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Assistant Minister for Defence David Fawcett joined federal member for Grey Rowan Ramsey at the Cultana Training Area (CUTA) to see the construction of the new urban operations training facility and range control facilities.
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Senator Fawcett said the new facilities would allow the Australian Defence Force to raise, train and sustain the land force and prepare Australian soldiers for operational service through lifelike training activities reflecting current and expected future operational environments.
Following a five-fold expansion to 2,100 square kilometres, CUTA is set to become the Australian Defence Force’s largest training area capable of supporting combined arms exercises.
Senator Fawcett said, "It is also great to see the majority of this project’s sub-contract packages were awarded to local industry."
Situated 370 kilometres north-west of Adelaide on the Spencer Gulf, Cultana has the ideal terrain and climate for year-round armoured, mechanised and cavalry forces training. CUTA is only one of two areas in Australia able to support joint and combined training. It is primarily used for Defence training activities or operations including:
- Combined arms manoeuvring training;
- Live firing of ammunition, including small arms, field and medium artillery weapons and air-delivered weapons;
- Air mobile and airborne operations including air-to-ground live firing;
- Unmanned aerial system training activities; and/or
- Electronic warfare training activities.
Ramsey welcomed the investment in CUTA, saying, "By investing locally, we all benefit from supporting local businesses, who employ local workers and encourage growth in the local economy."
These facilities are part of a broader $84.5 million redevelopment underway at CUTA. The construction has been underway since mid-2017 and is scheduled for completion in April 2019.
The Defence vision for the CUTA Redevelopment Phase 1 Project is to create a state-of-the-art training establishment in South Australia that enables Brigade level manoeuvre and live firing exercises.
An expanded CUTA also offers an environment to conduct future air-to-ground, ground-to-air and ship-to-shore training activities.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
