Military Technology to Support  Coastal Tourism

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

Military technology is often applied for civilian purposes. Navigating difficult physical surroundings often impairs planning and movement, whether on the battlefield or in areas stricken by natural disasters. 

A trackway traditionally used by armed forces coming ashore will be rolled out to combat coastal erosion in south Australia.

The Kingston District Council has purchased a moveable aluminum panel, known as a FAUN Trackway, that will provide a stable access-way for vehicles to the boat ramp, allowing locals and tourists to launch their boats.

This is the first time it will be used in Australia for boat ramping and a non-military deployment.

Tried and tested in multi-climate environments, the multi-purpose military graded aluminum panels are strong enough to be left out for long periods of time.

The trackway is rapidly laid, using minimal manpower, and it can help vehicles tackle challenging terrain.

FAUN Trackway head of marketing Rachel Roberts said the system was first built in the 1960s, in partnership with the UK Ministry of Defense to improve the mobility of vehicles and aircraft in the armed forces. The technology also had a history with the Australian military.

“We actually sold to the Australian Army about six or seven years ago, and the requirement was for a UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] drone runway,” she said. “[The technology] is used predominantly within the military for use of bridging ingress and egress and over the shore operations.” “For beach landings and for helicopter landing pads or runways, anywhere really where the ground round is required to be stabilized.”

“A few years ago, we diversified into the commercial sector because that was exactly what the intended use was … we wanted to reach out to businesses, governments, councils, wherever there’s a ground stabilization requirement,” she was cited by abc.net.au.