The Royal Australian Artillery LIAISON LETTER Autumn Edition 2011 The Official Journal of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery Incorporating the Australian Gunner Magazine First Published in 1948 Contents Editors Comment 1 Letters to the Editor 3 Regimental 7 Professional Papers 23 Take Post 31 Capability & Training 35 Personnel 45 RAA History & Heritage 71 LIAISON Associations & Organisations 85 Next Edition Contribution Deadline Contributions for the Liaison Letter 2011 – Spring Edition should be forwarded to the editor at his home postal or LETTER emailaddress,bynolaterthanFriday 2nd September 2011. ‘Late’ correspondence or submissions after that date should be forwarded to the editor via the School of Autumn Edition Artillery or his defence email address. 2011 LiaisonLetterInColourOn-line If you have access to the defence restricted network you can read the Liaison Letter in colour on the Regimental web-site found at:http://intranet.defence.gov.au/armyweb/Sites/RRAA/. Incorporating the Australian Gunner RAA DRN content managers are requested to add this site to Magazine their links. Publication Information Front Cover: CRAM in Afghanistan with 16th Air Defence Regiment. Top Left: Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar (LCMR) Bottom Left: LCMR display during operation in Afghanistan Right: Giraffe Agile Multi Beam (G-AMB) Radar Front Cover Designed by: Major D.T. (Terry) Brennan, Staff Officer to Head of Regiment Compiled and Edited by: Major D.T. (Terry) Brennan, Staff Officer to Head of Regiment Published by: Lieutenant Colonel M.R.C. (Mitch) Kennedy, Deputy Head of Regiment, School of Artillery, Bridges Barracks, Puckapunyal, Victoria 3662 Desktop Publishing by: Michelle Ray, Combined Arms Doctrine and Development Section, Bridges Barracks, Puckapunyal, Victoria 3662 Printed by: Defence Publishing Service – Victoria Distribution: For issues relating to content or distribution contact the Editor on email [email protected] or [email protected] Contributors are urged to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in their articles; the Royal Australian Artillery, Deputy Head of Regiment and the RAA Liaison Letter editor accept no responsibility for errors of fact. The views expressed in the Royal Australian Artillery Liaison Letter are the contributors and not necessarily those of the Royal Australian Artillery, Australian Army or Department of Defence. The Commonwealth of Australia will not be legally responsible in contract, tort or otherwise for any statement made in this publication. RAA Liaison Letter 2011 - Autumn Edition Changes in artillery By Lt-Col Mitch Kennedy and "The rest of the structure remains the same, "A key challenge will be that of cultural change Training on the new equipment will start this LCpl Mark Doran with an operations battery for the higher level - the RAA has been using a number of very month at the School of Arty. THE ARA Field Artillery Branch is in the coordination for the regiment and fire support sound tactics, techniques and procedures process of one of its most significant for the brigade and a combat support battery to effectively over a long period of time to support 1st Regt RAA reorganisations in the history of the Royal provide the sustainment and administration and manoeuvre forces," Lt-Col Kelly said. "The Barce Lines Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera Regiment of Australian Artillery. logistical support." introduction into service of Land 17 equipment • Operations Support Battery In January, the ARA field regiments At the heart of the reorganisation is the planned will require the RAA to modify some of these • 104th (Observation Post) Battery tactics in order to optimise the employment of reorganised to each contain three observation introduction into service of the Advanced Field • 105th (Observation Post) Battery Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS), a this equipment." Beginning this year, 1 and 4 post batteries sup-ported by a single gun • 114th (Observation Post) Battery fully automated digital battle-management Regt RAA will each receive 12 M777A2 battery. As part of the reorganisation, the • A (Gun) Battery system. 155mm lightweight towed howitzers and regiments and batteries were renamed to better • Combat Service Support Battery reflect their new role, with the word "field" no AFATDS is a complex system which requires AFATDS. longer appearing in their titles. highly skilled soldiers who are experts in their The School of Arty will also receive eight guns 4th Regt RAA CO 4 Regt RAA Lt-Col Charles Weller said the fields. To enable this, the ARA Fd Arty Branch and AFATDS into the Joint Fires Wings and 53 Chau Pha Lines Lavarack Barracks, units divided what was a field battery - which migrated to three specialised employment Independent Bty to enable the successful Townsville included the forward observers, battery categories: ECN 255 Artillery Observer, ECN delivery of training. Early next year 8/12 Regt • Operations Support Battery will receive its allocation of AFATDS. The unit commanders' party and the guns - into a gun 254 Artillery Command Systems Operator and • 106th (Observation Post) Battery ECN 162 Artillery Gunner. will retain the in-service M198 155mm battery with three four-gun troops and three • 108th (Observation Post) Battery The changes are being made to meet the howitzer until the arrival of the 155mm observation post batteries, including the • 109th (Observation Post) Battery challenges of Adaptive Army and the self-propelled howitzer in 2016. forward observers and battery commander's • 107th (Gun) Battery par-ties. introduction into service of new equipment In early 2012 the ARA Fd Arty Regts will take • Combat Service Support Battery Under the new construct, each regiment provided by the artillery replacement project delivery of the Digital Terminal Control System provides a brigade-level Joint Fires and Effects known as Land 17. The Army's guns are being for observation post batteries, which will 8th/12th Regt RAA Coordination Centre (JFECC) and every replaced with the M777A2, a capable, complete the digital link between the joint fires Ypres Lines Robertson Barracks, observation post battery provides a battle group lightweight towed howitzer, which features team and the guns, and enable forward Palmerston observers to precisely identify and engage JFECC and three combat team joint fires teams. improved mobility, range and accuracy. The • Operations Support Battery new artillery pieces will be used to re-equip targets using the complete array of ADF joint Every gun battery now com-prises three troops • 101st (Observation Post) Battery units based in Townsville and Brisbane and the fires assets. of 155mm towed howitzers each with integral • 102nd (Observation Post) Battery School of Arty in Puckapunyal, Victoria. A number of these systems have already been command and artillery reconnaissance • 115th (Observation Post) Battery capabilities. CO 1 Regt RAA Lt-Col Dave Kelly said the received due to an operational urgent • 103rd (Gun) Battery "It has basically split the trade-lines with those M777A2 was a battle-proven lightweight requirement by the RAA, Special Operations • Combat Service Support Battery that provide the fire-support and those who howitzer in service with a number of Australia's Command and Air Force to support current coordinate the fire-support into separate coalition partners. operations in the Middle East. batteries," Lt-Col Weller said. 'Army', March 3, 2011 RAA Liaison Letter 2011 - Autumn Edition the tactical situation and the manoeuvre commanders intent and consequently were in a Editors position to 'order fire' rather then 'request fire' as was the situation with their junior US artillery Comment counterparts. New Structures Welcome to the latest The new era has brought with it substantial edition of the Liaison changes to the structure of our full-time indirect Letter – I trust you find it fire Regiments in particular the creation of separate an interesting and Gun and OP Batteries. People who take the time to enjoyable read. The long read my 'Editors Comment' section may recall that talked about new era for from the beginning when this was first mooted, I the Regiment has arrived was not in favour. My argument was that artillery and over the next few tactical control terminology already provided the editions I will endeavour necessary flexibility for an artillery commander. to ensure there are Sadly it would seem that the in barracks battery articles on the new capabilities as they roll out. 'administrative' structure that many of us 'grew up Most capabilities have been discussed to some with' was misunderstood and taken as being a rigid extent in previous editions. and inflexible structure operationally. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Similarly In this edition there is an excellent paper written by with regard brigade structures - I was always taught Lieutenant Jeremy Satchell on the first operational a brigade was no more than a headquarters and a deployment of the recently 'rapidly acquired' signal squadron. I may be wrong but it seems the Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar capability. adage - Group for Command and Allot for Control - There are also articles from a number of Regiments has possibly been lost or forgotten in some circles. documenting among other topics, the recently adopted names and force structure changes. I draw I feel that if you scratch below the surface - one of your attention to the History and Heritage Section the driving factors that lead the Regiment down