Fighting French Rolling Thunder Year of the Tiger
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FIRST FEATURE-PACKED ISSUE! ISSUE 1 MARCH 2004 $8.95 AIR, LAND & SEA THE AUSTRALIAN MILITARY MAGAZINE FIGHTING FRENCH ONE AUSSIE’S FOREIGN LEGION SAGA ROLLING THUNDER ON A HIGH WITH THE ROULETTES YEAR OF THE TIGER ARH TAKES SHAPE DOWN UNDER SHOCK TROOPS 4RAR(CDO) -- THE ADF’S HARD--HITTERS www.Facebook.com/CONTACTmagazine 1 Both electronic – both free IF You already enjoy these two great Free e-magazines please... encourage all your colleagues and friends (including on Facebook) to register for their own free subscription via www.combatcamera.com.au 2 www.issuu.com/CONTACTpublishing www.Facebook.com/CONTACTmagazine 3 ISSUE 1 CONTENTS 08 MILITARY NEWS Latest snippets from Australia and around the World 12 FOREIGN LEGION One Aussie relates his experience with France’s foreign fi ghters 18 BATTLE SHOT An Australian trooper proves the hitting power of Javelin 20 TANKS FOR THE MEMORIES We look at the contenders as Leopard prepares to bow out 22 HMAS MELBOURNE On operations with the Navy in the Persian Gulf 24 FLYING HIGH Strap in for a back-seat ride with the RAAF Roulettes 30 THE LAST CHARGE Beersheba, 31 October 1916 3434 SHOCK TROOPS Inside the ADF’s commando unit 34 and how to enlist 42 SOMALIA Africa’s dirty little war throughthrough the eyes of an M113 commander 46 TIGER ATTACK Army’sA r my’s attack reconnaissancereconnaissance 58 helicopter comes to life 50 BURMESE REBELS CONTACTCONTACT in rebelrebel territory 56 REVIEWS 60 Military games reviewed and a good read recommended 58 3RAR Paras drop on ‘the Bay’ 60 JUST SOLDIERS War stories in dramatic detail 62 PRIVATE NOBBER 12 The adventures of a hapless hero 22 46 24 42 COCONTACT 5 4 www.issuu.com/CONTACTpublishing www.Facebook.com/CONTACTmagazine 5 THE EDITOR’SEDITOR’S LETTER Issue 1 – March 2004 AIR, LAND & SEA AIR, LAND & SEA Editor Brian Hartigan Editor Brian Hartigan Design & layout [email protected] Blair@lemonsqueezee ph:[email protected] 0408 496 664 fax: (02) 4293 1010 Art/DesignAdvertising Brian Alisha Hartigan Welch Welcome to this, the fi rst edition of CONTACT Air Land and Sea for an AdvertisingPhone – (02) Brian6255 0083 Hartigan or 0439 787928 Australian perspective on all things military. E-mail – [email protected] [email protected] For those of you who don’t know me (as they say in certain circles) Contributors Sean Burton, Wayne Cooper, – I joined the Australian Regular Army in November 1990 as a RAEME Buy any advertisementJonathan in CONTACT Garland, AirDarryl Land Aircraft Fitter and worked in Townsville for more than six years. I was & Sea and get the sameKelly, ad Tony for Park, half Simon price in a keen, “green” pogue who participated in extra-curricular, 3 Brigade COMBAT Camera Pointer, Ashley Roach, Troy sporting and military activities. Rodgers, Jason Weeding, After Townsville, I landed a job at Army Newspaper Unit where I Alisha Welch Business Rosie Hartigan stayed until, with three hooks on my arm, I transferred to the Active Re- ManagerSpecial thanks to [email protected] Peardon and MGI Cell, 4RAR serve in June 2002. It was at Army News I developed some of the skills ph/fax: (02) 4293 1010 necessary to allow me the confi dence to take on this new magazine. Published by Contact Publishing Pty Ltd My aim in CONTACT is to bring a collection of news, features, photos PO Box 897, Dickson, ACT 2602, AUSTRALIA and items of interest to those of you who serve in the ADF. I also want CONTACTTelephone: Air 0408 Land 496 664 & Sea and to enlighten others who, for whatever reason, are interested in learn- E-mail: [email protected] ing more about the men and women who carry weapons, sail ships, fl y COMBATwww.militarycontact.com Camera magazines are Published by Contact Publishing Pty Ltd, planes or otherwise shed blood, sweat and tears in military service. PO BoxPrinted 3091, by Goanna Minnamurra, Print, Fyshwick, NSW ACT 2533, AUST I want to thank you for choosing to buy this magazine and I hope you will continue to support this publication. I know, however, that www.militarycontact.comCONTACT - AIR LAND & SEA is published(all info) in March, your continued support is dependant on delivery of a value-for-money www.combatcamera.com.auJune, September and December each (free year. All product. Please do not hesitate to tell me what you like and dislike about subscriptions,subscription, editorial both magazines) or other correspondence the content, look and feel of this magazine or what you think might be should be addressed to the editor as above, except www.issuu.com/contactpublishingadvertising enquiries which should be e-mailed (archives) to missing. Your feedback is vital. www.facebook.com/[email protected] I want to assure you I will always try to report accurately and hon- www.youtube.com/CONTACTpublishingSubscriptions $34 per year (incl GST, postage and estly on the issues that interest you and I or affect our lives – even if such handling). Fill out your credit card details on the honesty ruffl es a few feathers. This magazine is independent of offi cial subscription form available in this issue or send a infl uence from Defence or any Government agency and will always CONTACTcheque orAir money Land order & Sea made is payablepublished to on defend its right to that independence. Contact Publishing Pty Ltd, with the completed Also, let me extend an invitation to you to contribute in a more tan- 1 March,form, toJune, the editor. September and December. COMBAT Camera is published on gible way. I am more than happy to consider your stories, photos and 1 February,All material May,appearing August in this magazine and November.is copyright and may not be ideas for publication, whether they be from your last bush trip, a unit ad- reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission Bothof magazinesthe editor. The views are expressed only inpublished this magazine are those of the in- venturous training exercise or your favourite out-of-hours, out-of-uniform electronicallydividual authors, on except the where Internet otherwise attributed,and both and do are not neces- hobby. I appreciate that some things need clearance through proper sarily refl ect the views of the publisher or of the editor. availableThis magazine by FREE is not ansubscription offi cial publication viaof the Australian Depart- channels and I may be able to help or advise on these issues. Please get ment of Defence or any other agency of the Australian Government and in CONTACT www.combatcamera.com.audoes not seek to refl ect offi cial policy. It does, however, strive to report All editorial,accurately and advertising honestly on the people, and activities general and equipment enquiries of the Again, thanks for supporting us and until next issue, good soldiering, Australian Defence Force and on the defence forces of other countries. shouldCurrent be editorial addressed staff and the to publisher the editor. have a close affi nity with the smooth sailing and clear skies soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Australian Defence Force and seek to portray their activities and circumstances honestly. The publisher does All materialnot accept responsibilityappearing for inany this claim magazinemade in this magazine is protected by any advertiser – readers are encouraged to seek professional advice where by copyrightappropriate. Authorsand may and photographers not be reproduced may submit high-quality in whole ar- or in partticles without and photos permission to the editor for consideration.from the copyrightThe editor accepts owner no (whichresponsibility may not for any be material Contact so submitted Publishing). and does not undertakeThe views to publish all submissions. Include a stamped, self-addresses envelope if expressedmaterial is in to bethis returned. magazine do not necessarily reflect Brian Hartigan, Editor the views of the publisher or the editor. The publisher [email protected] does not accept responsibility for any claim made by any author or advertiser – readers are encouraged to seek professional advice where appropriate. CONTACT 7 6 www.issuu.com/CONTACTpublishing www.Facebook.com/CONTACTmagazine 7 MILITARY NEWS NEW FLEET FLOATED Defence Maritime Services (DMS) has won a $553 million contract to supply and support a new fleet of 12 Armidale class patrol boats for the RAN to be based in Cairns and Darwin. DMS has subcontracted Austal to build the fleet at its Henderson yard near Fremantle. At 56.8 meters long, the new boats will be able to operate in heavier seas, up to 1000 nautical miles offshore and be deployed for up to 42 days. They will be equipped with two MEDALS AND AWARDS boats for patrol, surveillance and boarding operations and are armed with a Rafael 25mm Typhoon stabilised cannon. The first boat, HMAS Armidale, will be delivered in May 2005, BRAVERY AWARDED with the second and third An Australian military adviser to the six months later. UN’s top man in Baghdad, Col Jeff Davie, was awarded a Bravery Med- TROOPS al for his actions on the day a terrorist KAZ TECH JOINS NAVY bomb all but destroyed the UN HQ in FOR IRAQ the Iraqi capital. Sydney-based Kaz Technology Services has been awarded a $20 million GUTERRES Norway became Special Representative of the Sec- contract to develop an improved data management regime that will mon- the latest contrib- retary General, Sergio Vieira de Mello itor the maintenance and inventory needs of all Defence maritime vessels IN PAPUA uting nation to the – who was known to many Australi- including the Anzac and FFG (frigates), minehunters and LPAs. It is hoped International Security ans who served with INTERFET in East the new management regime will result in improved and cost-effective urico Guterres, the Assistance Force (ISAF) in Timor – died after the blast.