South Australia is home to a large and varied contingent of Australian Defence organisation facilities including the Woomera Range Complex, Cultana Training Area, RAAF Base Edinburgh and Port Wakefield Proof and Experimental Establishment.

Woomera Range Complex

The Woomera Range Complex is the largest land-based test range in the world, covering 122,000 square kilometres.

Located about 500 kilometres north-west of Adelaide, Woomera Range Complex’s remoteness and quiet electromagnetic environment is ideal for complex air, ground and space test activities.

The Woomera Range Complex comprises the Woomera Test Range (Air Force Test Ranges Squadron), RAAF Base Woomera and the Nurrungar Test Range.

RAAF Base Woomera provides the essential operational support to the range, and includes the airfield, hangers, technical areas and village.

The range is used extensively by Australian and allied forces, and plays a significant role in Australia’s national security. With increased cooperation and joint exercises and training with the United States and other security partners, the demands on facilities such as Woomera are likely to increase. As such, additional investment of up to $600-900 million is programmed to support leading-edge systems development.

A co-existence regime in the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA), the key element of the range, ensures access and use by non-Defence stakeholders, including pastoralists, indigenous peoples and the resources sector.

Non-Defence use of the WPA is administered by the WPA Coordination Office, a joint Australian–South Australian Government office.

For further information please direct all enquiries to Department of Defence on 1300 333 362

Cultana Training Area

The Cultana Training Area is the Australian Defence Force’s largest training area, capable of supporting combined arms exercises within its 1,939 square kilometres. A recent expansion to the west of the area is now capable of supporting the Australian Defence Force’s training needs for the next 75 to 100 years.

Situated 370 kilometres north-west of Adelaide on the Spencer Gulf, Cultana has the ideal terrain and climate for year-round armoured, mechanised and cavalry forces training.

The Cultana Training Area is only one of two areas in Australia able to support joint and combined training. It is primarily used for Defence training activities or operations including:

  • combined arms manoeuvring training
  • live firing of ammunition, including small arms, field and medium artillery weapons and air-delivered weapons
  • air mobile and airborne operations including air to ground live firing
  • unmanned aerial system training activities, and/or
  • electronic warfare training activities.

The recent $85 million expansion of the training area allows the Australian Defence Force to raise, train and sustain the land force and prepare Australian soldiers for operational service through lifelike training activities reflecting current and expected future operational environments.

For further information please direct all enquiries to Department of Defence on 1300 333 362

Port Wakefield Proof and Experimental Establishment

The Port Wakefield Proof and Experimental Establishment hosts weapons trials, munitions proofing and environmental testing for the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force.

The 56 square kilometre site is 83 kilometres north of Adelaide, near the northern tip of Gulf St Vincent. Because of large tidal movements, it is the only range in Australia where projectiles can be fired into a coastal area and retrieved relatively undamaged for assessment.

Along with weapons testing, the site is used for destruction of expired and unsafe ordnance. The site is not normally used for military training and carries out its assurance function for Defence throughout the year.

The site also encompasses the Missile Assembly Facility, to support the production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System missiles for the Australian Defence Force, using components imported from the United States.

For further information please direct all enquiries to Department of Defence on 1300 333 362.

RAAF Base Edinburgh

RAAF Base Edinburgh is part of the Edinburgh Defence Precinct, South Australia’s largest Defence establishment.

RAAF Base Edinburgh houses the precinct’s operational units, including Air Force, Army and reservist units, logistics and maintenance support units and garrison support elements. The Defence Science & Technology Group (DSTG) is also located on the site, as well as key defence companies including within Edinburgh Parks..

A key national defence research and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance hub, the base is home to Air Force’s No 92 Wing, which operates the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, No 1 Remote Sensing Unit, which operates the Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) and the Air Warfare Centre which drives innovation and integration across Air Command.

The base is also home to 10th Brigade Headquarters, the Army’s long-range fires brigade and the 1st Armoured Regiment which is an experimentation unit working with DSTG to assist with the testing and integration of emerging technologies.

The facilities and infrastructure have undergone a major transformation in recent years, with construction of new facilities continuing to support planned Army and Air Force capabilities including new aircraft and land combat elements.

For further information please direct all enquiries to Department of Defence on 1300 333 362.