Mount Bundey Training Area

The Mount Bundey Training Area (MBTA) is a 117,300-hectare (290,000-acre) 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.^{[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]

Location and description

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]}

References