Two hundred military personnel heading to Whanganui for ‘Exercise Baghlan’ training operation

Only blank rounds will be used during this week's exercises. Photo / Bevan Conley

Military personnel from New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji will be in Whanganui this week undertaking training exercises.

New Zealand Defence Force Staff Sergeant Shaun Martin said it was the second phase of the regular force platoon commanders’ course.

“We’ve just finished the close country phase in Waiouru, which is working in the bush,” he said.

“Now we’re coming across to Languard Bluff to complete the urban phase. That is called Exercise Baghlan.”

Languard Bluff, which is home to an NZDF training area and accommodation, is located next to Whanganui Airport and Oceanview Speedway.

Around 200 personnel would be involved, including infantry, engineers and bomb dogs, Martin said.

“These are soldiers and officers - corporals, lieutenants, second lieutenants. ut on the course, they are classified as students until they qualify.”

“We are going to have an Opfor operating in and around the region as well, which is basically an opposing force or the enemy party.

“The course is designed to put young officers and non-commissioned officers through their paces, i.e. doing urban patrols.”

One task is key point protection.

“The student needs to protect an area and will have all the assets required to run a patrol. The Opfor might get sent out to run different scenarios to test that student,” Martin said.

“These are soldiers and officers - corporals, lieutenants, second lieutenants. But on the course, they are classified as students until they qualify.”

The Tongan and Fijian officers are in the country as part of the NZDF’s mutual assistance programme.

Blank rounds will be used throughout the exercises, which run from April 14 to April 20.

“They are designed to look and sound like gunshots, but they aren’t live, so there’s no danger to the public or anything like that,” Martin said.

“There will different kinds of military vehicles too, so we’ll have quite a big footprint on the ground.”

Exercises will be run at an old substation and sawmill, and personnel will also be at the wharf and at Koitiata in the Rangitīkei district.

The New Zealand personnel are based at Linton Military Camp near Palmerston North.

“After they finish this, it’s on to more qualification courses,” Martin said.