Thoughts on what the future holds for the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC)

How did the RAAC become the senior Corps in the Army?  Furthermore, is this status deserved?  

It’s amazing what we just take for granted.  I can feel that there’s a story here, but have absolutely no idea where it might lead.

Interestingly, no direct linkage can be made with the Light Horse, Mounted Infantry, or Mounted Rifles.  The infantry are obviously the oldest Corps, yet they rank only sixth … behind other ‘arms’ corps.  

Actually, the Corps of Staff Cadets, Duntroon, is the ‘official’ senior corps; with the RAAC being second.

It seems that the corps rankings might’ve been something which came into being after the Army’s mechanisation; with manoeuvre warfare being seen at the time, to be that which is of most importance. 

And yet, here we are today … witnessing a new epoch taking over.  

1st Armoured Regiment’s been stripped of its tanks.  Who, in their right mind, could have foreseen such a thing happening?  

Is it possible that the former Chief of Army was right to focus on experimentation as the essential element which will move the Army forward into the future 

If, as it seems, manoeuvre warfare is no longer of critical importance to Army’s combat power, how will future wars be fought and won?

Is it possible that long-range fires can win the land battle?  

Obviously not!  No matter how powerful artillery is, territory still needs to be occupied and secured.  Infantry is the only corps who can do this.  

It cannot do so, however, without intimate fire support.   Why is it then that tanks been stripped from 1 Armd Regt? 

The alternative to manoeuvre warfare, of course, is trench warfare.  The former Chief of Army would, presumably, adapt to this by using tanks as pillboxes.   

No matter which way you look at it, there’s no sane logic in stripping tanks from 1 Armd Regt.  Recent references to drones, only reinforce the importance of manoeuvre warfare.

“Wars are still won by soldiers occupying territory, not by drones hovering above it.”

It follows that infantry, as always, will continue to need close fire support; the best provider of which, is a tank.

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

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