Armour June 2013

20 Pages·2013·0.96 MB·English

JournaloftheRoyalAustralianArmouredCorpAssociationNSWInc
Building96,VictoriaBarracks,PaddingtonNSW,2021 . websitewww.raacansw.com.au
Email:[email protected]:[phone] .FAX:[phone].ABN49709547198
Patron:LieutenantGeneralLaurieO’DonnellAC
President:COLONELJohnHaynesOAM.EditorGeorgeBaczocha
ESTABLISHED 1946
June2013
IssueNo.468
email:[email protected]:[phone].fax:[phone].
www.bwm.org.au. ABN29293433202
Securing Afghanistan’s future:
Reconstruction Task Force operations in
Uruzgan Province
anaddresstotheRUSIon31March2009by
LieutenantColonelStuartYeaman2
Commander,AustralianReconstructionTaskForce–Rotation4,Afghanistan
April–October2008
Inhisessayonwhatmustbedonetowinthe warinAfghanistan,Major GeneralJimMolan
observes thatitisinevitable thatthe militarywillhave todeliver reconstructionintheearly
stagesofacounter insurgencycampaign;andthatthisisnowhappeninginAfghanistan.In
thispaper,LieutenantColonelStuartYeamanreportsontheAustralianreconstruction
operationsinUruzganProvincein2008andtheirincreasingsuccessinwinningʻthebattlefortheheartsandmindsʼofthelocal
population.
TheAustralianreconstructiontaskforce (RTF)isoneofanumberofcommitmentsAustraliahasmade tostabiliseAfghanistanand
preventitfromagainbecomingahavenforterroristorganisations.ItisdeployedtoUruzgan,apoor,remoteprovinceinthenationʼs
troublesome south.Its300,000inhabitantslive inrivervalleys andtheTarinKowtBowlinthecentreoftheprovince,whichis ringed
bymassivemountains.Thebowlaccommodatesperhaps150,000Afghans.Itskeytowns areTarinKowtandChora.Twomajor
rivers cutthroughthebowlandsustainthevalleysʼpeople andagriculture–fruit,nuts,graincrops suchaswheat,andthenotorious
opiumpoppy.PredominantlyPashtuns,thepeople arereligiouslyconservative,veryinsular,andsplit50:50betweenthepolitically
dominantDurranisetoftribes andtheoftenexcludedGhilzaitribes.Talibaninsurgentsareveryactive inUruzgan.The insurgencyis
basedinQuetta inNorthWestFrontierProvince,Pakistan,andretains closelinkswiththeAlQaedaofOsamabinLaden.The
insurgentsenterAfghanistanthroughZabulprovinceandspreadoutintoUruzgan,
KandaharandHelmandprovinces.Theybasethemselves inlocalcommunities,some
ofwhichagreewiththeextremeTalibanpolicies,butmostofwhicharecoerced Inside this Issue
withthreatsandintimidationtoprovidefood,moneyandsupport.TheTaliban
usuallydeployinunitsofupto30-40fightersforlocaldefence,althoughtheycan
muster100-200fighterswhenrequired.
SecuringAfghanistan’sFuture 1
Theyhavecells thatspecialise in improvisedexplosivedevices (IED) andsuicide
bombing.Almost everywhereyoudrivewillbeʻspottedʼbyanobserverwhois in
TechnicalNotes&News 4
thepaidemployofthe Taliban,whosefundingcomes largelyfromopiumsalesand
donationsmadebysympatheticforeigners.
NATOʼs InternationalSecurityAssistanceForce (ISAF)operations inUruzganare MessageBoard 7
conductedunderRoyalNetherlandsArmyleadership.The Dutchhave acommander
(atColonellevel),withabattlegroup,aprovincial reconstructionteam,special OperationIvanhoe 10
forces,selfpropelledartillery,Apachehelicopters,logistics,psychological
operations,militarypolice,mentoringteams andcombatengineers.Aswellas
BoerWarMemorial 11
Australians,therearecommitmentsfromtheFrench(largelyresponsibleforthe
westernpartoftheprovince),Czech,SlovakandHungarianarmedforces; andthe
UnitedStatesArmyCorpsofEngineers andAgencyforInternationalDevelopment.
The UnitedNationsAssistanceMissioninAfghanistanalsohas a smallpresence inTarinKowt.
(Continuedonpage3)
Coming Events
1 August 2013 CommitteeMeeting B11, Victoria Barracks, 1130hrs
3 October2013 AGM B11, Victoria Barracks, 1130hrs
6 December 2013 CommitteeMeeting B11, Victoria Barracks, 1130hrs
All members arewelcome,afterwards weusuallyadjourn to theOfficers’ Mess
foraluncheon snack.
CAMBRAI DINNER 2013
Members arecordiallyinvited to attendaformal dinner
TocelebrateCambrai Dayat theRoyal Automobile ClubOf Australia
Macquarie Street, Sydney
On Saturday23 November 2013, 1830for 1900hrs
Guest Speaker Brigadier John Mackenzie
Head of Corps Royal AustralianArmoured Corps
Dress BlackTieor LoungeSuit with miniatures
(Gotopage20formoredetails)
RoyalAutomobile ClubIncorporatingthe ImperialServiceClub
After someyearsoflobbyingwehavemanagedtogetthis Clubprovideattractivemembershiptoboth
servingandexservicemembers.Entrancefeehasbeenwaivedandannualfees arehalfthenormal.
Alsomembershipbringfree roadside serviceforyounomatterwhatcaryouaredriving,evenahire
car.
Lookatthewebfordetailsofthesuperbfacilities,best spotinSydney,valetparkingetc.www.raca.org
TheRAACANSWhas establishedanarrangementwithInvocare forspecial reductionsforourmembers.It's just amatterof
youdecidingtotake itup.SeveralotherExServiceOrganisationshave takenadvantageofthis
NSWMilitaryHistoricalSociety
Thisgroupconductsexcellentmonthlyactivities inVictoria Barracks.Firstclass speakersonMilitaryhistorypresenteach
month.Come avisitoratfirstandthenjoinifitsuits.
DVDofthe"FragmentsofWarVietnam"narratedbyJackThompsonarebeingsnappedupbyourmembers.Shouldanyother
RAACassociationrequire copieswewillmakebulkorderavailable atdiscount.
YourAssociationhasdevelopeda listofadvicetowidowsofmembers.This listis senttowidows themomentwehearofa
memberdeath.Ifyouareawareofanywidowwhohasnotreceivedthis listpleaseadvise theoffice.
Failure toadvisechangeofaddressresults inour“losing”manymembers eachyear.As anexample,we sentoutreceiptsfor
threeyearsubscriptionstofivemembers recently,allwere“returnedtosender”.
Does anyoneknowwhere thefollowingnowlive?
E.Keet, P.J.Morrison, W.J.Marr, A.A.McArthur,andJ.Paton.
John Haynes, President
2
(Continuedfrompage1)
AustralianReconstructionTaskForce
TheoverallmissionforAustralianforces inAfghanistanis,aspartofthe ISAFdeployment,tostabilizetheGovernmentof
AfghanistaninordertodenytheuseofAfghanistantoterroristgroups.Tothisend,the420-personnelAustralianRTFoperatestoa
reconstructionplandeterminedbytheAfghanGovernmentandcoordinatedwiththe DutchProvincialReconstructionTeam.Dutch
securityelementsprovide a securityframework.TheRTFis asmall,highlycapable team,whichprovides engineeringdesign,contract
managementandconstructionsupport,andisabletodeploytocontestedareas.Ithas:
 •anengineer taskgroup,withconstructionandcombatengineercomponentsanda tradetrainingteam;
 •aspecialisttechnicalworks team;
 •asecurity taskgroupconsistingofaninfantrycompanymountedinBushmastervehicles,supportedbyatroopofnine light
armouredvehicles(ASLAVs)–threeofthempersonnelcarriersandsixreconnaissancevehicles,a sectionofmortarsandfire support
coordinationpersonnel;and
 alogistic supportgroupconsistingofasmallmedicalteam,storesgroupandrepairworkshop.
AustralianRTF Achievements
Todate,the RTFfocushasbeenonsecuringtheTarinKowtBowlfromthewestofthebowltothetownshipofChora.RTF1
commencedoperations in themaintownshipandtothewest;RTF2continuedengagementinTarinKowtandexpandedoperationsto
thenorth-east;RTF3securedChoraandcommencedoperations inSorkhMargabontheeastbankofthe Dorafshan;andRTF4
consolidatedatSorkhMargab6Collectively,the RTFshave re-builtTarinKowtHospital;builtoneandcommencedbuildinga second
basichealthcentre;rebuiltandenhancedahealthtrainingcentrefortheAfghanHealthDevelopmentService;rebuiltschools,police
checkpointsandAfghanArmypatrolbases; andconstructedmanycauseways,crossings andbridges.
RFT4Operations
Iwillnowdescribefouroperations thatRTF4conducted.RTFs1-3performedthe sameorsimilaroperations indifferentpartsofthe
country.
OperationBarayPulwas a 2½-monthdeploymenttothevillageofSajawultoconstructapatrolbasefortheAfghanNationalArmy
(ANA)anda rivercrossingforthe localcommunity,rebuildalocalschool,constructwells andbuilda smallcommunitybakery.This
deploymentseveredinsurgentlinesofcommunicationand,despitetheinsurgents repeatedlyposturingtoattackthe RTF,onlyresulted
inindiscriminate rocketandIEDattacks.Thedeploymentsaw Afghancompaniesforthefirsttimeemployedwellbeyondtheusual
boundariesoftheTarinKowtcitytoassistinthetransportofstores,well-drillingandconstructionofbuildings andthecrossing.ANA
engineers alsoassistedwithbuildingthepatrolbase.TheANAtookcontrolofthepatrolbasewhenthe RTFdepartedandstilloccupy
it.
OperationUbor–E–Janubiwasa2-weekoperationtotheeasternprovincesofZabulandGhazniduringwhichCombatTeam
Daggerdrove400kmtore-buildtwobridges alongthevitalHighway1andreturn.
OperationPindz Pshawas a3-weekoperationinSorkhMargab,initiatingthebuildingofahealthclinic,schoolandbazaar.Itwas
veryimportantas itdeliveredonpromisesmade tothatcommunitybyRTF3andchangedthenatureofthearea,effectivelywinning
theʻheartsandmindsʼofthelocals tothegovernment.
OperationTakhtwas theongoingengagementwiththecityofTarinKowtinwhich,overfourrotations,the RTFhas rebuiltthecity
hospital,theprimaryschoolandthehighschool;improvedthecityʼsdefences; completedacausewaytoimprove localaccess;enlarged
theAfghanHealthDevelopmentServicetrainingsite;andrebuilttheMinistryofRuralReconstructionandDevelopmentcompound.In
theprocess,the RTFdevelopedgoodrelationshipswithlocalgovernmentofficialsandcontractors,resultinginimprovedconstruction,
oversight,projectmanagement,financialaccountabilityandtechnicalstandards;introducedsystemsofopen,transparent tendering;and
enforcedrealisticcostingofdeliveredworks.RTFengineersnegotiatedwithlocalcontractors toemployyouthtrained
byAustralianengineers atthe RTFʼsTradeTrainingSchool.Todate,the RTFhasinvestedover$20millioninTarinKowt,resulting
inits re-birthas aprovincialcitywithahighlyactiveeconomy,apalpable senseofconfidence,andvirtuallynosecurityissues.RTF
engineersimpartedsufficientknowledgeandexperience thatnotonlywas the RTFable tocontractlocalcompanies tobuildquitecom-
plexbridges andbuildingsoutside thecitywherepreviouslynocompanieshadfeltsafe togo,theyinspiredthelocalMinistriestoun-
dertake theirowncontractedworks tobuildtwobridges,oneinTarinKowtandoneinChora,withoutRTFsupport.
Lessons Learned
The RTFis involvedinbotha stabilityoperationandthecounter-insurgencyfightwhichextends acrossthe southandeastofthe
country.The twotypesofoperationmutuallysupporteachother–amajorlessoninitself.The RTFexperiencehas reinforced,orat
times requiredrelearningof,lessonsfromotherearlierconflicts–Malaya,Vietnam,Algeria andrecentlyIraq–andhavevalidated
contemporaryUnitedStates andAustraliandoctrineonstabilityoperationsconductedalongside acounterinsurgentwar.Australian
doctrineonʻadaptivecampaigningʼdescribesfivemutuallyre-enforcinglinesofoperation–jointlandcombat,populationprotection,
informationactions,populationsupportandindigenous capacitybuilding.Thesearebeingdeliveredbythe RTFinconjunctionwith
DutchandotherAustralianforces.Ourexperience is thattheseare,indeed,the importantlinesofoperationand,whenconducted
properly,willpositionpoliticaldecision-makers tosuccessfullyconclude thewar.Australiahasdevelopedacomprehensivecampaign
plan8,whichenunciates the stepsthatwillleadtocontroloftheprovince.Todate,thisapproachhasbroughtstabilitytoa littleover
halfthepopulationintheprovinceandledtogovernment/NATOcontroloverthekeyareasofthe TarinKowtBowl,Choraand
Dehrawud,withakeypresence intheoutlyingtownsofShahidiHassas andChas Uruzgan.Tenkeylessons thathavebeenreinforced
byourRTFexperiencearedescribedbelow.
ʻHeartsandmindsʼ
TheAfghanistaninsurgencyisnotas coherentasisoftenportrayed.TherearekeyradicalgroupsbasedaroundPashtuleaders,mostof
whomlive inQuetta,butmanylocalsupportersare insurgentsmorebycircumstance thancommitment.Manyissuesdrive local
communities totakeuparms againstthecentralgovernment,butthemoreimportantones areeconomicnecessity,intimidation,and
desireforrevengeforpersonalsleightorinjury.Lackofemployment,absenceofgovernmentauthority,injuriesperceivedorrealdone
byISAF,andabsenceofdevelopment,are touchstonesusedbyinsurgentgroups to seeksupport.Insurgentspayindividuals apittance
(Continuedonpage8)
3
TTTeeeccchhhnnniiicccaaalllNNNooottteeesss &&&NNNeeewwwsss
The ADF’s cunning antiarmour Rounds
Anti-armourshellsaresettoreturntotheAustraliangun-lineafterasuccessfultestfiring
ofnewartilleryrounds.The newtop-attackanti-armourrounds,knownasSMArt155,
deploytwosub-munitionsinflightthatindependentlytargetandattackheavyorlight
armouredvehiclesinanareaupto35sqkm.
Oncefired,theGerman-designedroundreleasessubmunitionsatheightsupto1500m,which
descendunderparachuteanduseinfraredsensorsandradartoscanfortargets.Whena targetis
locatedthesub-munitionfiresanexplosivelyformedprojectileatthesofterarmourontopof the
vehicle.
Gunnersfrom102‘Coral’BtyassistedinthefiringofnineofthenewroundsfromM777A2
155mmHowitzersattheProofandExperimentalEstablishment,atPortWakefieldnear
AdelaidefromAugust27-31.DMOpersonnelcollecteddataorbarrelpressure,muzzle
velocity,flighttrajectoryandsubmunitionperformance.Thetrialalsoincludedammunition
inspectionandfitmentofelectronictimeM762A1fusing.Thedatacollectedwillallowthenew
roundstobeintroducedintoservicein2013.
EstablishmentOCMAJMikeHartassaidit wasoneofthemorecomplextrialstheunithadcompletedthisyear.“Thedata
collectionrequirementsandensuringthatallthequestionsthatneededtobeansweredcouldbeansweredfromtheonetrial
hasmeantmystaffhaveworkedhardforanumberofmonths,”hesaid.“Atrialsuchasthisoneneedstobedonerightthe
firsttimeduetocomplexityandcost.”
OnceafiremissioniscalledwiththeSMArt155,thegun-lineonlyneedstargetinginformationandtosetthefusebefore
firing.“SMArt155willaddtothecapabilityofferedbygunnersthroughahighlyadvancedmunition,”hesaid.“The
ammunitionissimpletoemploybutintelligentenoughtoknowwhichtargetsarenotoperationalorhavebeenhitthrough
previousfiremissions,andthereforekeepscanningforanewtarget”
—AndrewShipton/ArmyNews
ADM’s DefenceWeekPremiumEdition-
ISSUENo.234 |6DECEMBER2012
Role for Bushmaster post Afghanistan
AccordingtoDefence,theBushmasterProtectedMobilityVehicle(PMV)
willprovideanenduringprotectedmobilitycapabilityforArmyas
operationsdrawdowninAfghanistan.Drawingfromits experienceover
thepastdecade–a periodofhighoperationaltempo–theArmyis
currentlyreviewingitsforcestructureandequipmentprovisioningaspart
ofPlanBeersheba,withtheaimofestablishingamorecapablearmyfor
thefuture.PlanBeershebainvolves,inthefirstinstance,the
developmentofMulti-roleCombatBrigades,basedonthe1st, 3rdand
7thBrigades,whichhavefundamentallycommon structures containing all
elements ofthe combined armsteam.Defencesaysthe Bushmasterwillbe
anintegralcomponentofthePlan, particularlywithintheMulti-role Combat
Brigades,andwith Bushmastermorewidelydistributed acrossArmy.
Looking atpotentialfuturerolesforthe BushmasterPMVtheLand 400ConceptofOperationsprovidesfurther
Defencethinkingonthe provisioning ofthethree Beershebamanoeuvre brigades, anddiscussestheroles of combat
support(CS)andcombatservicesupport(CSS) assetswithinthe close combatzone.Withinthe directfire zone,there
willbethe combatantsand enablersrequiredtowinthe close battle. Thoseenablersthattransitthe directfire zonewill
bemountedin protectedmobilityplatforms provided byLand 121 andlegacyfleets.Therewillbe anincreasedreliance
onLand 121,legacyfleetprotectedmobilityandrotarywing assetstotransportdismountedsystems(e.g. personnel,
weapons, sensors)to supportLCVS-based Schemes ofManoeuvre.
Duetothehighlevelof protectionthe BushmasterPMVanditsfamilyof single and dualcabvehicles offers overLand
121logisticsvehicles,where protectionisfocussedonthecabin,itmaymakesenseto acquire a number ofthese
combatservicesupport-stylevehiclesforthetransport/resupplyofammunition,weapons andsensors,closeto and
withinthe directfire zone,especiallyin urbanterrainwheremines/IEDsand smallarmsfiremaypredominate.
FormoreontheBushmasterfleet, keep aneye outfortheupcomingSeptember editionofADM.
AustralianDefenceMagazineissue218 ,16thAugust2012
4
Russian armoured vehicles to roll on single platform
ByIlyaKramnik
Russiaisthefirsttobeswitchingtoauniformcombat
platforminthreemajortypesofgroundvehicles,whichwill
presumablymakethemeasierandcheapertobuildand
maintain,whiletheirmodulardesignwillallowtodevelop
different
systems,dependingontheirpurpose.Thefirstplatformsof
thiskindofmodulardesignwillbeproducedintwotothree
years.
Russia’sDefenseMinistryhasapprovedthedesignofanew
heavycrawlerplatformfortheRussianarmedforces,says
MajorGeneralAlexanderShevchenko,ChiefofGeneral
Tank
Automotive Directorate.Thedevelopmentof“perspective
technologies”fortheRussianmilitaryisnowgoingthrough
amajortransformation.Whatcomesoutofthiscanforever
T-90.Photo:EPA
changethecountry’sarmy.
“Standardizationcansimplifyboththemaintenanceand
combatapplicationofthemilitaryhardware,increasemodularityinitsdesign,includingpossibleusageofversatiletarget
modulesonchassistomeetdifferentobjectives.Allplatformshavetheso-called“openarchitecture”avionicstomakeit
easiertoaddnewsystems,”saysViktorMurakhovsky,anexpertonarmouredvehicles.“Differenthardwarecomplexescan
bebuiltonthebasisofasinglesighting-systemnodebyadjustingthenumberofvariousobservationchannelstocreatea
systemfora combat,reconnaissanceora commandvehicle.”
Anewversatilearmouredplatform,“Armata,”isexpectedto“settorights”theRussianarmouredforces,plaguedby
chassisandcomponentsofeverystripe.Themostpopulartank,theT-72,anditsupgrade,theT-90,willberevampedto
stayintheRussianarmy,exceptforitsfirst-lineunits,whicharetobeequippedwiththecutting-edge“Armata”by2015to
2025.ButtheT-90won’tdisappearforgoodasitsrecentmodification,knownastheT-90S,isinfactsettokeepitsexport
market.Itwas announcedthat theT-90SwillmadeitsreappearanceattheDefexpo-2012showinIndia.
TheRussianarmedforceswillhaveasmanyasfourversatilebaseplatforms:the“Armata”crawlerplatformforheavy
tanks,infantryfightingvehiclesandothertypesofmotorizedinfantrybrigadesweighingupto65tons.Amongother
projectsarethe“Kurganets-25”mediumcrawlerplatforminthe25-tonrangeandtwowheeledplatforms–amedium25-
tonanda light10-tonplatformofthe“Bumerang”family.
Theideatobuildmodular-designplatformswasupintheairforquiteawhile.ThecollapseoftheSovietUnioncrippledthe
productionofalreadyexistinghardwareandstalleditsfurtherdevelopment.TheWestwasthenextinlinetodipitstoesin
thiswater,withtheAmericanlineofthe“Stryker”wheeledcombatvehiclesandawholefamilyofMediumTactical
Vehicles(FMTV)clearlycomingoffthecharts.
Still,noWesternarmyeverconsideredbringingallvehiclesofallweightclassesontoasingle,unifiedplatform.TheUS
triedtograpplewiththistaskinitsmodernizationprogramcalledFutureCombatSystems(FCS),whichwascancelledafter
over-ambitiousplansoftheUSmilitarycommandtooutfititsvehicleswithcutting-edgeequipmentthreatenedtodrainits
funds.
Russiahaditeasier,havinghadtolearnfromtheFCSexample,whichprovedthatanysweepingmodernizationcanonly
bustthebudget.Inthissense,Russianarmouredvehicles,whicharecapableofemployingboththeexistingequipmentand
systemsthatarestillunderdevelopment,havemuchmorechancestocomeofftheblueprintsandintoreality.
Source:Defence UpdateMilitaryTechnologyandNews
5
So how fares the Army’sASLAV upgrade?
UpgradingtheArmy’sAustralianLightArmouredVehicles(ASLAV)hasnotgonequiteassmoothlyashoped.
BackinJune2010Land112Phase4 ASLAVupgrade,receivedsecondpassapprovalwhenArmatecSurvivability
CorporationandGeneralDynamicsLandSystems-Australia(GDLS-A)wereawardeda contracttoprovidesur-
vivabilityenhancementsandrefurbishmentto113ASLAV.
Theseimprovementsweretoextendtheservicelifeofthevehiclesandprovideincreasedcrewprotectionagainstawide
rangeofthreats,includingImprovisedExplosiveDevices(IEDs),landmines,bullets,shrapnel,andexplosiveblast.
Theenhanced-survivabilitykitsweresaidtorepresentworld-leading,combat-proven,advanced,compositearmour
technologydevelopedandproducedbyArmatecSurvivabilityinCanada.Thepre-modification,refurbishment,
automotiveupgrades,andinstallationoftheenhanced-survivabilitykitswouldbedonebyGDLS-AinAdelaideSA.
Scheduledtohavebegunin2012,thecombinedvalueoftheprojectwasA$302.8million.
ButitseemsthatArmatec‘oversold’itssolutionwiththeDMO’sWarrenKingtellingaParliamentaryInquirythatwhile
Armatechadrepresenteditsupgradeasa lowrisk,off-the-shelfsolution,itwasfoundtobetechnicallyrisky,involving
modificationstothevastmajorityofASLAVsinoneformoranother.WhiletheArmatecsolutionwasdropped,the
upgradetotheASLAVfleetissaidtocontinueasapriorityproject,withothersolutionsunderconsideration,butthereis a
paucityofinformationaboutitsprogress.
AccordingtoofficialsourcesasofMaylastyear,theDMOhasacquired144additionalASLAVs,59remoteweapon
stationscapability,nineCrewProceduralTrainersandconductedanautomotivestandardisationprogramforthePhase2
vehicle.TheprojectiscurrentlyacquiringMultiSpectralSurveillanceSuitesforintegrationontheASLAVthroughthe
ASLAVSurveillanceProject.MinorfacilityupgradesinthethreeunitsthatoperatetheASLAVfleetarealsooccurring.
TheASLAVSurveillanceProjectwillprovideanintegratedsensor-basedsurveillancecapabilityforASLAVSurveillance
variantsoperatedintheAustralianArmy’sCavalryunits.TheMultiSpectralSurveillanceSuitesisamastmountedradar
andelectro-opticsurveillancesystemtobefullyintegratedontheASLAVSurveillancevariant.Thecontractorforthe
deliveryandintegrationoftheMultiSpectralSurveillanceSuitesisUScompanyDRSSustainmentSystems.Theproject
hasreachedthestageconcernedwiththeproduction,testinganddeliveryof18MultiSpectralSurveillanceSuitesunits.
InitialmaterielreleaseoftheMultiSpectralSurveillanceSuiteshasoccurred.
InrelatednewsGeneralDynamicsLandSystems-Canada(GDLS-C)hasbeenawardeda contractmodificationfor
upgradeoftheCanadianArmy’s66additionalLAVIIIcombatvehicles.ThelatestUS$133.25millioncontractmodifies
thepreviousUS$1.05billionawardsecuredbyGDLS-Cformodernisationofa totalof550LAVIIIvehiclesinOctober
2011.Underthenewcontract,GDLS-Cwillupgradetheadditional66vehiclesbyimprovingtheirsurvivability,mobility
andfirepower,withanaimtoeventuallyextendthefleet’sservicelifeto2035.
ADMunderstandstheupgradedvehicleswillprovidetheCanadianArmywithoneofthemostadvancedandmodern
vehiclesofitstypeintheworld.Survivabilityimprovementsincludeintegrationofdouble-V-hulltechnologyandadd-on
armourprotection,aswellasenergy-attenuatingseatstohelpboostthevehicle’screwprotectionagainstmineblasts,IED
attacksandotherthreats.
Apowerfulengine,robustdrivelineandsuspensionanda HeightManagementSystem(HMS)willbeincorporatedaspart
ofmobilitysystemupgradestooptimisethevehicle’sautomotiveperformance,handlingcharacteristicsandpayload
capacity.
Inaddition,thecompanywillenhancethe25mmturret’screwergonomicsanditscapabilitiesbyintegratinglargerhatches,
andadvancedtechnologies,includingimprovedfirecontrol,thermal,dayandlow-lightsightsanddatadisplays.
Upgradeworkunderthecontractisscheduledtobecarriedoutatthecompany’sfacilitiesinLondon,Ontario,and
Edmonton,Alberta,aswellas atitsCanada-widesupplierbase;itisexpectedtobecompletein2017.TheLAVIIIisa
derivativeoftheMOWAGPiranhaIIIH8x8vehicle,and651arecurrentlyoperationalwiththeCanadianArmyasits
primarymechanisedinfantryvehicle.
AustralianDefenceMagazine’sDefenceWeekPremiumEdition
ISSUENO. 231–THURSDAY15THNOVEMBER2012
CopiesofIronsidesareavailable onrequestfromtheRAACANSWOffice postfree
6
MMMeeessssssaaagggeeeBBBoooaaarrrddd
On This Day16th April1865
General Sir Harry Chauvel. CommanderDesertMounted Corps Birthday.
Australia’s FirstCorps Commander.
“General Sir HarryChauvel GCMG,KCB, CommandedDesert Mounted Corps 1917/19. Inspector
General in Australia1919/30.CGS 1922/30. Born Tabulan, 16 April 1865. Died 4 March 1945”
From:LightHorse[mailto:[email protected]]
Subject: Stamp Issue!
From LTC John Boyce
Hello,
Incaseyouhaven’tseenthisyet,I thoughtyoumightbeinterestedtoknowthat AustraliaPostwillissuetwopostagestamps
abouttheLightHorse,includingaFirstDayCoveron10May2013thatshowsthe4LHbadge.
It’sajointreleasewiththeIsraelipostalservice,timedfortheWorldStampExpohereinMelbourne.
Cheers,
JohnBoyce
IchDien
From:GrahamWare[mailto:[email protected]]
Sent:Sunday,5 May201317:44
To:VBSRAACANSW
Subject:Combattankmodels1939-1999
Myson-in-lawhasrecentlypassedaway(51yr}andwehavefoundhistankcollection..86modelsinscale{1 to70
approx}..uptoyr2003model...allinhardcase,clearplasticcontainers{17cmlong/7cmhigh/ 7.5cmwide}plusfoldersre
militaryhistoryandtechnicaldataplusshelving{sameplastic}todisplaythem.Asnewcondition.Models/cases/shelving
originallycosting$2000.00+.Willingtoletthemgofor$1500.00ornearreasonableoffer.Ifyouthinkanytankieswouldbe
interestedwouldyoudisplayinnextEditionofCombat{ advert.costsaccepted}.Modelscanbeinspectedatmyhomein
Blaxland.
GrahamB.WareMemberRAACANSW
From:Burke,LindsaySGT
Sent:Thursday,9 May201311:51
To:VBSRAACANSW
Cc:Baczocha,GeorgeTPR
Subject:ErrorinMarcheditionofArmour
Sir,
IwritewithsomedisappointmentregardingthevalenoticeofourmemberDonWeedonintheMarcheditionof
Armour.Donclaimstobealive.Infutureifyouhavereportsofthedeathofoneofourmemberscouldyoucontactmefor
confirmationpriortogoingtoprint. Pleasefeelfreetocontactmeonanymatterofmutualinterest.YoursinArmour
Regards
LindsayBurkeSecretary
4/19PWLHAssociation
SimpsonBksVic3085
[email protected]
PleaseacceptoursincereapologiesEd
7
(Continuedfrompage3)
toreportonmovementsofgovernmentorISAFforces,transportweaponsorammunition,emplacebombsorfire rockets.Nevertheless,seldom
are thesethingsdoneforhatredordesire tosee theTalibanreturned–theneedforcashoftenoutweighs thepotentialdangerofthe task.The
firstmajorlessonwe learnt,then,was thatitwas thisgroupwehadtoseparatefromthe Talibanbywinningthemoverwithdefinable
improvements intheirlivingstandard,accesstoeducation,health,oreconomicimprovement.
Reconstruction
Therearenogreaterweaponsforaninsurgencythanagovernmentʼsbrokenpromises.We learntthatthe reconstructionofkeyinfrastructure
was the lynchpininconvincinglocalcommunitiesofgovernmentsincerityandcommitment.Theconstructionofhospitals,schools,bridges
andhealthclinics improvedthe lifeofthe localcommunityanddemonstratedthepresenceoftheprovincialgovernmentwhoseleaderswe
involvedpubliclyateveryopportunity.Theseattempts towinlocalʻheartsandmindsʼforthegovernmentarebeingsuccessful;andbywinning
backthepeopleofUruzgan,villagebyvillage,weexpecttomarginalize themoreextremeTalibanelementsandbringtheincidentalTaliban
backintothecommunity.Thiswas experiencedona smallscale inSorkhMargabwherewewereable tousethe routesthroughthevillage
almostwithimpunityandonanumber ofoccasions localsactuallyidentifiedIEDsorhandedthemintous.
Capacitybuilding
The RTFalsohasbeensuccessfulinbuildingthecapacityoflocalcommunities.Itestablisheda tradetrainingschoolinTarinKowtinwhich
localyoutharegivenbasic skills incarpentry,plumbing,blockwork,generatormaintenanceandsoon.Theyoutharepaidagoodwage,
achieve abasic standardofskills,learnteachingmethods anddevelopaworkethic.Tofacilitate skills transfer,Armyinstructors are
understudiedbypreviousgraduateswhohavebeenworkingwithusforabouttwoyears.TheRTFguaranteesworkforitsgraduates inlocal
firms and,toimprove thecourse,seeksfeedbackoncoursecontentfromtheiremployers.Theworksteaminvestedmanyhoursmentoringthe
localgovernmentengineers andcontractorstoimprove theirtechnicalstandardsofinspectionandqualityofwork,includingteachinghowto
tenderandcontractworks andhowtomanage thoseinconstruction.Thishas improvedthecapacityandtechnicalcompetenceoffirms; and
introducedworkpracticesdesignedtoextendthelifeofnewlyconstructedbuildingsinthetowntotheextentthatlocalengineershaveunder-
takentobuildtwobridges andanewheadquartersbuildingontheirowninitiativewithoutISAFhelp.Lastly,the injectionofcapitaldirectly
intoa seriesoftownshas re-juvenatedthelocaleconomies.TarinKowthasgonefroma lawlessbroken-downplace toavibrantcommunity
witha largenumberofmerchantsandpeople tradingaboutthecity.Thiseffecthas alsobeenfeltin Dehrawudinthewest andupinChorain
thenorth-east.Theworks teamevenconvincedlocalcontractorstogobeyondTarinKowttoBaluchi,SorkhMargabandKotwaltodeliveron
works inthosecommunities,wherepreviouslyithadbeenconsideredtoounsafe todothis.Thiswassosuccessfulthata localcontractorwas
employedtoconstructthe145-metre KotwalrivercrossingandtheSorkhMargabhealthcentreandlocalschool.
Tribalstructures
Tribes inAfghanistanhavebeentheguarantorsofsecurityandwealthforindividualAfghansforcenturies.One reasontheTalibanwas able to
imposeitselfsuccessfullyontheAfghanpeoplewas thattribalstructureshadbeendecimatedbythe longwarwiththe Russiansandsubsequent
civilwars.Survivingtriballeadershadlostmuchoftheirstatus.We learnttodealwith the localtriballeaders andenhance theirposition
withintheirlocalcommunity.Thismade itharderfortheTalibantoinsertitselfintothecommunity–itbecame theoutsider.InUruzgan,
whichisveryinsular,lifecouldbemadeharderforPakistaniTalibaninsurgents simplybyenhancingthe localleadership.
Sizeanddurationofpresence
The sizeanddurationofyourtacticalfootprintis important.The insurgentsfacedbythe RTFwerenotthefanaticalinsurgentssometimes
encounteredinthewesternandsouthernprovinces,althoughthatwas thegroupwefacedwhenemployedinGhazni,ZabulandKandahar.The
Afghaninsurgentsinthebowlfollowedthe tacticalplaybookprettywell,fadingawayinthepresenceofsuperiorforces andonlygrouping
where theysensedaweaknessoranopportunity.Therewerezonesthattheywouldchoosetodefendandsometimesdefendvigorously,
particularlyiftheirleadershipwas threatened.However,the RTFseldomdeployedoutsideofTarinKowtinanythingless thana reinforced
platoonsizeandusuallyIhadtheentire RTFforwarddeployedwith190ormorepersonnelandtheabilitytoreinforcewithstrengthatany
point.ThismeantwewerehardlychallengedbytheTaliban–wewere simplytoobig.Ourplatooncommanders andcompanycommanders
alsomadeexcellentuseoftheirassetsandononeofthefewoccasionswhere theTalibanshapedtofight,weemployedtacticalmanoeuvre to
occupykeypositionsthatmade theirpositionuntenableandthegroupfadedaway.Insurgents,therefore,droppedbacktoattempts torocketour
positionsanduseIEDs.The lengthoftime inlocationwas a secondvitalconsideration.We stayedinourforwardoperatingbaseatBaluchifor
2½months andthenhandedovertothe AfghanArmy.Thepositions inSorkhMargabandChorawereoccupiedfor2–3monthsbeforewe
arrivedandare stillmaintained.Allthishasmeantthattherehasbeenacontinualpresence intheseareas andtheeffectsarepalpable,withthe
insurgentpresencecurtailedandattacksbecomingnegligible.This,however,ismerelya relearningofthe same lessonfromIraqandVietnam,
andearlierinMalaya,wherebases inthe insurgentheartlandwereoccupiedtodenyenemyaccesstothearea.
Simultaneitymatters
Oneofthemethods NATOusesattheoperationallevelis theclear-hold-buildconcept.The linearaspectofthisactivity–finishingone stage
beforemovingtothenext–istheproblemwiththisdescriptionandisnotwhatwedid.Wedidallthree things simultaneously.Wedeployedto
a site,conductedinitialmeetingswiththe localleaders andthenstayed.Indoingso,weconductedthephases–clear,holdandbuild–concur-
rently.We establishedabasicpatrolbaseandcommencedcommunityengagementandin-depthpatrollingtointerdictinsurgentsmovinginthe
area.We thenconstructedalongtermpatrolbasewiththesupportofthe AfghanArmyandtotheirspecifications astheywouldlateroccupyit.
Atthe same timewealsobeganworkonabazaar,schoolandcrossingpointforthe localcommunity.
We suppliedsomefoodandaidtothelocalcommunityandalsohelpedoutwithsomemedicalemergenciesandinonecasediffuseda rocket
thathadbeenfiredatus andlandedinamosque.
Surpriseandmanoeuvre
Localcommunitiesgainnosenseofimprovedsecuritywhencounter-insurgentforces simplymoveonafter conductingaclearance,particularly
where therehasbeennochallenge tothe insurgentsʼsanctuaryareas.Theclearancecauses the insurgentlittleconcern.Rather,itoftengives
himthe initiative,allowinghimtofadeawayinoneareaonlytostrike inapreviouslyclearedone.RTF4occupiedakeylocationatBaluchi
thatdirectlyimpactedthe linesofcommunicationbetweenthree insurgentstrongholds–wediditunannouncedandstayed.
(Continuedonpage13)
8
TheletterbelowwasreceivedfromGeneralLatchford’sson,Mark
9
ABitofnostalgiahere,borrowed
fromtheTunnelRat’smagazine.We
tankiesnevergottheexperiences
enjoyedbytheVungTauwarriorsso
ourmoralswerepreserved
(ReceivedinanemailfromMike Butler)
SapperBob’s guide to the best bars in VungTau
Op Ivanhoe: the last battle
WO2 Warren Dowell
recalls the final battle
in Vietnam as
Cpl Cameron Jameison
of the Army Newspaper
reports. WO2WarrenDowellretired
after20yearsintheInfantry
PhotobyCplCameron
In1969thereweren’ttoomanyde-
Jamieson
laysonceyoudecidedtojointhe
Army.Theneedforsoldierswasso
greatthatyouwereofftorecruittrainingalmostassoonasyouhad
signedonthedottedline.
WarrenDowellwasa17year-oldlad,notlongoutofhighschool,
whenhemarchedinto
KapookainJanuarythatyear.
Afterhisrecruitandinfantrytraininghefoundhimselfpostedto
4RAR,andinMay1971CplDowellmarchedthroughthestreetsof
TownsvillewiththemenofDCoy4RARtoboardHMASSydneyfor
thetripto Vietnam.
On August18,1971theAustralianGovernmentannouncedthatthe
1stAustralianTaskForcewouldbewithdrawnbylateDecember,with
logisticsunitstofollowsoonafter.
ThemapshowingtheengagementofAustralian
Exactlyonemonthlater4RAR,withanattachedcompanyofNew
andNZunitswiththeNVA
Zealand
infantry,beganOperationIvanhoe,whichwasdesignedtodestroythe
enemywhoweremovingsouthbackintothePhuocTuyprovincefromtheLongKhanhprovince.Unfortunatelyforthe
diggersof4RAR/NZ,a commanddecisionhadbeenmadetowithdrawtheCenturiontanksofCSqn1ArmdRegtfrom
Vietnampriortothecessationofthetaskforce’sfieldoperations,sotheinfantrywerelefttocarryonwithoutsupport
fromtheirarmouredcomrades.
(Continuedonpage12)
10