The 2025 RAAC Corps Conference: Right Answers?

The Jun/Jul 2025 1 Armd Regt Assn newsletter contains a summary of this year’s RAAC Corps Conference, attended by the Assn Patron, Brig Ted Acutt. The majority of unit Honorary Colonels were present as well as all COs and RSMs.

Interestingly … “throughout the conference the key risk that continued to emerge was recruitment and retention. The RAAC is receiving new tanks and Cavalry vehicles that are highly capable, but the ADF is struggling to attract the numbers of young Australians needed to operate all the capability needed to conduct modern combat, particularly in Australia’s area of interest. Significant priority will need to be given to this issue going forward”.

Maybe these recruitment issues led to 1 Armd Regt being chosen to have its tanks stripped from it (then again, maybe it was the pressure on the CA to raise a unit to manage new and emerging technologies; one which could ‘hit the ground running’).

Maj Gen Michael Krause, AM, the RAAC Rep Hon Col, provided these comments (inter alia) in relation to 1 Armd Regt:

“It remains your Corps’ expert’s view that the optimal way to train the tanks in Townsville is to provide a dedicated headquarters over them. It is also the optimal way to train 3 Bde’s cavalry. It is not that it is impossible to have 2 Cav look the way it is, it’s just not optimal. I appreciate that this requires careful timing and scarce personnel. Probably of more import is that … 3 Bde only has two Battlegroup Headquarters (BGp HQs). Raising another BGp HQ in 3 Bde should be given a greater priority to solve two problems.

You will excuse us for wanting our cake and eat it too; if another BGp HQ is raised in Townsville to train the tanks, it should not be at the expense of the experimental unit. This should remain an RAAC command.”

It’s amazing how quickly things change. At the start of 2025, 1 Armd Regt Assn members described the manner of stripping the tanks from 1 Armd Regt as follows:

“The pain that Army’s decision has caused the 1st Armoured Regiment veterans, particularly those who served in combat in South Vietnam, cannot be understated. To be frank, they all feel gutted as they watch the Regiment stripped of its soldiers, tanks and armoured warfighting capability. They see the demise of the Regiment’s esprit-de-corps that they feel they spilt blood to create.

The veterans believe the Army’s decision is the ultimate betrayal of their service. They are gutted as they watch, as all that 1st Armoured Regiment has been during its 75-year history, is trashed.”

Now, six months later, the position published in the Assn newsletter is: “The Corps embraces [1 Armd Regt] and is strongly supportive…”. Although these are actually General Krause’s words, it is assumed that the Assn would have the fortitude to challenge this if it disagreed.

One has to wonder at the wisdom of the RAAC wanting to retain the Combat Experimentation Group (CXG) as an RAAC unit. Surely, it would be a preferable solution for CXG to become an Army resource; with 1 Armd Regt commanding Townsville’s tank squadrons.

Given that the Corps Conference focussed throughout its four days on the shortfall created by recruiting problems; it seems as if it will be difficult enough raising RHQ 1 Armd Regt, plus C Sqn; without trying for a whole new unit as well (especially a unit with a non-RAAC role).

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

 

FILE PHOTO: An Australian Army M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank from the 1st Armoured Regiment, drives through the Cultana Training Area, SA during Exercise Rhino Run 24. Photo by Corporal Johnny Huang.

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