'Legoland' braces for invasion as part of troops' urban war games

The Australian ^ | June 12, 2007 | Sean Parnell and Mark Dodd

[Dundee]

A GLEAMING, high-walled building in the middle of a muddy marketplace will be the focal point for tens of thousands of US and Australian troops as they improve their preparedness for war.

To a growing number of protest groups, the newly constructed building - part of the Urban Operations Training Facility at Shoalwater Bay in central Queensland - is a mosque, demonstrating the West's deep-seated suspicion of Islam.

But to Lieutenant Colonel Peter White, overseeing construction of a fictional town at Raspberry Creek, due to be occupied for the first time in Exercise Talisman Sabre, which is getting under way, the building is simply a generic cultural centre.

Although the building could be used to depict a mosque in exercises - some of the US marines who have arrived at Shoalwater Bay see it that way - it could also be a church or museum.

In a place known to contractors as "Legoland", the cultural centre is the only building with glass windows instead of kickable perspex, and is built of brick instead of reconfigured shipping containers...

The Shoalwater Bay facility is revolutionising defence training.

..."It's an incredible system, like a paintball game except 1000 times more complex," said Australian Defence Force spokeswoman Lieutenant Barbara Butler.

"It's got tunnels," she said. "It's built up from 370 (shipping) containers and made to look like something out of Mogadishu with real role players, villagers and merchants...

The war scenario to be played out in Exercise Talisman Sabre has not been revealed. But it will be undertaken on a massive scale, with US and Australian forces combining to lend 30 ships, 125 aircraft and 27,500 personnel for the exercise, which will intensify from tomorrow...

[2ndDivisionVet]

Gee, why would the West have a “deep seated suspicion” of Islam? It’s not like adherents of the “prophet” Mohammad (piss be upon him) ever did anything to us....

[R.W.Ratikal]

I always view with suspicion any attempt by government to practice urban warfare. Where are tightly packed urban areas? Not in Afghanistan, not in Iran, not in Nigeria but in Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta etc.

A few years ago a survey was conducted by the Marines at Twenty Nine Palms CA that asked Marines if they would be willing to fight American citizens who refused to give up their guns. At that time a program was being held to teach U.S. soldiers to fight in compact urban areas.

Seems far-fetched? How many years ago would we have said it was far-fetched for government to tell us if we could smoke cigarettes or have babies?

[Clive]

"... Where are tightly packed urban areas? Not in Afghanistan ..."

A suburb of Kabul from TV Hill.

[Clive]

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[Freeport]

Have you looked at an aerial map of the places you’ve named in the Middle East and Southern Asia???

IF you have, your definition of a ‘Warren’ and mine are vastly different... And I'll stick with mine.

[SandRat]

What anti-War spin from the left!!!