee-Brown said.

“Scherger hasn’t really seen much action until around five years ago, when we started to see US marine rotational forces in Darwin. They have started to use these bases a lot more for the likes of F-18s for air support during operations like Talisman Sabre or training of US amphibious regiments.”

And the importance of bases like Scherger and Curtin are only going to grow into the future.

A F/A-18F Super Hornet from No. 1 Squadron lands, utilising the Mobile Aircraft Arrestor System at RAAF Base Scherger, during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021.

“These bases are really important in projecting not just north, but also to the west and east into the Indian and Pacific oceans to create an umbrella over our north against any potential threat,” he said.

Originally published as Role of Far Northern air base only going to grow says defence researcher