Security forces at RAAF Base Darwin welcomed new aviators to the team, as United States Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) personnel were deployed to the Northern Territory as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 23.
Embedded within 13 Squadron’s Security Flight, eight New Zealanders and two of their military working dogs, alongside US counterparts integrated with Australian forces to provide security protection to deployed aircraft.
Officer-in-charge security forces flight, RAAF Flight Lieutenant Jordan Haskins said the military working dog teams conducted flight line patrols together, as well as aircraft handovers.
“My teams role for Exercise Talisman Sabre is to provide security architecture for the protection of aviation assets and infrastructure,” he said.
“Exercise Talisman Sabre is an excellent opportunity to fully embed US and New Zealand personnel within my organic team to produce holistically whole-of-base security for RAAF Base Darwin.”
Additional Australian security forces personnel from other airbase operations squadrons around the country flew in for the exercise to support airbase protection.
The augmented security flight conducted joint security checks on respective assets on base for Talisman Sabre, including RAAF KC-30A Multi-role tanker transport, P-8A Poseidon, and C-27J Spartan, alongside United States KC-46A Pegasus and P-8A Poseidon.
The RNZAF security forces detachment commander Flight Lieutenant Drummond said this experience was a great opportunity for their team and military working dogs.
“Security Forces from New Zealand are here to integrate with Australian Defence Force counterparts and provide security for our area of responsibility at RAAF Base Darwin,” he said.
“Our flight line patrols on the base consist of 24/7 security operations looking after aircraft and infrastructure.”
Eight US Air Force security forces personnel, led by Technical Sergeant Nathan Klein, were also embedded with 13 Squadron and conducted day-to-day security patrols with Australian and New Zealand counterparts.
“We’re making sure that we integrate our different security measures and practices to keep all our resources secure,” Technical Sergeant Klein said.
“This integration has been great; the Australians have been very hospitable to us.”
Preceding the exercise wrap-up, all three nations also spent time at the weapon training simulation system at Robertson Barracks as an opportunity to learn Australian combat shooting techniques and practices.
