Waipukurau hosts NZ Army urban warfare exercise for officer cadets

NZ Army Officer Cadets charge along Victoria St Waipawa in search of enemy insurgents, during Exercise Santici.

Officer cadets in action during Exercise Santici in Central Hawke’s Bay.

The streets of Waipukurau recently hosted about 100 NZ Army personnel as 40 New Zealand Army Officer Cadets were tested in urban warfare skills

Waipukurau emerged from winter to become a fictional South Pacific island, for Exercise Santici.

Designed to be as realistic as possible, the 100-strong Exercise Santici was carried out in Central Hawke’s Bay last month and featured enemy ambushes, improvised explosive devices, meeting with key leaders, aid distribution, and convoy protection for key people.

A Waipawa car yard is searched for enemy soldiers, during Exercise Santici.

Forty cadets were assessed on their ability to command and lead sections and platoons that included infantry, engineers, caterers, signals, and intelligence personnel, and light armoured vehicles.

“Carrying out urban stability and support operations is very different from the close and open country fighting they had done up until now,” says lead planner Captain Finlay Dick.

A local casualty (it's okay, he volunteered) is checked by an officer cadet during Exercise Santici in Central Hawke's Bay.

Urban stability and support operations require finesse, especially when working with key community leaders and the local community, where you rely on their goodwill and cooperation to achieve your mission, he said.

Cadets were required to conduct platoon tasks both as an independent platoon and as part of a larger company manoeuvre.

Local students were delighted to get a close-up view of officer cadets in training.

“Part of the exercise involved feedback from the platoon soldiers, who were able to report back on the effectiveness of their orders and plan of attack which is invaluable learning for cadets about to become officers,” Captain Dick said.

Officer cadets in action during Exercise Santici in Central Hawke's Bay.

Officer cadets who successfully pass the NZ Army Commissioning Course will graduate in December before heading off to different parts of the NZ Army.

Exercise Santici was also held in Waipukurau last year.