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CONTACT magazine

Author: Posted by Brian Hartigan

Ngāti Tūmatauenga, the New Zealand Army formally stands up its newly-formed Motorised Infantry Battalion at Linton Military Camp on Friday 5 December, 2025. RNZDF photo.
New Zealand News 

NZ Army creates new motorised infantry battalion

07/12/202507/12/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 631 Views 1 Comment

A newly-formed unit of the New Zealand Army, Ngāti Tūmatauenga, was formally called to attention this week. CAPTION: Ngāti Tūmatauenga,

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Editor's Vlog 

Dodgy door joinery

06/12/202506/12/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 371 Views 1 Comment

My little back-room space in the basement is shaping up nicely – especially since it started out as a nondescript

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The Hanwha Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle, above, and the Rheinmetall Lynx Infantry Fighting Vehicle, below, have been delivered to Defence to support test and evaluation activities conducted as part of the Land 400 Phase 3 Risk Mitigation Activity.
Letters to the Editor 

Infantry fighting vehicles displace core armour roles

05/12/202506/12/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 350 Views 2 Comments

A series of five articles was published by CONTACT during October and November 2018, titled “Armour in the Australian Army:

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Australian Army and Indonesian National Armed Forces soldiers, supported by an M1A1 Abrams tank, conduct a combined joint-force entry operation as part of Exercise Keris Woomera at Banongan Beach, Indonesia. Photo by Leading Seaman Rikki-Lea Phillips.
Letters to the Editor 

How will the new history of RAAC depict 2023/24?

02/12/202502/12/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 389 Views 0 Comments

The first volume of the RAAC history was written by the late Maj Gen R N L Hopkins, CBE. It

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A Centurion tank of C Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment, moving through the jungle in South Vietnam. June 1971. Australian War Memorial file FOD/71/0305/VN.
Letters to the Editor 

How is change brought about?  By rightfulness and persistence!

30/11/202530/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 440 Views 0 Comments

Will 1st Armoured Regiment become a tank regiment again?  Will it resume its rightful place as part of Australia’s only

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Editor's Vlog 

My bunker backroom

30/11/202530/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 438 Views 1 Comment

The little space at the back of the bunker – behind the ‘shield walls’ – is shaping up nicely. Instead of

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RNZAF Combat Operations Support Squadron support Exercise Tuhono Rangi at RNZAF Base Woodbourne, an exercise in support of visiting Luftwaffe A400M. NZDF image supplied.
Europe New Zealand News 

Luftwaffe exercise delivers benefits for New Zealand

27/11/202527/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 618 Views 0 Comments

Exercise Tūhono Rangi, a landmark joint training operation with the German air force (Luftwaffe), has wrapped up for the New

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An Aussie soldier writing in the field. Cropped from larger image by Corporal David Cotton.
Letters to the Editor 

CONTACT supports 1 Armd Regt’s reinstatement campaign

27/11/202527/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 350 Views 0 Comments

Between 22 April and 25 November 2025 (when these statistics were compiled), CONTACT published 81 letters related to the demise of

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Descendants of William Henry Belpitt who attended his commemorative service at Rookwood Cemetery. Photo courtesy of Julie Rusten (Friends of Rookwood).
Lest We Forget 

William Henry Belpitt MOH commemorated at Rookwood

27/11/202527/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 519 Views 0 Comments

His early years may have been spent in humble beginnings, a street urchin finding trouble where none was to be

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Director General Integrated Soldier System Branch, Brigadier Pat Murray, and NIOA’s General Manager - Weapons and Munitions, Mick Ahern, ink the new small arms support contract. Photo supplied by NIOA.
ADF News Sovereign industry 

NIOA, Defence sign long-term small arms support contract

25/11/202525/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 634 Views 0 Comments

NIOA has signed a new long-term small arms support contract with the Australian Department of Defence. CAPTION: Director General Integrated

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An Australian Army Abrams M1A2 SEPv3 main battle tank during a live-fire serial as part of a qualification course for Royal Australian Armoured Corps soldiers at Puckapunyal Military Area, Victoria. Photo by Corporal Jacob Joseph.
Letters to the Editor 

In our ADF superiors we trust (or hope)

25/11/202525/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 685 Views 1 Comment

On 7 Nov 24, the Chief of Army said: “I’ve set four strategic priorities for our Army. The central one

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An Australian M1A2 SEP v3 main battle tank is test fired remotely for the first time to check the main gun for safety before a live-fire to qualify crews on the new systems at the Puckapunyal Military Area, Victoria, 5 November 2024. Photo by Corporal Michael Currie.
Letters to the Editor 

The Chain of Command must stand for something …

22/11/202522/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 543 Views 2 Comments

The essential element is that someone is responsible for making a decision; as compared with the procrastination that often accompanies

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New livery for RNZAF on its new Airbus A321XLR. Images supplied by RNZAF.
New Zealand News 

New livery on new transport for RNZAF

22/11/202522/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 828 Views 0 Comments

A six-year lease-to-buy deal to acquire replacement strategic transport aircraft for the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has been

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Editor's Vlog 

Dealing with my piles (of dirt)

22/11/202522/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 436 Views 0 Comments

OK – I can’t put it off any longer – I have to re-arrange the piles of dirt on my driveway. It’s

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An M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams main battle tank is loaded onto a United States Navy asset during Exercise Talisman Sabre at Townsville Port, Queensland. Photo by Lance Corporal Caitlyn Davill.
Letters to the Editor 

The RAAC Head of Corps’ dilemma

20/11/202520/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 417 Views 0 Comments

Heads of Corps were reinstated in 2001 via Chief of Army Directive 05/01.  According to the Directive, HOC are responsible

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Editor's Vlog 

Trying to get reorganised

16/11/202516/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 505 Views 0 Comments

My bunker is a construction zone – and my proper workshop is a disaster zone. I feel it’s time to

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An Australian Army soldier from the 1st Armoured Regiment controls controls an M134D An Australian Army soldier from the 1st Armoured Regiment controls an M134D minigun remote weapon station attached to a modular robotic vehicle during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 at Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland. Photo by Lance Corporal Caitlyn Davill.minigun remote weapon station attached to a modular robotic vehicle during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 at Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland. Photo by Lance Corporal Caitlyn Davill.
Letters to the Editor 

What part did Future Land Warfare play in the demise of 1st Armoured Regiment? 

14/11/202514/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 464 Views 0 Comments

In October 2022, the outgoing Director General of Future Land Warfare was Brig Ian Langford, DSC (and bars).  He’d brought

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United States Army 17th Field Artillery Brigade High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) during the Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 firepower demonstration at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland. Photo by Corporal Jacob Joseph.
News USA 

Lockheed Martin delivers 750th HIMARS launcher

14/11/202514/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 874 Views 0 Comments

Lockheed Martin has marked a major milestone delivering the 750th HIMARS launcher to the US Army. FILE PHOTO: United States Army

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An Australian Army M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams main battle tank provides support for soldiers during an urban assault at Shoalwater Bay Training Area as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 25. Photo by Corporal Michael Rogers.
Letters to the Editor 

Is an Army unit something that the Chief of Army can do with as he likes?

10/11/202510/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5413 Views 19 Comments

He’s the one in charge … so, why not? If he wants a unit to undertake a new role managing

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A400m Atlas. Luftwaffe photo supplied.
Europe New Zealand News 

Luftwaffe training visit to New Zealand

09/11/202509/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1410 Views 0 Comments

Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) will host several German air force (Luftwaffe) aircraft, working alongside the visitors as they

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