National Counter-Terrorism Exercise

National Counter-Terrorism Exercises involve the Australian Federal Government and all States and Territories designed to test Australia's counter-terrorism response arrangements.[1] Australia's national counter-terrorism arrangements are well practised with major exercises held annually.[2] The Department of Home Affairs manages the Counter-Terrorism Capability Branch in the Centre for Counter-Terrorism Coordination which supports the Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee (ANZCTC) who run the exercise program.[3][4] The exercise was formerly named National Anti-Terrorism Exercise (NATEX).

The program includes tactical response exercises, discussion exercises, investigation and consequence management exercises and multi-jurisdictional exercises.[4] Such incidents practised include recapturing buildings, freeing hostages, cordoning off areas or responding to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive attack.

Exercises of various types are tested and run several times per year, testing various elements of the Australian Defence Force such as the Tactical Assault Group (West & East) and the Special Operations Engineer Regiment within the Special Operations Command.

Exercises involve various elements of State/Territory Police Forces such as their respective Police Tactical Group and various intelligence agencies and units such as ASIO.[5] As well as involving various elements of the Federal Government exercises also test the capability, co-ordination and response of the State/Territory Government, State Emergency Services, the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Defence Force, the Australian Federal Police and other Commonwealth agencies.

Exercises are tailored to prepare for specific events such as the 2000 Sydney Olympic games, 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and the 2007 Sydney APEC forum.[6]

Type of exercises

The Centre for Counter-Terrorism Coordination maintains what is known as the 'National Counter-Terrorism Exercise Program'. This program involves a range of tactical, operational and strategic level exercises, which are conducted on a rotational basis throughout all Australian States and Territories.[7][8]

There are four main counter terrorism exercises conducted under the NCTC National Exercise Program:[9]

  • MJEX (Multi-Jurisdictional Exercise)
  • ICMEX (Investigation and Consequence Management Exercise)
  • TACREX (Tactical Response Exercise)
  • DISCEX (Discussion Exercise)

Counter terrorism exercises
  • 2015 - 'Hermes Castle' - Multi-agency counter-terrorism exercise held at Holsworthy Barracks to test emergency and defence response to a scenario that involved armed terrorists storming the base and causing mass destruction.[10]
  • 2013 - Multi-agency counter-terrorism exercise testing emergency services response to a simulated terrorist attack on the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights.[11][12]
  • 2013 - Australian Defence Force counter-terrorism exercise testing ADF Tactical Assault Group response to a simulated terrorist attack on the inner Sydney, Martin Place, underground rail network and CDB.[13]
  • 2011 - ‘Black Angus’ - Multi-agency counter-terrorism exercise held at Sydney Olympic Park testing police and other agencies response to Mumbai style terrorist attack.[14]
  • 2010 - 'Mercury 10' - Multi-jurisdictional counter-terrorism exercise held across ACT, Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory.[15][16]
  • 2010 - 'Metro Surge' - Multi-agency counter-terrorism exercise held in Western Australia.[17]
  • 2009/2010 - 'Prometheus', 'Proteus', 'Baccus' - Queensland Police exercise focus sing on a variety of State specific events/locations.[18]
  • 2009 - 'Hotel Taunt' - Queensland Police and Australian Customs Service exercise held in Brisbane.[19]
  • 2008 - 'Mercury 08' - Multi-jurisdictional counter-terrorism exercise held across Western Australia and Queensland.[20]
  • 2007 - 'Southern Contact' - Multi-agency counter-terrorism exercise held in Tasmania testing operational response of various agencies to incidents.[8][21]
  • 2006 - 'Blue Luminary' - Multi-Agency counter-terrorism exercise held in Sydney in preparation for the 2007 APEC summit.[22]
  • 2006 - 'Western Explorer' - Counter-terrorism response capability exercise held in Western Australia.[23]

Relevant units

See also

References
  1. "Security Environment Update". www.nationalsecurity.gov.au. Archived from the original on 21 December 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2007.
  2. "The Australian Government and the Sydney 2000 Games". www.ausport.gov.au. Archived from the original on 24 August 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2007.
  3. "Centre for Counter-Terrorism Coordination". Department of Home Affairs. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  4. "Counter-terrorism coordination". Australian Government Attorney-General's Department. 5 October 2006. Archived from the original on 19 December 2006.
  5. "Defence response to a terrorist incident within Australia". www.defence.gov.au. Archived from the original on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2007.
  6. "Mercury rises in Games mock terror threat - War on Terror - Features - In Depth". theage.com.au. 22 October 2005. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  7. "Anti-terrorism exercise to test Melbourne's underground rail network". Heraldsun.com.au. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  8. "Tasmania tests terrorism response". Abc.net.au. 22 October 2007. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  9. "Our People". Northern Territory Emergency Service. Archived from the original on 6 April 2011.
  10. Olding, Rachel (7 May 2015). "Counter-terrorism: Simulated attack at Holsworthy Army Barracks". smh.com.au. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  11. Media, Australian Community Media - Fairfax (22 April 2013). "Emergency alert at ANSTO for training exercise". theleader.com.au. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  12. "Routine training exercise" (Press release). Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. 19 April 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  13. "Australian Defence Force counter terrorism operation halts Sydney CBD". news.com.au. May 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  14. "National Counter Terrorism Exercise Black Angus". www.secure.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  15. "Mercury 10 Multi-jurisdictional counter-terrorism excise". www.police.tas.gov.au. Archived from the original on 22 April 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  16. "Exercise Mercury 10 wraps up". www.securityaccess.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  17. "Introduction to emergency management e-learning". Public.health.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  18. "Counter-Terrorism". www.police.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 29 March 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  19. Scott Casey (21 October 2009). "Brisbane counter terrorism exercise". Brisbanetimes.com.au. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  20. "Playing dead serious - Queensland - BrisbaneTimes". Brisbanetimes.com.au. 14 October 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  21. "Annual Report 2007-08" (PDF). Police.tas.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  22. "Cops Storm Sydney Airport". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  23. "WA exercise to test anti-terrorism responsiveness". Abc.net.au. 13 June 2006. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  24. "Black Hawks buzz the Bay - National". Theage.com.au. 10 October 2005. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  25. "Image Galleries 2005 - Department of Defence". Defence.gov.au. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  26. "Outcome One: Command of Operations". Annual Report 2003-04. Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  27. Pyke, Phil (8 April 2004). "Quicksilver response: Ex Mercury tests national security". Army News: The Soldiers' Newspaper (1094 ed.). Canberra: Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  28. "Nation's ability to respond to terrorism put to the test - SpecialsAustraliaonGuard". www.smh.com.au. 23 March 2004. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  29. "Protecting the rugby World Cup ADF to deploy for Op Scrummage". Army News: The Soldiers' Newspaper (1084 ed.). Canberra: Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  30. "Defence force stages anti-terrorism exercise". Abc.net.au. 27 September 2003. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  31. "Counter-Terrorist Exercise Begins Today - Joint News Release". Chogm2002.org. 13 June 2001. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
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