Ex Talisman Sabre 2025 – 1 Armd Regt’s role

One of the consequences of the tanks being stripped from 1 Armd Regt is that it leaves 3 Brigade (designated an armoured brigade in the 2023 Defence Strategic Review) without a tank squadron, a cavalry squadron and a battlegroup headquarters. This is a significant loss of combat power, as well as a loss of the flexibility and command options that three battlegroups provide.

[The fact that each tank squadron comprises four troops of four tanks is just a return to the organisation of old; it doesn’t compensate the Brigade for the loss of two armoured manoeuvre sub-units.]

It has emerged (as things do) that Regimental Headquarters (RHQ), 1 Armd Regt is considered a battlegroup headquarters and is being exercised in this role with 3 Brigade. Just what is going on, you ask? 1 Armd Regt relocated (albeit temporarily) from Adelaide to Townsville?

Minister Marles has described 1 Armd Regt’s new role as “directly shaping how the Army fights”. (He’s been asked what this means, but has so far declined to respond.) The Regiment will, he said, “be employed in this role during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025” (to be held in northern Australia from 13 July to 4 August 2025).

It seems unlikely that RHQ 1 Armd Regt would be deployed as a battlegroup headquarters commanding both standard combat teams and human machine teams (and/or modular robotic vehicles). More likely, it will assess new technologies during the Exercise; possibly, to a limited degree, also evaluating interaction of the technologies with a standard combat team.

All in all, there is little that will compensate 3 Brigade (and the nation) at this time of strategic peril, for its loss of combat power and command options.

It is a question that has to be asked … what training experience will the Brigade miss out on during Talisman Sabre 2025? There is a significant difference having a single combined armoured regiment, as compared to separate tank and cavalry regiments able to operate independently and form tailored battlegroups.

Of course, the Exercise writing team can posture the outcome and lessons learnt, as they wish.

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

 

FILE PHOTO: Soldiers look on as an Australian M1A1 Abrams tank passes by during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023. Photo by Corporal Michael Currie.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 could well see soldiers from 1st Armoured Regiment looking on [forlornly] as ‘their’ tanks roll past.

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