ADF prepares for G20 Leaders Summit

Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel will be honing their security response skills at various public locations in and around Brisbane in the lead up to the G20 Leaders Summit over 15 and 16 November 2014. A range of ADF capabilities will be in place throughout the lead-up to and during the G20 Leaders Summit to support the Australian Government and Queensland Police Service to ensure the safety of the delegates of the 20 represented nations. Defence is working closely with the Queensland Police Service and other involved Federal and State agencies preparing for this event, and the extended training period will further strengthen the close working relationship of all the security agencies should they be called upon to provide support during the G20 Leaders Summit. The majority of the air assets will be departing on training missions from RAAF Base Amberley between 3 and 13 November, before the G20 conference starts.

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G20 Leader's Summit 15-16 Nov 2014
As the world's 20 most powerful leaders prepare to meet in Brisbane for the Group of Twenty (G20) Leader’s Summit, they will be supported by ADF personnel as Brisbane City goes into lockdown.
The G20 will be held on November 15-16 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Bank.
Approximately 2000 soldiers, sailors and airmen will support the Queensland Police Service and other government agencies with force elements such as Black Hawk helicopters, F/A-18 Hornets, clearance divers, explosive ordnance detection dogs and members of Special Operations Command. Close to 200 additional troops are also on call to support in providing a safe and secure environment for the G20.
Commander ADF Support to G20 Security, Maj-Gen Stuart Smith, said the G20 Task Force had been planning and preparing for the event over the past 18 months.
“This has been in cooperation with the Queensland Police Service as well as State and Federal Government agencies,” Maj-Gen Smith said.
“The Task Force has been conducting a series of rehearsals using the most modern security procedures and state-of-the-art security equipment.
“The ADF is fit and ready to provide the support required of us by the Australian Government.”
Air Force assets used in support of Air Services Australia during the G20 will include F/A-18 Hornets, the KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport and the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control platform.
The G20 Air Task Group will also deploy a tactical air defence radar system, the AN/TPS-77, to supplement existing civilian and military air traffic control radars which provide coverage of the skies around Brisbane.
Commander G20 Air Task Group, WGCDR David Smith, said Air Force assets had been rehearsing to ensure they operated effectively in the Brisbane airspace.
“We are confident in our procedures for the security of the airspace and how the Air Task Group integrates with the other Government agencies,” WGCDR Smith said.
“The Air Task Group will be able to provide the Task Force and the commanders with full awareness of what is happening in the air, while allowing the normal airspace users to operate.
“The scale of Air Force support is similar to the support provided for the security arrangements of the Sydney Olympics 2000, Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006, APEC 2007 and CHOGM 2011.”
The Special Forces elements supporting the G20 are drawn from the Sydney based 2nd Commando Regiment with other Special Operations Command personnel including engineers, logisticians and support staff.
More images raaf.gov.au/1EmGvTK
Visit the G20 website www.g20.org/
For more detailed air control information go to: airservicesaustralia.com/aip/current/sup/s14-h62.pdf