RAA Liaison Letter 2024 - 2025 Edition

RAA Liaison Letter – 2024 / 2025 Edition 52 GNR Riley Shrimpton providing SUAS effects in support of 53 Bty 2024 also saw a historic first: Initial Employment Trainees (IETs) receiving their Wings for demonstrated proficiency on the TUAS. This formal recognition not only reflects their hard-earned skill but also signals the growing maturity of Army’s uncrewed capability. These IETs were joined by three lateral transfers from the Royal Artillery in the UK—seasoned operators bringing with them a depth of experience through decades of TUAS employment. Their arrival has significantly enriched our tactical thinking and instructional delivery, and they are already making meaningful contributions across the Wing. LTCOL Hickey, CO 20 Regt, presents the first Integrator IET class with the UAS Brevet, their 'Wings' In short, 2024 was a year of transition, transformation, and tactical innovation. The Surveillance and Target Acquisition Wing didn’t just adapt—we evolved. We’ve built a future- ready training ecosystem, expanded our operational edge, and positioned ourselves as leaders in Army’s uncrewed capability space. With strong momentum, fresh capability, and renewed purpose, we’re ready to meet 2025 head-on Joint Fires Wing Major Stephen Bowles Joint Fires Wing started the year at a sprint with Career Development Team instructing one the School’s largest ever cohorts of Offensive Support lieutenants, with 22 graduating in late May. This was followed by another mammoth effort to graduate a further 20 lieutenants in November. LTCOL Cooper, CO/CI SOArty, welcomes ROBC (OS), Aug 2024 LTCOL Cooper, CO/CI SOArty, welcomes ROBC (OS), Aug 2024 Adaptive change has been a key pillar of the Wing’s culture in 2024, and this has been abundantly clear in the quantity, quality and speed of Learning Management Plan (LMP) amendments made throughout 2024. The first amendment has seen significant enhancements to the Subject 4 Sergeant courses for ECNs 162, 254 and 255, with a common phase of each course bringing all three trades together. Each course then separated into advanced training for their respective trades, bringing in Subject Matter Experts from industry. A distinctive amendment for ECN 255 students saw them qualify as Target Mensuration Only (TMO) Instructor / Evaluators, the first such course run during an RAA career course. Strike Cell played a critical role throughout the year in revitalising the TMO capability across the RAA, RAAF and SOCOMD. Building on the critical TMO Program work of 2023, the cell conducted numerous operator courses as TMO Fly Away Teams, as well as delivering new equipment and mapping to TMO Operators across the country. The next phase of amendments focussed on rationalising the learning outcomes and durations of the ECN 254 ACSO Basic course, Now ACSO Fundamentals and ACSO