Enhanced counter-terrorism training with Victoria Police

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) exercise AUSTRAL SHIELD 2019 was conducted at the Loy Yang Power Station in the Latrobe Valley from 17-20 October 2019. The exercise was syncronised with the Victorian Police Exercise SOUTHERN MAGPIE 19; a counter terrorism training activity. Exercise AUSTRAL SHIELD is a series of exercises designed to prepare Head Quarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC), Senior ADF staff and ADF contingency forces in the execution of Domestic Security Response optionS. These options are part of the Defence Amendment (Call Out of the Australian Defence Force) Act 2018. Exercise AUSTRAL SHIELD aims to test the command and control response arrangements to a terrorist threat involving critical infrastructure following an ADF Call-Out under the Defence Force Aid to the Civil Authority (DFACA).