Revamp to create fast, lethal army
Patrick Walters, National security editor
November 29, 2005
AUSTRALIA'S army will be restructured into nine highly flexible "battle groups" capable of being rapidly deployed to wage war or perform peacekeeping duties under a $1.8 billion plan to be put to cabinet's national security committee tomorrow.
The radical overhaul, the biggest transformation of the army's organisation since World War II, would see land forces boosted by an extra 2500 combat troops - almost 10 per cent - by 2012.
Defence Minister Robert Hill hopes to win in-principle cabinet support for his "hardening and networking" submission, which aims to restructure the army to cope with the more dangerous global environment.
It will signal a major shift from the army's existing organisation, based on light infantry battalions of between 750 and 800 soldiers.
The planned changes would see each new "battle group" -- about 750-strong and based on current battalions and regiments -- equipped with all the assets to wage war in the 21st-century battlefield, including artillery, tanks and helicopters.
New deployable army formations -- ranging from the battle groups to the smallest four-man "fire team" -- would be a great deal more lethal and nimble, better protected, and more adaptable than the army's existing five mainstream infantry battalions.
But with senior ministers still to agree on future real funding increases for Defence beyond 2010, Senator Hill is likely to be asked to bring another detailed costing submission on the army's plan to cabinet budget sessions early next year.
Senator Hill will also seek endorsement tomorrow for Defence's new strategic update paper, which backs the need for a bigger army in the face of global terrorism and nuclear weapons proliferation.
The army's goal is to create two composite brigade-sized units, each consisting of 3000 soldiers, equipped with artillery, aviation, armoured vehicles and engineering support.
This would enable a brigade-strength force to be maintained on operations overseas simultaneously with a smaller battalion or battle group -- a key goal set by the Government for the future army in the 2000 Defence White Paper and not yet achieved.
Under the changes, the army would grow to about 28,000 personnel, compared with its current strength of around 25,500. The army already has approval to lift its strength to 26,500, but is struggling to fill recruitment targets.
The bigger force would allow the creation of an extra battalion or battle group, as well as enabling hollowed-out units to become fully operational.
The army plan would also see all units "networked", with even individual soldiers given access to sophisticated communications and intelligence links.
Army chief Peter Leahy has argued that hardening and networking the army is essential if Australia is to retain a genuine landforce fighting capability in coming decades. The 10-year restructuring plan will also see some regular army units moving interstate, with the 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment moving to Adelaide from Holsworthy, in Sydney's west, by 2012.
The new "modular" structure would be more agile and adaptable than the army's traditional combat units and capable of a wider range of independent operations as well as being capable of slotting into bigger fighting formations should the need arise.
Cabinet's national security committee is yet to approve a continuation of 3 per cent real growth for the Defence budget beyond 2010 -- an increase that will be essential to achieve the army restructuring.
Senator Hill has won a reprieve from John Howard for two of the three submissions he had hoped to bring to cabinet earlier this month.
The Prime Minister had wanted cabinet consideration of the Defence submissions postponed until next year, but Senator Hill successfully lobbied for the Defence update and the army plan to be considered before Christmas.
The third submission, on funding levels and the future defence capability plan, will be held over until next year, according to senior government sources.
The army plans to offset some of the cost of the restructuring plan from the sale of asset, including valuable property in the Sydney area. Army reservists are also set to play a more active role in the new deployable battle groups.
