PREPARING FOR WALLABY

Every year, a stoic team of servicemen undertakes the task of making sure that all the logistics for the overseas exercise in Australia are in order. This is their story.

Ask any soldier how he feels about washing vehicles and equipment and there is a high chance you will get a lacklustre response. Now imagine having to clean 340 vehicles to exacting decontamination standards.

That is what the 113-strong team from Exercise Wallaby 2009's Forward Support Group (FSG) and approximately 500 personnel from Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) units involved in the exercise had to ensure, before the aircraft, vehicles and various other equipment were allowed into Australia.

Traditionally held in the last quarter of every year at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Exercise Wallaby involves the Army and the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).

"A large part of the preparation work is to facilitate quarantine inspections for the vehicles and equipment that will be brought to Australia. The Australia Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) has very strict standards and this is the toughest part of the preparations," explained Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Teo Hup Gin, Head FSG and Commanding Officer of the 1st Army Maintenance Base.

The FSG handles all the logistical requirements of the exercise. It is responsible for logistics and coordination work such as booking flights, arranging for shipments, troop accommodation and ensuring that there are adequate rations for the exercise troops. To accomplish their mission, the FSG worked closely with units involved in Exercise Wallaby 2009, such as 42nd Battalion Singapore Armoured Regiment (42 SAR).

Moving cargo efficiently

In order to move the massive amount of equipment, private contractors such as Pacific Airlift are brought in to facilitate the smooth transfer of SAF cargo from Singapore to Australia.

Pacific Airlift, a locally based company specialising in chartered cargo flights, was hired to provide an Antonov AN-124 to transport five RSAF helicopters to Australia for Exercise Wallaby. Owned by Volga-Dnepr Group - a Russian firm specialising in heavy airlifts - the Antonov AN-124 has a payload capacity of 120 tons, five times more than the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.

But it's not as easy as you might think. The helicopters - four AH-64D Apache Longbow Helicopters and one AS 332 Super Puma - will have to undergo the same rigorous inspection by AQIS.

Based at Sembawang Air Base, the helicopters were flown to Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) on 1 Oct. There, the crew from 120 Squadron (SQN), which operates the Apaches, had to remove the rotor blades and any other protruding hardware from the helicopters in order to fit them into the Antonov. A team of about 30 men from 120 SQN took a full day to prepare each of the helicopters as required.

Another challenge the FSG faced arose from working with private companies. "Civilians might not be familiar with the requirements of the military and AQIS, and that can slow down the process of quarantine inspections," said LTC Teo.

"We anticipated this minor hiccup and the FSG dispatched senior Military Engineering officers to act as a bridge between the military and the civilian contractors. These officers made invaluable recommendations to resolve issues," he added. This was the second time LTC Teo was involved in the preparation of logistics for Exercise Wallaby.

As of 9 Oct, when the Antonov left Singapore for Australia, most of the logistical requirements had been completed and the FSG team has since moved on to the next phase of logistics support, setting up shop and supporting the actual conduct of the exercise in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area.