Five tonnes of explosives have been detonated near Woomera, in South Australia's outback, as part of an international defence exercise.
The test is also being used by commercial companies and security experts to gauge the effect of a terrorist bomb.
A first attempt to detonate the bomb just after midday failed. However, a second attempt mid-afternoon was a success.
From a vantage point three kilometres away, a huge mushroom cloud could be seen and seconds later, a loud explosion could be heard.
Major John Bishop from the Defence Department says structural engineers are yet to assess the full impact of the blast on the target.
"There were some things that are very close in and will be damaged, there's no question about that," he said.
"However, we won't know how our prime targets survived or otherwise until our structural engineers go forward and advise us."
But he says he believes the operation was successful.
"It looked like a very good detonation - good fireball, good shock wave," he said.
"I think everything sort of went to script apart from the fact that the timing was a little bit off."
The UK Ministry of Defence is funding the explosive trial in collaboration with Australia's Defence Department.
It aims to test what sort of materials can withstand the blast at certain distances.
The results will be applied to standards for the storage and handling of explosives.
The United States, Canada, Germany, Singapore and the Netherlands are also testing defence equipment against the blast.
Commercial companies manufacturing building materials are testing the ability of their products to defend against the impact of a terrorist bomb.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1103014.htm
The test is also being used by commercial companies and security experts to gauge the effect of a terrorist bomb.
A first attempt to detonate the bomb just after midday failed. However, a second attempt mid-afternoon was a success.
From a vantage point three kilometres away, a huge mushroom cloud could be seen and seconds later, a loud explosion could be heard.
Major John Bishop from the Defence Department says structural engineers are yet to assess the full impact of the blast on the target.
"There were some things that are very close in and will be damaged, there's no question about that," he said.
"However, we won't know how our prime targets survived or otherwise until our structural engineers go forward and advise us."
But he says he believes the operation was successful.
"It looked like a very good detonation - good fireball, good shock wave," he said.
"I think everything sort of went to script apart from the fact that the timing was a little bit off."
The UK Ministry of Defence is funding the explosive trial in collaboration with Australia's Defence Department.
It aims to test what sort of materials can withstand the blast at certain distances.
The results will be applied to standards for the storage and handling of explosives.
The United States, Canada, Germany, Singapore and the Netherlands are also testing defence equipment against the blast.
Commercial companies manufacturing building materials are testing the ability of their products to defend against the impact of a terrorist bomb.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1103014.htm