Mount Bundey Training Area

{{Short description|Military training area near Humpty Doo, NT, Australia}}

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The Mount Bundey Training Area (MBTA) is a {{convert|adj=on|117,300|ha}} military training area in the Northern Territory of Australia.

History

Formerly a cattle station, the property was acquired as a Defence Training Area in 1988.{{Cite web|title=Mt Bundey Training Area, Northern Territory|publisher=Australian Government: Department of Defence|url=https://www.defence.gov.au/id/_Master/docs/NCRP/NT/1199MtBundeyTrainingAreaNT.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720092500/https://www.defence.gov.au/id/_Master/docs/NCRP/NT/1199MtBundeyTrainingAreaNT.pdf|archive-date=20 July 2020|access-date=|website=|url-status=dead}}{{cn|date=February 2024}}

An Urban Operations Training Facility was constructed in 2005.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

The MBTA has been heavily used by the US Marine Air Ground Task Force since its first deployment in 2012.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

In mid-2017 the ADF held Exercise Southern Jackaroo at Mount Bundey with elements of the 1st Brigade – Australian Army, US Marine Rotation Force – Darwin (MRF-D) and the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force (JGSDF).{{Cite web|last=Hartigan|first=Brian|date=2017-05-31|title=Exercise Southern Jackaroo 2017|url=https://www.contactairlandandsea.com/2017/05/31/exercise-southern-jackaroo-2017/|access-date=2020-07-20|website=CONTACT magazine|language=en-US}}

In 2021, prime minister Scott Morrison visited Robertson Barracks, where he announced a spend of {{AUD|747}} million to upgrade the Robertson Barracks Close Training Area, Kangaroo Flats Training Area, Mount Bundey Training Area, and Bradshaw Field Training Area. This was part of a total of {{AUD|8}} billion allocated for spending on defence installations in the Northern Territory.{{cite web | last=Vivian | first=Steve | title=PM visits Howard Springs as Commonwealth spruiks $747 million Top End ADF upgrade | website=ABC News | date=28 April 2021 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-28/prime-minister-to-announce-nt-military-training-base-upgrade/100099756 | access-date=9 February 2024}}

Location and description

MBTA is a {{convert|adj=on|117,300|ha}} military training area located {{cvt|75|km}} south-east of Humpty Doo, south of the Arnhem Highway, between the Mary River and Kakadu National Park.

The United States and Singaporean militaries both conduct joint tank exercises with Australian forces in the MBTA.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

References

Category:Australian Army bases

Category:Barracks in Australia

Category:Military installations in the Northern Territory