2024 IRONSIDES Journal: More Uncertainty Raised

It wasn’t only the CO who suggested that it wouldn’t be long before 1st Armoured Regiment became a tank regiment again; the Corps RSM said he was “optimistic that a renewed regiment will form in time, once manpower and resources reach optimal levels”.

Maybe this is why there was no mention about the loss of a tank squadron, a cavalry squadron and a battlegroup headquarters from Army’s order of battle and the RAAC’s manning.

But WAIT, you say …

The section of the Journal dealing with the Land Combat Vehicle Program (LCVP) mentioned that “A successful outcome of the restructure has seen a growth in one tank troop in both future tank squadrons”.

Previously, tank squadrons comprised three troops of four tanks; now each of 2 Cav’s tank squadrons comprises four troops of four tanks.

[There is some relevant background here. The RAAC went through a period in which its three ARA units commanded regiments, each comprising a tank sqn, a cav sqn and an APC sqn. The Armoured Cavalry Regiment model was not a success. This was due, in part, because the tank fleet at the time (59 MBTs) was too small to support three dispersed locations; maintainability problems grew out of all proportion. ‘Four troops of four tanks’ is a return to the organisation of old.]

Somewhat strangely, the LCVP went on to say: “further work is required to better understand the long-term impact to workplace health following the loss of an RAAC tank squadron from Army’s order of battle”. Maybe a reader can enlighten the rest of us, in terms of the workplace health impacts involved (?).

The School of Armour report added a little flair to IRONSIDES when it stated that “We look forward to a new face of the Armoured Corps units in 2025, with a larger tank presence at 2 CAV REGT bringing a much-needed flare to the cavalry unit”. Exactly why 2 Cav needs this, remains unclear.

The Journal made lots of references to issues such as: ‘undertaking the largest re-capitalisation of equipment since the Second World War”; ‘on-going integration of emerging technologies and equipment and the focus on next-generation warfare’; and ‘moving on to new challenges’. What it didn’t do, however, is make any reference to the need for the new role being undertaken by 1 Armd Regt.

IRONSIDES 2024 was published in June 2025; twenty-one months after the Defence Strategic Review announced that 1 Armd Regt would be stripped of its tanks and made a non-combatant testbed for emerging technologies. Surely the time has come to tell veterans if the new role is permanent; or if a “renewed regiment will form”, “after a short break”, as the current CO and Corps RSM believe will happen.

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