“We need more tanks” – Ukrainian field commanders

“We need more tanks to provide close, direct, and overwhelming fire support” … feedback from Ukrainian field commanders

“Ukraine has not made tanks obsolete, as it is sometimes claimed. It is true that anti-tank mines, omnipresent drones, and an increasingly transparent battlefield have made armour far easier to detect and destroy. However, tanks have still played a crucial role in helping Ukrainian forces to advance, support infantry, deliver protected firepower, and hold or retake ground.”

Further support for the above, is provided by a visiting four-star American general who declared tanks and other combat vehicles are crucial to winning land wars.  This comes at a time when debate continues over Australia’s army overhaul (as a part of which, tanks were stripped from 1st Armoured Regiment). 

“Asked about the importance of armoured vehicles including tanks, General James McConville insisted the traditional army platforms remained crucial in modern land battles.” 

“You don’t need tanks unless you want to win … that is if you’re going to conduct offensive combat operations.  If you want to seize and hold land, the way to do that is with combined arms.  Combined arms is tanks, its armoured personnel carriers, its artillery, its attack aviation” … General McConville told reporters inside Defence headquarters.

Surely, General Coyle accepts this rationale … but will she return 1st Armoured Regiment to its combat role (relocating it to Townsville; while also retaining 2/14 LHR (QMI) as an ARA unit).  

The Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) is at her mercy in this respect; as is the 75-year heritage of 1 Armd Regt.  

Interestingly, CO 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Josh Higgins, remarked recently that their role of reconnaissance, security, scouting and guarding hadn’t changed, but their light armoured vehicles were now armed with drones.

“It’s another tool in our war chest with drones, which are now so pervasive in the modern operating environment it’s become an all-corps skill,” he said.

“In yesteryear, a 2 CAV surveillance troop used to be an ASLAV with a mast and camera.

“Today we have evolved it to be this – a vehicle and a combination of drones with different payloads.  It’s part of the ongoing modernisation of cavalry.”

With cavalry being modernised in this way, one can’t help wondering what the other half of his dual-role unit might be doing, i.e. the two squadrons of tanks whose role it is to provide direct fire support to infantry.  The fact that these roles are completely incompatible is obvious.  

Hopefully, the Chief of Army will act quickly to return 1 Armd Regt to its combat role and relocate it to Townsville.

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

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