More than a Marvel comic book: Ex Thor's Hammer Force Protection Electronic Counter Measures
March 12, 2020 - Defence Stories
With daytime highs exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, the Woomera Prohibited Area would be too much for a superhero. But for members of Canadian Army HQ, the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics (CFSCE), and Defence Research & Development Canada (DRDC), it’s all part of the job.
Caption
Members of C Army, CFSCE and DRDC participate in Exercise Thors Hammer. Mr Ted Poon, Sgt Aaron Moysey, MCpl Scott Dineen, and WO Dennis Walker.
Photo courtesy of Australian Department of Defence
The soldiers took part in the biennial Thors Hammer Force Protection Electronic Counter Measures exercise in Woomera, Australia this past October. The exercise conducts compatibility and effectiveness testing in a multi-national environment. The intense exercise had participants driving approximately 60000 km (5000 km per vehicle) using 7500 litres of fuel.
The Canadian team tested against delegations from 12 NATO and Non-NATO countries, using various threats to ensure maximum protection while maintaining interoperability. Over the course of the exercise, performance testing allowed the team to assess the overall capabilities of their equipment. Throughout the training event, over 500 test iterations were conducted yielding thousands of lines of data.
This analysis is a valuable tool to give soldiers confidence in the equipment they rely on during operations and in combat.
Bravo Zulu to the Australians for putting a tremendous effort into ensuring a successful training event for all participants.
The Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA) is a globally unique military testing range. It covers 122 188 square kilometres in north-west South Australia, about 450 kilometres north-west of Adelaide. It is the largest land testing range in the world. The WPA is mainly South Australian Crown land covered by pastoral leases, exploration and mining tenements and native title.
The WPA is a Prohibited Area regulated by legislation and is a Defence premise used for the testing of war materiel under the management of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The WPA is an important Defence capability and testing and evaluation asset that plays a significant role in Australia’s national security.
As of 2015, the term Woomera Range Complex is used to describe the entire Woomera test and evaluation capability, comprised of the Woomera Test Range, RAAF Base Woomera and associated facilities within the complex.
As a declared prohibited area, access to the WPA for non-Defence use requires Commonwealth approval and is on the proviso that Defence activities will not be unduly compromised.
Source: Australian Government Department of Defence