Ex Dragon’s Tooth tests Combat Engineers in Waiouru

It’s rare for combat engineers to take part in activities and exercises where they can employ a wide range of their capabilities in one fell swoop, but Exercise Dragon’s Tooth allowed them to do just that.

Fifty sappers from 2nd Field Squadron, 2nd Engineer Regiment (2ER) took part in a range of tasks, including working with logistics personnel to transport and build fortified concrete bunkers.

Officer Commanding 2nd Field Squadron, Major Cameron Allan, said this was an excellent opportunity to practice the logistic support requirements of engineers in the field.

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

“Using heavy, pre-cast concrete panels for this design highlights the significant logistic support that engineer operations often require.”

Another crucial capability tested in the field was the engineers’ ability to find and provide safe potable water to the deployed contingent, which was done by drawing water in the vicinity of Lake Moawhango in the training area 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,” Major Allan said. 

“This capability is called on frequently for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, both domestically and internationally in our region and further afield.”

Another success for the team was a highly technical demolition of a five-tonne tactical steel kitset bridge in the training area that had reached end of its life. 

This involved carefully and strategically placing up to 83 kilograms of charges and 120 metres of detonating cord designed to cleanly cut through the steel, which resulted in the bridge being cleared out of the way by the explosion.

“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,” Major Allan said. 

They also constructed a three-tonne medium girder bridge that was able to support a variety of military vehicles, including a new 35-tonne wrecker. 

The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s No. 3 Squadron was brought in to link up with the engineers for a number of tasks, practicing extraction of engineers by day and night aboard NH90 helicopters – crucial components for future joint operability. 

Explosive detection dogs were also employed throughout the exercise, utilised alongside new uncrewed aircraft systems to help clear a six-kilometre route in the training area, and in a simulation of a significant medical evacuation.

“Exercise Dragon’s Tooth tested Combat Engineers across the breadth of their support to combat operations – from conducting searches, bridging, demolitions, and water production, to hazardous tree felling, Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear surveying and force protection – our sappers demonstrated their incredible skill sets, and the vital role Combat Engineers play in combined arms operations.”