Sometimes when we copy what someone else has done, we get it wrong …

This is what has happened with the new role that the Chief of Army designated for the 1st Armoured Regiment.

After being stripped of its tanks and reduced in size by two thirds, it’s been tasked with trialling new and emerging technologies for the Army as a whole. Sounds like a good idea, you say: ‘That’s just what the British Army has done’. BUT … no, it’s not.

The 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment might appear to be the equivalent of 1 Armd Regt; tasked as part of their Experimentation and Trials Group (ETG) with testing new ideas. The Battalion, however, is an “Agile, adaptive future Light Infantry force at the heart of developing, testing and challenging Infantry warfighting concepts and capabilities.” So, an infantry unit, testing new infantry ideas.

What about the rest of the British Army? The Brits have been ahead of the game for some time. They have separate trials and development units for armour, infantry, artillery and combat service support. Plus, the Household Cavalry Regiment has a standing commitment to assist if needed.

The Australian Army has a proven record of forming trials units as needed, e.g. 6 Tropical Trials Unit formed in 1964, and the Army Tropical Trials Establishment, in 1967.

Why then remove a unit with 75 years’ service from the order of battle and make it a non-combatant, forfeiting its battle-honours and Unit Citation for Gallantry, as well as its accumulated heritage and traditions?

There is no doubt that the imperative, as so often happens, turns on the defence budget.

3 Brigade was designated in the Defence Strategic Review to be an armoured brigade, but, the CA’s ‘sleight of hand’ has reduced the Brigade’s combat power significantly.

An armoured brigade would normally comprise a tank regiment, a cavalry regiment and a mechanised infantry battalion. The removal of 1 Armd Regt from the order of battle means that the Brigade is without a tank squadron, a cavalry squadron and an armoured battle-group headquarters.

It’s to be expected that all CAs would strive to maintain (and increase) Army’s combat power. In the present circumstances, one has to wonder what was most important: reducing the defence budget; or forming a new technology test-bed? And where the pressure came from?

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

 

FILE PHOTO: 2nd Cavalry Regiment M1A2 Abrams tanks, conduct a live-fire danger-close serial at Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland, on 7 June 2025. Photo by Lance Corporal Caitlyn Davill.

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