Air Force Bare Bases
The Royal Australian Air Force currently maintains three 'bare bases' in remote areas of northern Australia:
- RAAF Base Scherger, Weipa, Queensland
- RAAF Base Learmonth, Exmouth, Western Australia
- RAAF Base Curtin, Derby, Western Australia.
These bases were developed from as early as the 1950s to protect
Australia by providing support for maritime, air and land operations
aimed at securing our northern approaches.
As front-line bases, bare bases consist of essential airfield
support infrastructure – such as runways, taxiways, parking areas and
maintenance facilities – which are used when the base becomes
operational. Some equipment and supplies are stored at the bare bases
for use when the base is activated, however, the bases house only a few
caretaker personnel on a regular basis.
A bare base is usually activated as part of a major Australian
Defence Force exercise such as Exercises Pitch Black or Kakadu.
Activating a bare base means that the base is brought to a fully
operational state. To do this, Combat Support Group supplies the
support required to set up the base and sustain the flying operations
of the aircraft participating in the exercise. The activation of a bare
base practices vital deployment procedures and sustainment of support
requirements for the flying operations.
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