Prime Minister visits Waiouru for Triad '84

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 20, 16 October 1984, Page 1

Prime Minister visits Waiouru for Triad '84

The land phase of the 2week long ANZUS exercise Triad ^4 ended on Sunday with the defence of New Zealand assured. The air phase of the exercise had ended last Tuesday and on the following day New Zealand 's Prime Minister David Lange visited the operations centre in Waiouru. The Prime Minister appeared impressed with this third simulated ANZUS exercise to be held in New Zealand and said that it demonstrated the compatability between the conventional military systems of the ANZUS partners. He went on to say that New Zealand, with its limited resources in population and finance, could not engage in such defence projects on its own. Both New Zealand's ANZUS partners — Australia and the United States — had provided 1 50 personnel each, mostly officers, for this exercise. The United

States contingent was seconded from an infantry division based in Hawaii. The main purpose of this simulated exercise was to train command procedures in a defensive role and was largely a professional and intellectual exercise involving very few actual troops out in the field. The token force of ANZUS personnel, which included 1,500 New Zealand troops, represented the role of a 16,000 strong division made up of Manoeuvre Units (infantry and armoured battalions), Combat Support Groups (engineering and artillery squadrons) and Combat Service Units (transport and supply companies). The exercise was conducted on a large 5 inch-to-the-mile topographical map which had been set up in the middle of three huge tank hangars at the Army Training Group's headquarters in Waiouru. This area was known as the White Room and was

situated between the Blue Room and the Red Room, the latter being the headquarters of the opposing Musorian forces invading from the south. The game was played on the 'throw' of an electronic dice which simulated 'frontline' conditions to which both sides had to react. Direct contact between personnel of the White and Red rooms was not permitted except for the 'operations board'controller, Major Doug Bent of Waiouru, who was the only officer authorised to liaise between the opposing forces without giving any 'military secrets' away to either side. After being briefed by Brigadier Geoffrey Hitchings, the commander of Army land forces and by the commanders of the Australian and United States contingents, Prime Minister Lange travelled by helicopter to visit troops in the field, before returning to the ATG officers mess for lunch followed by a flight back to Wellington in the afternoon.