Mount Bundey Training Area | |
---|---|
MBTA | |
Mount Bundey , Northern Territory in Australia | |
Site information | |
Type |
|
Owner | Department of Defence |
Operator |
|
Location | |
Location in Northern Territory | |
Coordinates | 12°59′56″S131°47′49″E / 12.99889°S 131.79694°E |
Area | 117,300 hectares (290,000 acres) |
Site history | |
In use | 1988 – present |
The Mount Bundey Training Area (MBTA) is a 117,300-hectare (290,000-acre) military training area in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Formerly a cattle station, the property was acquired as a Defence Training Area in 1988. [1] [ citation needed ]
An Urban Operations Training Facility was constructed in 2005.[ citation needed ]
The MBTA has been heavily used by the US Marine Air Ground Task Force since its first deployment in 2012.[ citation needed ]
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). [2]
In 2021, prime minister Scott Morrison visited Robertson Barracks, where he announced a spend of A$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 A$8 billion allocated for spending on defence installations in the Northern Territory. [3]
MBTA is a 117,300-hectare (290,000-acre) military training area located 75 km (47 mi) south-east of Humpty Doo, south of the Arnhem Highway, between the Mary River and Kakadu National Park. [1]
The United States and Singaporean militaries both conduct joint tank exercises with Australian forces in the MBTA.[ citation needed ]