Demise of 1st Armoured Regiment – Winners and Losers.

The recent (2025) Chief of Army Symposium highlighted some of the failings in the Defence space that we’ve been saddled with. Stripping tanks from 1st Armoured Regiment is just one.

Amazingly, others include: having the wrong capability mix; shortcomings in preparedness; the existence of a ‘strategy-free zone’; and a failure to emphasise the importance of combat skills, e.g. those needed to close with and out-manoeuvre the enemy.

In making 1 Armd Regt a non-combatant, as with all decisions, there are winners and losers.

The Winners

The Chief of Army has got what he wanted …a non-combatant unit at his disposal, one skilled at adapting to changing circumstances and ready to commence new tasking immediately.

The Department of Defence gets its way in bringing about a reduction in the strength of RAAC units.

The Defence Budget achieves savings in operating costs with the RAAC fielding one less tank squadron and one less cavalry squadron than otherwise. [Incredible as this is in the current strategic circumstances, the pressure on Army to save money (because of the ballooning AUKUS costs) became very apparent during the CA’s symposium.]

The Townsville housing market is subject to less pressure than it would’ve been if 1 Armd Regt was located there, along with 2 Cav Regt.

The Losers

3 Brigade (Townsville) was designated to be an armoured brigade in the 2023 Defence Strategic Review (DSR). As such, it is lacking one battle-group headquarters, one tank squadron and one cavalry squadron, as a direct consequence of 1 Armd Regt being made a non-combatant.

The RAAC is forced to forego the opportunities for skills development and promotion that would’ve been available to a battle-group headquarters, tank squadron and a cavalry squadron, fulfilling the RAAC’s combat role. This amounts to an immeasurable loss that the Corps may never regain.

‘Those With Skin in the Game’. We now come to those who feel the consequences of the CA’s decision to strip 1 Armd Regt of its tanks and make it a non-combatant — the most! How do you describe the emotional impact of the heritage and traditions built up over 75 years by a unit’s former members, being scrapped … as they’re forced to stand-by and watch?

There is a timeless bonding that few can adequately describe; camaraderie and comradeship, together with affinity and rapport. Generations drawn together by the same unifying spirit. There is an inseparability between the experiences of the past and the esprit-de-corps that existed at the time; one that doesn’t diminish. A true brotherhood from Churchill to Centurion to Leopard to M1A1 to M1A2.

The 1 Armd Regt Association expressed it this way: “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. It must be noted that the 1st Armoured Regiment received three hard-won battle honours and a Unit Citation for Gallantry, for its effectiveness in Vietnam.”

While the CA is undoubtedly responsible for what’s happened to 1 Armd Regt, one has to wonder whether or not he understands the depth of the hurt that he’s caused?

One of his favourite sayings is: “The time is now, and we are it. We must be ready to fight tonight”. At the same time, he has reduced the combat power of the RAAC by 25%; this, at a time when our strategic outlook is one of the most perilous ever.

Sadly … it seems that we are an Army destined to continue to stumble blindly through the darkness.

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

 

FILE PHOTO (May 2025): An Australian Army M1A2 Abrams main battle tank from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment during a live-fire practice in the Townsville Field Training Area during Exercise Eagle March. Photo by Sergeant Matthew Bickerton.

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