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Subject: Should Australia raise a MARINE Battalion.....
BLUIE006    12/25/2006 1:36:12 AM
There is an gap in Australias defence capability that I have never understood ....... WE have do Marines.... we have alot of water .. I propose making a Marine battalion.....similar to Royal Marines 1000-2000 strong I know people are going crap on about staffing issues etc etc If we could raise the numbers ...do you think it would be useful ??
 
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Lawman       1/10/2007 5:23:27 PM
How about simply re-tasking 3RAR into a marine infantry unit, and give them a couple of dozen Amtracs? I seem to remember discussions of them being re-roled anyway, so presumably giving them a few amphibious vehicles wouldn't be rocket science. They would not be pure marines, more just amphib capable, but actually owning some assets of their own. Even a dozen or so Amtracs would be enough to land a company or so, and when ashore, they simply become light infantry.
 
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gf0012-aust       1/10/2007 5:39:19 PM

Just an extract from Janes I found, and which somewhat confused me given it contradicts what I was told in this thread:

"Australia has considerable commitments across the western and southern
Pacific as well as to her north and while she is increasing the scope
of her naval forces she has yet to train troops in amphibious
operations although the 4 RAR (Cdo) may come close: there is already an
amphibious troop within each SAS Squadron."
http://www.janes.com/defence/naval_forces/news/jasf/jasf070109_1_n.shtml" href_cetemp=">http://www.janes.com/defence/naval_forces/news/jasf/jasf070109_1_n.shtml">link


but thats the standard grist for SAS/SASR.  a cohort always are tasked to play in water.  they're not amphib troops though - that is anathema to what their brief is.
4 Commando are the closest to a water tasking.
 
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neutralizer       1/11/2007 2:04:36 AM
Somehow I don't think RM would like to be compared to policemen.
 
Nothing special about amph ops, in FI the paras got their feet wet, the only problem was they didn't realise that 'troops out' meant 'green light - go' (not a major training problem and the issue was solved in seconds).
 
RM are not 'naval infantry'.  They have the highest basic individual training cost of any of UK's armed forces, it also takes 26 weeks, and that's just to produce a basic bootie, not any sort of specialist.  Of course their idea of 'basic' is a bit above everybody else.
 
I guess it should lso be pointed out they have a unique distinction, 5 years ago the only Congressional Medal of Honor ever awarded to a non-US serviceman (apart from 'honoury' ones) went to an RM sgt.
 
Despite that I can see absolutely no reason for Aust to form a 'marine corps' outside army (shades of a coast guard).  Other nations have 'marines' as part of their army but the benefit isn't obvious either.
 
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Aussie Digger       1/11/2007 6:32:10 AM

Just an extract from Janes I found, and which somewhat confused me given it contradicts what I was told in this thread:

"Australia has considerable commitments across the western and southern
Pacific as well as to her north and while she is increasing the scope
of her naval forces she has yet to train troops in amphibious
operations although the 4 RAR (Cdo) may come close: there is already an
amphibious troop within each SAS Squadron."

http://www.janes.com/defence/naval_forces/news/jasf/jasf070109_1_n.shtml" target="_blank">link


Hmm. I guess 3RAR "fluked" it's amphibious insertion into the "Oecussi" Province during INTERFET in East Timor then eh?

The "researchers" for this "article" could do with learning a bit about the Australian Army training program, if they wish to write about it. Janes is supposed to be a "reputable" military publication afterall. I've seen more accurate defence writing in the Sydney Morning Herald... :)

Once AGAIN, 2RAR is the closest thing Army currently has to a "Marine" Battalion, it does in general, more amphibious warfare training than any other battalion in Army.
 

 
 
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Volkodav       1/11/2007 6:46:43 AM
Once AGAIN, 2RAR is the closest thing Army currently has to a "Marine" Battalion, it does in general, more amphibious warfare training than any other battalion in Army. 
 
Is that because its so soggy in Townsville?  Its an amphibious operation to get out of barracks in the wet!
 
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gf0012-aust       1/11/2007 6:56:43 AM

I guess it should lso be pointed out they have a unique distinction, 5 years ago the only Congressional Medal of Honor ever awarded to a non-US serviceman (apart from 'honoury' ones) went to an RM sgt.


have you got  a link for that citation?  was he on exchange at the time?
 
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Aussie Digger       1/11/2007 8:21:56 AM

Once AGAIN, 2RAR is the closest thing Army currently has to a "Marine" Battalion, it does in general, more amphibious warfare training than any other battalion in Army. 
 

Is that because its so soggy in Townsville?  Its an amphibious operation to get out of barracks in the wet!


No, Lavarack's fine. If you like 99% humidity for 9 months of the year and 100% for the other 3... :(
 
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neutralizer       1/12/2007 12:39:31 AM




I guess it should lso be pointed out they have a unique distinction, 5 years ago the only Congressional Medal of Honor ever awarded to a non-US serviceman (apart from 'honoury' ones) went to an RM sgt.




have you got  a link for that citation?  was he on exchange at the time?


Not to hand, I don't know if it's on a US site.  The Brits kept it very low key but IIRC there was a MoD media release.  The incident was where the CIA bloke got into strife when things went pear shaped at that gaol in Afg.  I didn't think it was exchange, it seems that US and UK SF were working in a very integrated way.  UK forces now seem to have completed the trifecta in Afg - VC, GC and MoH.
 
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gf0012-aust       1/12/2007 8:39:17 AM

UK forces now seem to have completed the trifecta in Afg - VC, GC and MoH.


outstanding effort... one more and you get the quadrella - the PCU.
 
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gf0012-aust       1/12/2007 9:22:30 AM



UK forces now seem to have completed the trifecta in Afg - VC, GC and MoH.



outstanding effort... one more and you get the quadrella - the PCU.


Bugger!  that should have read:
outstanding effort... one more and you get the quadrella - the PUC.

 
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