Croix Du Sud (Southern Cross) is the name of the biennial six-nation, tri-service exercise in New Caledonia.
An Air Force Communications and Information Systems Light Operational Vehicle with a loaned satellite dish. (MC-08-0140-84-tn).
The exercise led by French Armed Forces New Caledonia (FANC) involved the Defence Forces of New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Tonga. Bas Bolyn reports on our Air Force’s involvement.
This was the first time that the RNZAF Communication Information Systems (CIS) unit had deployed their recently acquired Light Operational Vehicle (LOV) platforms to provide CIS support to an RNZAF Force Element (FE) overseas.
The unit, which is made up of a radio and information systems component is mounted in two Light Operational Vehicles (one for radio, the other for satellite communications) and provided some impressive outputs during the Exercise, these included, the provision of internet and access to DIXS (Defence Information Exchange Service) as well as the Defence telephone network, DtelN.
This was all supported by a satellite on loan from an Australian station (as it was a trial process), and transmitter.
Despite the intent behind Croix Du Sud, deployment focused on testing the unit’s capabilities and providing back-up communications in Koumac to 3 Squadron. A lack of planned communications function at the forward operating base meant the unit were thrown into the fray deeper than they expected.
As a result the CIS team provided communications back to the Headquarters element in Noumea and to Australian Naval ship HMAS KANIMBLA further up the coast. SGT Conrad Ware who looked after the I.S side of shop in Koumac said the biggest issue was finding the satellite beam for the two-week-old, 1.8 KU Satellite dish accurately in order to get a connection.
‘It was nerve-wracking for us. In short, we spent six hours the first day aligning the satellite during the testing phase a week earlier, when it should only really take half an hour. This time around however, it took only about one hour - so we’re getting the hang of it.’
SGT Ware, who had raced over to Adelaide three weeks earlier for a crash course in operation of the satellite, said despite the challenges he was happy with the results of the trial.
‘What the satellite does is give us a connection back to NZ (internet; DIXS; DtelN phones). It’s worked out really well; we’ve only had a few hiccups with mail forwarding as this setup acts effectively like a deployed LAN (Local Area Network).’
SGT Ware said the set-up attracted some compliments from the Australian contingent they were working alongside at Koumac, despite some no.8 wire elements that come with running a new piece of kit.
‘We’ve set up more than they expect, as usual. We’re even running PFPS – the flight planning system. The Aussies couldn’t believe all the kit we brought over, they were impressed, but this is the way we operate now.’
Although communications functions are usually a more permanent structure during operations – based out of a container, or a specific fixed premises – the key concept was rapid and efficient deployability. This aligned with the mission of Croix Du Sud itself; with the focus on the initial days of a humanitarian or political crisis which requires dynamic action and response.
The CIS indeed proved that the LOV set-up would be an asset for future deployments, with DIXS up and running and internet available in Koumac before the first tent was up.
Commanding Officer of 3 Squadron WGCDR Ian MacPherson said the wider concept of interoperability behind Croix Du Sud was a successful outcome for him and one where the CIS unit provided a tangible asset.
‘We’ve been very pleased with the way that our tactical communications unit has worked. The set up with the two Pinzgauers has only recently been completed and it’s the first time we’ve sent them overseas and which has been enormously successful.
‘We’ve got a great infrastructure setup in a very short period of time and I know that our communication specialists here on this exercise have learnt an awful lot.’
The CIS team provided support for six DIXS terminals, two wireless internet facilities, DtelN access as well as the flight planning system. The radio unit provided high frequency and VHF communications for 3 Squadron during the exercise.