Photo By Jared Harral | The Royal Australian Air Force, with support from U.S. and Canadian forces, has...... read more read more
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Deep in the rugged expanse of northern Queensland, a runway came to life through asphalt and engineering precision. The inaugural Exercise Bronze Croc marked a turning point for the Royal Australian Air Force, as engineers conducted airfield damage repair training on their home soil for the first time, shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. Pacific Air Forces and Royal Canadian Air Force partners. What began as a shared vision is now solidified in the Outback as a first-of-its-kind ADR site in Australia.
The exercise, held at Townsville Field Training Area and hosted by the RAAF’s 65 Air Base Recovery Squadron , brought together personnel from PACAF’s 554th RED HORSE Squadron and the RCAF’s 2 Wing. The exercise was the realization of a multi-year vision and the beginning of a new era in expeditionary civil engineering for the RAAF.
“We’ve been working with the 65 ABRS for a while now,” said Capt Celyn Rogers, Silver Flag Flight Commander, 554th RED HORSE Squadron. “They’ve trained with us in Guam before, and over time, conversations with them and PACAF Civil Engineers led to the idea of helping Australia establish its first dedicated airfield damage repair site.”
What followed was a coordinated, multinational engineering effort. In early 2025, the 554th RED HORSE Squadron sent an advance team to TFTA to begin survey work and coordination efforts with the RAAF. Later, the 513th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron deployed to execute the construction phase by excavating soil, laying a new base course, and paving a 2,000-meter asphalt strip that now serves as the RAAF’s first purpose-built ADR training pad.
In addition to the ADR training, the exercise included familiarization with other expeditionary air base recovery areas including expedient fabric shelter construction, troop lodging setups, and a water purification system. These capabilities support a full spectrum of air base recovery functions, though the primary focus of Bronze Croc remained firmly on developing ADR proficiency.
For the RAAF, the significance of the project can’t be overstated. Squadron Leader Ben Whyte, lead planner for Exercise Bronze Croc, was involved from the earliest stages, guiding the concept from an idea to a fully operational training site.
This dedicated ADR training area is a milestone that represents a major step forward for the RAAF’s engineering trades. As head of planning within RAAF Headquarters’ Air Capability Enablers (ACE) branch, Whyte views the site not only as a professional achievement, but also as a critical investment in the Australia’s readiness.
“Bronze Croc has been developed by ACE branch within Air Force Headquarters to enhance the RAAF’s air base recovery capability,” Whyte said. “It’s aimed at force generation training for 65 ABRS, in line with the National Defence Strategy and the RAAF Chief of Air Force's intent, which acknowledges ADR as a critical capability of our preparedness.”
Leading the ADR training was the 554th’s Silver Flag cadre, who provided technical instruction and introduced key USAF systems and concepts to their RAAF and RCAF counterparts. Among the tools taught was the Geo Expeditionary Planning Tool, which enables airmen to assess airfield damage and prepare for rapid repair actions.
“GeoXPT is a unique capability that the 554th and, specifically, engineering assistants bring to the table,” said TSgt Andrew Van Cleave, a Silver Flag instructor. “We’re helping to teach and integrate it with the RAAF.”
USAF working alongside RAAF and RCAF engineering counterparts strengthened joint capabilities while creating an environment where each nation could learn from the other’s methods and experiences. RCAF Master Corporal Dave Lowe of the 192nd Construction Engineering Flight highlighted the value of exchanging knowledge and building relationships that will benefit future operations.
“The significance of sending a Canadian team down here adds to our joint capability to get together and produce an excellent team environment,” Lowe said. “It allows us to get experience from the way they do things compared to the way we do things, combining a lot of great learning skills. The members are great to talk to, they have so much information to give us, and they take information from us as well. I'm enjoying every minute of it.”
This new site is expected to serve as a regular training hub for the RAAF and its partners. In future iterations, the RAAF hopes to evolve the site further by inviting more partners and expanding into regional coalition exercises.
As the dust settled on the first iteration of Bronze Croc, participants reflected on what the exercise had built: not just in asphalt and shelter systems, but in trust, resiliency, and capability.
“We’re trying to get away from just cooperating; moving to interoperate with each other,” Whyte said. “If we get the same training that the U.S. Air Force Silver Flag team is providing to their airmen, then we can plug and play one of our aviators into a RED HORSE team, and they’ll be expected and understood to perform.”
The legacy of Bronze Croc could be not only a new capability for one nation, but a shared readiness for many.
“We are getting ourselves prepared for what is potentially coming,” Whyte said. “That’s what keeps me motivated every day.”
| Date Taken: | 11.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.17.2025 09:10 |
| Story ID: | 551312 |
| Location: | AU |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Constructing a Capability: PACAF Civil Engineers Help Launch RAAF’s First Airfield Damage Repair Training Site, by Jared Harral, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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