RAA Liaison Letter 2024 - 2025 Edition

RAA Liaison Letter – 2024 / 2025 Edition 102 over greater distances will invite unpredictability and friction. Supply units must also be capable of keeping pace with the artillery's movement, requiring logistics assets with enhanced, if not similar, mobility to the AS10 resupply vehicles they will be supporting. 7 • Maintenance and Repair : Self-propelled artillery, due to its integrated propulsion and firing systems, presents more complex maintenance challenges compared to traditional towed artillery. 8 Logistics units must be equipped with the necessary tools, parts, and trained personnel to perform field repairs and regular maintenance. 9 • Ammunition Supply: The AS9 can sustain higher rates of fire and accommodate various types of munitions. However, it is important to recognize that both the AS9 and the AS10 Armoured Ammunition Resupply Vehicle (AARV) can only carry a fraction of the total ammunition needed for sustained operations—48 rounds and 104 rounds, respectively. 10 Consequently, efficient resupply methods are essential for maintaining the operational readiness of artillery units. Logistics planners must ensure a consistent and diverse supply of ammunition to keep artillery units fully operational. This requires pre-staging munitions closer to the front lines and improving transportation capabilities to avoid bottlenecks. 11 • Fuel and Power: Self-propelled artillery requires a continuous supply of fuel and power. This adds another layer of complexity to logistics planning, necessitating fuel supply points and efficient distribution networks to keep the artillery operational. 12 The challenges of introducing the AS9 self- propelled artillery system, such as mobility, maintenance, ammunition supply, and fuel supply, are similar to those experienced in the Ukraine-Russian war. The war has shown the importance of mobility and survivability, integration with ISR, decentralised command and control, and logistical adaptability in artillery logistics. The Australian Army can learn from these lessons to ensure that their logistics chain is prepared for the AS9 system's mobility and speed, can keep pace with rapidly moving fire units, and can adapt to changing conditions and disrupted supply lines. By studying the experiences of Ukrainian forces, the Australian Army can enhance their logistical capabilities and support the AS9 system's effectiveness on the battlefield. Lessons from the Ukraine-Russian War and Artillery Ammunition Mobility and Survivability : The Ukraine-Russian conflict has underscored the importance of mobility and survivability for artillery units. Self- propelled howitzers, such as the AS9, have demonstrated the ability to quickly relocate after firing to avoid counter-battery fire. For example, Ukrainian forces have utilised M777 howitzers with towed capability and adapted them for rapid displacement, allowing them to fire and move before Russian forces can respond. The conduct of "shoot-and-scoot" tactics however requires that logistic assets are able to keep pace with rapidly moving fire units. It also demands that logistic personnel demonstrate a high degree of proficiency in mounted navigation, camouflage and concealment, radio communications, and tempo in the conduct of distribution points. 13 Integration with ISR: The integration of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets with artillery operations has become indispensable on the modern battlefield. Drones and other ISR platforms provide real-time targeting data, enabling precise and effective artillery strikes. Ukrainian forces, for instance, have expertly utilised drones like the Bayraktar TB2 to identify and designate targets for their artillery units, resulting in devastatingly accurate strikes against Russian positions. This enhanced visibility over the battlespace not only exposes fire units but also renders logistical support nodes vulnerable. The dramatic increase in the lethality and accuracy of standard munitions, when combined with ISR capabilities, makes large- scale distribution points untenable and highly susceptible to attack. The Ukrainian conflict has highlighted the necessity of numerous, dispersed distribution points (DPs) and temporal logistics nodes that establish themselves only briefly to conduct resupply operations before quickly retreating to hides or safe areas. This approach underscores the need for a seamless logistics chain to ensure the timely resupply of ammunition and other essentials, vital for maintaining sustained operations in such a volatile environment. 14 Decentralised Command and Control : The conflict has highlighted the benefits of decentralised command and control structures. By empowering lower-level commanders with the authority to make quick decisions, artillery