Defence Establishment Myambat, also referred to as the Myambat Ammunition Depot, is an Australian Defence Force munitions storage facility located approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of Denman in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia.[1]
| Defence Establishment Myambat | |
|---|---|
Myambat Ammunition Depot | |
| Denman, New South Wales in Australia | |
  Defence Establishment Myambat Location in New South Wales | |
| Coordinates | 32°22′14″S 150°37′6″E / 32.37056°S 150.61833°E |
| Type | Munitions storage |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Department of Defence |
| Site history | |
| In use | 1938 – present |
The facility was established in 1938, and has been in use since that time.[1] A factsheet published by the Department of Defence in 2012 stated that "the facility stores all forms of ammunition used by the Australian Defence Forces". In addition, its demolition range is used by private companies to test explosives intended for use in mines. At this time the entire site covered an area of 17 square kilometres (6.6 sq mi).[1]
In 1991 the Parliament of Australia's Joint Standing Committee on Public Works recommended that 21 earth covered storehouses be constructed at Myambat so that particularly hazardous types of ammunition could be stored in facilities which met NATO standards; the Canberra Times reported that this recommendation meant that the works were "almost certain" to take place.[2] 34 explosive storehouses were eventually constructed during the early 1990s by the private company Spantech.[3] A 2014 submission to a parliamentary inquiry provided by the Department of Defence described Defence Establishment Myambat as "Australia’s largest and most comprehensive ammunition storage depot".[4]
As of 2015, the facility was to be expanded and upgraded as part of the works being undertaken to accommodate the Royal Australian Air Force's Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft.[5] This will include building new earth-covered bunkers, as well as a storage facility for the F-35s' defensive countermeasures.[6] The 2016 Defence White Paper also allocated funding to expand the facilities at Myambat and increase the stockpiles of ammunition stored there.[7]
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b c "Myambat Ammunition Depot, New South Wales" (PDF). Department of Defence. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ "$63.7m military projects in Hunter almost certain". Canberra Times. Vol. 65, no. 20, 480. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 9 May 1991. p. 16. Retrieved 26 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Myambat Explosives Depot". Spantech. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- ^ Department of Defence (June 2014). "Facilities Requirements for the New Air Combat Capability: Statement of Evidence to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works". Parliament of Australia. p. 25.
- ^ Smart, Phillip. "Williamtown starts on F-35 facilities". Australian Defence Magazine. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ "Defence holding community meeting on JSF upgrades". ABC News. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- ^ Brown, James (2 March 2016). "A defence white paper for darker times". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 26 December 2016.