The 2nd Commando Regiment has conducted a five day counter-terrorism (CT) training exercise in Sydney to rehearse the ADF's response capability to terrorist threats.
Exercise MARS OLYMPICS saw around 500 ADF members join forces with over 200 NSW Police and other emergency services to resolve a number of scenarios at various locations including Holsworthy Barracks, the Illawarra Regional Airport and civilian infrastructure in Sydney's west between 30 November - 4 December 2015.
Lieutenant Colonel "I" CO 2nd Commando said MARS OLYMPICS is the annual CT validation exercise that special operation command conducts here in Sydney.
"It's operating against military and non-military targets and by day and night. The aim is for us to allow our capabilities to essentially keep ahead of the adversary," LTCOL "I" said.
"Unless we practice this routinely and regularly, unless we form and deepen relationships with our non-military partners including state police, emergency services and senior decision makers in government, we are not going to have world's best practice in the area of CT.
"The public should be reassured that we have the best CT response capability in the world. We share information and rehearse these capabilities regularly with our foreign partners, and using those relationships we can ensure that our equipment, our people and our tactics are competitive with and remain the best in the world.
"What that seeks to do is to overmatch the terrorist threat and ensure that the government always has a response option that is one step ahead of the adversary," LTCOL "I" said.