The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has announced the completion of explosive ordnance storage Earth Covered Building (ECB) at Mt Stuart in Townsville to support the training needs of the Singapore Armed Forces.
The facility is part of a joint effort between the military forces of Australia and Singapore to develop a new military training area in North Queensland.
The Singapore-funded storage facility was built at a cost of A$5.4m ($3.6m) under the A$2.25bn ($1.51bn) Australia-Singapore Military Training Initiative (ASMTI).
ASMTI in intended to deliver enhanced military training areas in Central and North Queensland.
Singapore will contribute to the development and construction of military training areas.
The initiative will see up to 14,000 Singapore Armed Forces personnel take part in unilateral training activities in Central and North Queensland for 25 years.
It is aimed at providing the country’s armed forces with greater access to Australian military training areas.
Australia Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said that the ECB facility will provide explosive ordnance storage to the Singapore Armed Forces during their training in Australia.
Reynolds said: “This project is a significant milestone for the ASMTI, and coincides with the start of early construction work on the new training area near Greenvale in North Queensland.
“The ASMTI will deliver advanced military training areas in Central and North Queensland while meeting the future needs of the Australian Defence Force.
“Completion of this facility highlights the strong bilateral defence relationship between Australia and Singapore being fostered through the delivery of these advanced military training areas.”
