An Open Letter to Prospective new Defence Ministers

Eighteen months ago, the Defence Strategic Review stipulated that an armoured brigade should be located in Townsville. This requirement has not yet been met.

Usually, the brigade’s key units would be a tank regiment, a cavalry (reconnaissance) regiment, and a mechanised infantry battalion.

Army has decided, however, to strip 1st Armoured Regiment of its tanks and employ it on other duties; leaving 2nd Cavalry Regiment as the only armoured unit in Townsville.

This has meant that 3 Brigade has only two tank squadrons and two cavalry squadrons available to it, rather than three of each.

Another limitation is that the brigade can only deploy one, rather than two, armoured battlegroup HQs.

The combat power of 3 Brigade is considerably weakened in these circumstances.

This seems particularly surprising. On the one hand, “Australia is facing its most challenging security environment since the Second World War”; while on the other, Exercise ‘Talisman Sabre 2025’, the largest yet to be conducted, is to begin in July.

For the sake of the nation’s defence preparedness, please reinstate 1st Armoured Regiment’s combat role and restore 3 Brigade’s combat power.

Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Cameron, MC, RAAC (Ret’d)

 

FILE PHOTO: An Australian Army M1A1 Abrams tank on a Royal Australian Navy light landing craft, during Exercise Sea Explorer, Cowley Beach, Queensland. Photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Jacqueline Forrester.

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