TWO large unexploded Second World War-era bombs in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (Arob) have been made safe by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) following Arob’s request for New Zealand’s help to dispose the bombs, last week.
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel of NZDF deployed to Bougainville to dispose of a 1,000lb (454kg) bomb discovered at Aropa airfield and a 500lb (226kg) bomb found at Kieta Primary School.
An earlier reconnaissance trip found the bombs were too dangerous to move and had to be destroyed in-place.
Sandbags were placed around the sites and large cordons set up before the disposal.
Special Operations Component Commander, Colonel Grant Scobie, said the EOD squadron was highly trained for these tasks.
“Disposal of explosive remnants of war is something we do regularly,” Scobie said.
Our personnel have completed recent disposal operations in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and Nauru.
“We would like to acknowledge the leadership of the Arob and the support and assistance of communities in Kieta and Aropa, which enabled us to successfully carry out the operation.”
Members of the EOD team will also be speaking at a community education event about how to safely mark and report unexploded ordnance when they are found.
This task rounds out a two-week mission in PNG, as the NZDF worked with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF), Australian Defence Force (ADF), International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Mission Aviation Fellowship under the guidance of the PNG National Disaster Centre to distribute aid to areas hit by Tropical Cyclone Maila.
The six-person EOD team, equipment and aid packages were flown to Bougainville on a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules and then on to Aropa Airfield via an NH90 helicopter from No.3 Squadron.
The helicopter and crew were already in PNG delivering aid to areas hit by Tropical Cyclone Maila.
