The Royal Australian Armoured Corps of the Future?

Will it count for something; or will it just be another problem for the Chief of Army to have to deal with?

Will it still be the Army’s leading exponent of manoeuvre warfare, or does the new regime believe that the tank is dead? 

If manoeuvre warfare still has a place in Army’s thinking, why was 1st Armoured Regiment stripped of its tanks and forced to adopt a non-RAAC role?  

Why was 3 Brigade’s combat power in Townsville reduced by a battlegroup headquarters, a tank squadron and a cavalry squadron?  

Why was the 2nd Cavalry Regiment forced to become a dual-role unit with incompatible close fire-support and reconnaissance roles.

Who in their right mind could think that manoeuvre warfare will not continue to form the basis of land-force operations?  Of course, there could always be a return to trench warfare.

As feedback from Ukraine has recently made clear: “Properly protected, integrated with drones and supported by electronic warfare, armour remains indispensable, particularly when taking ground.”

Acknowledging this, will the CA do the right thing? 

Will she return 1st Armoured Regiment to its rightful place as the senior RAAC unit, equipped with tanks and located in Townsville as part of 3 Brigade; return 2nd Cavalry Regiment to a single-role reconnaissance unit; and retain 2/14 Light Horse Regiment (QMI) as an ARA unit?

When the then CA nominated the RAAC as the Corps to lose its most senior regiment to become a non-combatant ‘experimentation’ unit (without even an RAAC role), the impact was profound. 

1 Armd Regt had had a 75-year heritage as a tank regiment; suddenly this was all lost.  Maybe if there had been consultation of some sort, the outcome might have been different.  But there wasn’t!  The decision was kept secret, right up until the announcement.  

Why?  Why was the unit given no opportunity to farewell its heritage, customs, and traditions?  It would appear that the intention was to surprise the former tank regiment, thereby providing no opportunity for protests to be ‘aired’. 

The careful planning by the Department of Defence … worked.  Even the 1 Armd Regt Assn members were lured into believing that senior armoured corps generals were calling for ‘calm’; asking that no-one over-react.  Little did anyone realise that this was all part of the then CA’s plan to avoid repercussions. 

So, what of the future?  Can the RAAC retain a place of honour among its peers?

There would seem to be little hope of this, unless of course, the CA intervenes.  Will she?  Sadly, this would seem to depend on the truthfulness of the briefings provided to her.

The story so far has been one of deceit and manipulation.  Will she be allowed to view, and understand, the full picture?  Or will she see only what she is allowed to see, by the Defence mandarins?  

Based on her career achievements, I have confidence in the CA being able to see through the different ‘mirages’ presented to her.  The future of the RAAC depends on her wisdom.

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

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