The sacrifice of ADF readiness: What does the future hold? 

Sadly, the Royal Tank Regiment Website is not up to date re ‘Affiliations’.  It currently states, that 1st Armoured Regiment “operates the Abrams Main Battle Tank”. 

What should it state?  The following is one possibly …

“In 2023, 1st Armoured Regiment, the senior regiment of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC), was stripped of its tanks and turned into a non-combatant Combat Experimentation Group (CXG).  This was done despite it being the only unit of the RAAC to be presented with a Standard, and the heritage and tradition accrued during the unit’s 75 years’ service crewing tanks – including the award of three battle honours and a Unit Citation for Gallantry.  Apparently, the need to find operating cost savings to pay for the AUKUS submarines was so urgent that it justified a consequential loss of combat power experienced by Australia’s only armoured brigade (at a time when the nation’s strategic outlook was described as ‘perilous’.)”

Just how urgent is the need to provide savings in the Defence budget to meet forecast AUKUS commitments?  The following are quotes from different media publications: 

“The Australian Submarine Agency is taking up so much cash, it’s choking everything else”.

“However, the overall expenditure for approved military equipment acquisition projects has increased by only $679 million for 2024–25, and overall new spending for Defence is just $400 million. There must, therefore, be nearly $2 billion in reductions, but they are hard to find.”

“Continuing budget pressures are causing defence to sacrifice spending on areas other than AUKUS and there simply is not enough funding – particularly for vital army, air force and non-AUKUS navy priorities”.

“Another issue is whether the government is too focused on future equipment acquisitions, rather than the preparedness and readiness of the current force. Can the ADF we have now, deter adversaries from attempting military domination in our area of primary interest?”

“Defence spending is well below the level needed to fund both long-term deterrence and immediate readiness.”

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Stripping tanks from 1 Armd Regt with the consequential combat power reduction in 3rd (Armoured) Brigade, would seem to be a clear case of immediate readiness being sacrificed on the altar of Budget Savings. 

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

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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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