12 March 2024
Integrated firing pits, sleeping sections and an operations room all feature in an underground command post being constructed by 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment (3CER) to hone their trench warfare skills during Exercise Brolga Walk in Townsville.
Project designer Lieutenant Ji-sang Yu said sappers worked to shore up structural integrity and expected it to be half finished when the exercise was complete.
“Brigade command posts do need to be mobile, but as we've seen in evolving global conflicts, trench warfare is becoming more pertinent,” Lieutenant Yu said.
The design incorporates natural and mechanical ventilation, lighting, power outlets and submersible pumps for drainage.
Lieutenant Yu said doctrine only had designs for up to three-by-three-metre structures, but a larger structure was needed to meet operational requirements.
“I had to alter the design because the original was mainly timber, so we revised it to steel,” he said.
“It is extremely exciting and rewarding and I cannot wait to see the end product.”
He consulted with 3CER’s tradesmen to ensure the design was safe and practical to construct.
Plant operator Sapper Maima Boss, of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, assisted with the project and said he enjoyed working with his Aussie counterparts.
“This is my third time in Australia; it’s great seeing the team work,” he said.
“The equipment and operations in Australia are similar to those in Papua New Guinea, with many safety measures.”
Total construction is expected to take 31 days, and once complete, the bunker will be covered up to remain undetectable.
Construction of the bunker will pause at the end of this exercise and will be completed during Exercise Brolga Run.
