NZ Army completes Exercise Dragon’s Tooth at Waiouru Military Training Area

Sappers carry a top panel of the modular Medium Girder Bridge to the construction site, ready to provide a crossing point for heavy vehicles. Photo / Supplied

Combat engineers from the New Zealand Army have completed a two-week-long exercise at the Waiouru Military Training Area.

Exercise Dragon’s Tooth involved building concrete bunkers, bridging, demolitions, establishing safe drinking water sources, hazardous tree felling, search patrols, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear surveying, and force protection.

It aimed to replicate the logistic support required of combat engineers in the field.

“Exercise Dragon’s Tooth tested combat engineers across the breadth of their support to combat operations,” 2nd Field Squadron commanding officer Major Cameron Allan said.

Fifty combat engineers from the 2nd Field Squadron and 2nd Engineer Regiment (2ER) took part.

They worked with logistics personnel to transport and build fortified concrete bunkers.

“Development of force protective infrastructure to keep our soldiers and equipment safe in hostile environments is an essential task for engineers,” Allan said.

“Using heavy, precast concrete panels for this design highlights the significant logistic support that engineering operations often require.”

They established potable water by drawing water from Lake Moawhango and treating it on site.

“Environmental Health Officers provide us the technical assurance that the water we engineers produce is high quality, free from pathogens and safe for consumption,” Allan said.

He said this is often critical for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief both domestically and internationally.

The engineers carried out a successful demolition of a 5 tonne tactical steel kitset bridge in the Waiouru Military Training Area that was in need of removal.

They placed up to 83kg of charges and 120m of detonating cord to cut through the steel structure and clear the bridge.

“We attacked the bridge using multiple methods, using moulded charges to clean cut through the cross-section and smaller, strategically placed charges to destroy key structural components,” Allan said.

The group also built a 3 tonne medium girder bridge capable of supporting military vehicles, including a new 35 tonne wrecker.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s No 3 Squadron were involved in several tasks alongside the combat engineers to practice joint operations.

Explosive detection dogs aided engineers throughout the two weeks.

Dogs helped new under-crewed aircraft systems to clear a 6km route in the training area and during a simulation of a significant medical evacuation.

“Our sappers [combat engineers] demonstrated their incredible skill sets, and the vital role combat engineers play in combined arms operations.”