Timor-Leste licenses first local Steel Camel operators

Ten members of Timor-Leste’s defence force have become the country’s first locally trained and licensed operators of Australian Defence Force M730 Steel Camels after a month-long capability program. The handover marks a step toward self-reliance in operating and maintaining specialist equipment inside Timor-Leste.

Why it matters: - Timor-Leste now has locally licensed operators for specialist heavy equipment, reducing dependence on overseas support. - The program combines equipment transfer with training, licensing and safety standards, which makes the capability more likely to be sustained inside the country. - The initiative is aimed at building workforce capacity that can be used across defence, infrastructure and other high-risk sectors.

What happened: - Ten members of the Forças de Defesa de Timor-Leste graduated from the M730 Steel Camel Capability Development Programme. - The graduation followed a month-long training program delivered in Tetum and English. - Two Australian Defence Force M730 Steel Camel machines were officially handed over to the F-FDTL in the same milestone. - The ceremony took place in Timor-Leste and included prayers, a formal blessing of the machinery and the national anthems of Timor-Leste and Australia. - Representatives of the Defence Cooperation Programme and the Australian Embassy attended alongside senior Timor-Leste officials. - Concluding remarks were delivered by Tenente General Domingos Raúl, Falur Rate Laek, and a representative from the Ministry of Public Works on behalf of Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão.

The details: - Each graduate earned three Australian Qualifications Framework-aligned Statements of Attainment. - The qualifications were RIIHAN309F for telescopic materials handler operations, RIIHAN301E for elevated work platform operations and RIIWHS204E for working safely at heights. - Each graduate also received four Timor-Leste national licences covering work health and safety induction, telehandler operation, elevated work platforms and working at heights. - Training included theory and practical work at the OHS facility at the B.J. Habibie site. - Practical assessments were completed at Metinaro Military Base. - Graduates then demonstrated the machinery in a live Steel Camel Machine Capability Demonstration. - The demonstration operated within a safety framework developed under Decree Law No. 19/2025. - The M730 was selected to support long-term local sustainability, with maintenance and repairs intended to be handled in Timor-Leste without ongoing reliance on overseas specialists. - Licensing TL is supporting training, certification and licensing systems for construction, civil works and other high-risk industries. - The organisation also provides international-standard training, recruitment and consultancy services with local and international trainers. - Its work spans construction, mining, logistics, oil and gas and other high-risk sectors. - More information is available in Licensing TL’s announcement.

Between the lines: - The program is designed as more than a hardware handover; it is a workforce-development model. - Tammy Kassiou said the goal is to build capability inside Timor-Leste rather than create dependency outside it. - Kassiou also said the program should be replicated across other industries where safety and competency matter. - The graduation reflects a broader push to make qualifications and licensing central to Timor-Leste’s development plans. - The emphasis on local training and licensing suggests Timor-Leste wants imported equipment to become a national asset, not a foreign-managed one.

What’s next: - The newly licensed F-FDTL operators are expected to begin operating the two M730 Steel Camels. - The program’s backers want the model expanded so more Timorese workers earn recognized qualifications and licences. - Further workforce development is expected across sectors as infrastructure and industry investment grows.

The bottom line: - Timor-Leste’s Steel Camel handover is also a test case for building sovereign capability: train locally, license locally and keep the skills in-country.