I then started to wonder if this may have come up in the White Paper deliberations.

AFAIK been flagged a number of times, incl for the WP.

 

The specwarries can't continue to maintain the tempo with existing operational and "political" demands.

 

Demonstrating my ignorance here but what does AFAIK mean?

Back onto topic I like RAVEN's idea of reroling or CAV from Divisional Rec to a Mounted Rifle or Fighting CAV role.  This would effectively give 1 and 7 Bde's a highly capable organic armoured infantry (wheeled) element to supplement their pair of rifle Btn's that would still be able to provide overwatch, force protection and rec as required.

 

Taking it a step further 3/4 CAV could take on a similar role for 3 Bde in addition to it's current APC role.  Even better it could be split with 3 CAV staying with 3 Bde while 4 CAV could be assigned to the new special forces Brigade as a specialised or "elite" Light CAV formation.

 

4 CAV (Light) assigned to a special forces brigade could fill a specialised land role while 3 RAR does air and 4 RAR sea. 

 

Thoughs?

AFAIK:-

As Far As I Know

Cheers,

Mac

 

Converting 3 RAR in  -  Special Operations ( Airborne)-[elite, rapidly deployable] - AKA - US Rangers / UK  (1 Para) ... would seem like a wise decision, given the operational tempo of of Special Operations in recent years...

 

6 RAR - Converted into the 3rd Mechanized Battalion

 

8/9 RAR - Spilt up and expanded into 8th RAR  and 9th RAR - Motorised Infantry ( to fill the gap left by 6 RAR)

 

---------

3 RAR - Airborne / Special Operations ( Rapid Deployment )

4 RAR - Commando ( Direct Action)

SAS +

 

 

 

 

if you really want to shake things up you could make 1st Commando Regiment into 100% full time - with Marine!!! Tasking

- almost SBS or Navy Seal :  like

 

 

3 RAR - Airborne / Special Operations ( Rapid Deployment )

So in summary ( and with correct spelling )

 

 

 3 RAR - Airborne / Special Operations (Rapid Deployment) - NORTH

 SASR (Long range Reconnaissance/Black Operations/Strategic Reconnaissance) - WEST

 

 

Sorry guys, but I doubt ADF is big enough to raise another special operations regiment/battalion call it what you will.

 

Arguing that you can just "convert" 3RAR into a Special Operations unit, means you would significantly diminish the capability of our Special Operations forces. 

 

3RAR is NO different to any other battalion in the Australian Army. If you want to think about such asinine things as which battalion is "best", 6RAR won the Duke Of Gloucester cup this year, and this is the closest we have to testing "which battalion is best"...

 

It has one different skill set, namely it's parachute qualification. Otherwise it's skillsets are no different. Why not chose 5 or 7 RAR? They've got unique skill sets too.

 

The problem is that most of the Digs in 3RAR won't be capable of meeting the standards for SOCOMD. As with 4RAR, most of the infantry grunts that were in that particular battalion when it was "converted" were transferred to other units, shortly thereafter. They weren't up to the challenge of Specwarrie operations.

 

The only way to do it, would be a sustained investment over many years, starting with "splitting" a commando company off 4RAR and gradually building up both units. The direct entry scheme would probably have to be introduced, despite the cost and lack of overall results, as even the Enhanced Land Force, would be flat out supporting 3x full time Special Operations units.

 

 

 

 

 

I understand your points, however no one is dimishing the capability of our existing special forces units!!! while the term has been used " Special Operations" ... there may be some misconceptions...

 

perhaps I should of said " Elite rapidly deployable" forces capable of limited Special operations. ( they are a different tier of Special Forces )

 

Are rangers trained to the standard as Delta force or Para's the same same standard as SAS ...  ?   

 

 

I was under the impression that 4 RAR was reformed / split from 2/4 RAR,  with the original cadre and line personnel being specifically recruited into 4 RAR serve as Commando's.

 

I remember hearing that one of the seven task forces planned under Army 21 was intended to be SF, which is why a Commando Btn was formed in the first place.

 

4 RAR was converted to Light Infantry for service in East Timor, I assume through being brought up to strength with regular Infantry and former ready reservists.  Once Timor was over the extra personnel would have been rotated out with the Btn returning to their intended commando role.

While it is true that 3 RAR couldn't be reroled SF over night and that many of its current members may not make the grade it doesn't change the fact that our current specwarries are being worked into the ground and converting an existing unit, especially one with 3 RAR's history, would be quicker than starting from scratch.  Considering the recent media coverage on the dissatisfaction of many of our infantry over being left out of combat ops and the fact that more diggs are needed to reform 8/9 RAR there should be no shortage of suitable troops to man "3 RAR Commando" as well as plenty of spare billets for ex 3 RAR guys who can't or don't want to be commandos. 

There's zero chance of 3 RAR becoming another SOCOMD unit. They're not even really para anymore anyway - you could probably count the number of current para-qualled diggers on one hand. Besides, considering the problems that 3 RAR have had over the years, they are the last battalion you would want to promote to SOCOMD. If you want more commandos, simply add a company or two to 4 RAR and change the name.

 

If you want to ease the burdon on the current spec-warries, you could start by giving them less random tasks that others can do more effectively. For instance, there is no reason why we need two TAGs in an army as small as ours. The chance of even one being called out is tiny - having two is a tremendous waste of resources. Let the AFP take up the domestic CT slack, and have one TAG organised outside of 4RAR/SASR but working directly for SOCOMD for the rest. It would also help if we stopped giving random tasks like CPP for dignatories abroad to the chicken stanglers. There is no reason the MPs or even ADGies can't do the vast majority of those tasks to free up bayonets for ops. I do know 4RAR have taken some of those taskings off the SASR, but you could still go further.

 

Regarding cavalry, in the corp conference this year it was the consensus that in the next couple of years that 3 Bde would receive a squadron of ASLAVs of their own. Whether they go to B3/4, or a squadron of, say, 2/14 is based in Townsville wasn't decided (it would be a government decision anyway). That would mean the cav sodiers manning the Bushmaters in Townsville could remain current on the ASLAV, and support their own ASLAV deployments as part of the Brigade rotation plan. B3/4 was supposed to provide the crews for MRTF2 and SECDET XV, but in the end it was given to 2 Cav again because B3/4 simply don't have any ASLAVs to train with, which pissed the scorpions off no end. It will be interesting to see what happens.