RAA Liaison Letter 2024 - 2025 Edition

RAA Liaison Letter – 2024 / 2025 Edition 64 conditions and providing both reconnaissance and JFE as a small team for several days at a time. The soldiers of 101st Battery took their FO skills to a new level having adopted additional tactics and techniques from their reconnaissance infantrymen counterparts, further solidifying their relationship as the 1 st Brigade’s task organised Reconnaissance Force. Before departing on their first exercise for the year 101st Battery had the privilege of hosting a Dining in Night with a distinguished guest – Warrant Officer Class Two (Retd) Mr. Ken Murphy. Mr Murphy was a former member of 101st Battery during its rich history and served during 101st Battery’s deployment to Malaya 1959 – 1961. The soldiers of 101st Battery were moved to have such a distinguished veteran recounting stories of the Battery and channelled that energy into a final year as 101st Battery. Following the completion of a busy year and several successful exercises 101st Battery was officially announced to be collapsed. It was deemed ‘the end of an era’ as the gradual draw- down of the Battery began. This saw members of 101st Battery augmenting 102nd Coral Battery and 103rd Battery before finally laying its rich history to rest across the Regiment. 101st Battery Museum was redistributed within the 8th/12th Regiment Headquarters and Instructional Buildings as a reminder of its past significance. Littoral Fires Development The publication of the Defence Strategic Review (DSR) in April 2023 marked a pivotal shift in the operational framework of the 1st Brigade, necessitating the adaptation of its units to specialist roles within the realm of littoral manoeuvre. This transition fundamentally challenged the 8th/12th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery’s conventional execution of joint fires and effects, prompting a comprehensive re-evaluation of doctrine, tactics, and force structure. In response, the Regiment has embarked on a transformative journey to redefine its role as a littoral fires regiment, aligning its capabilities with the strategic imperatives of Australia’s evolving defence posture. Over the past 18 months, the 8th/12th Regiment has dedicated considerable effort to conceptualizing and operationalizing the littoral fires doctrine, particularly as it pertains to close support artillery. This process has necessitated a critical examination of platform suitability, tactical mobility, and the traditional battery structure employed in field operations. One of the most immediate and pressing challenges was identifying a suitable replacement for the HX77 Gun Tow Vehicle (GTV), which proved unsuitable for the dynamic and constrained littoral environment. The regiment conducted extensive trials of five in-service vehicles, including the M113 ALV “Tilly” during Exercise Predators Run 2023 and the SUPACAT HMT-E, which underwent rigorous testing throughout 2024 on both Exercise Predators Walk and Exercise Predators Run. In its continued role as the primary close support artillery unit for the 1st Brigade, the 102nd ‘Coral’ Battery and the 103rd Battery have had to adapt to the unique demands of littoral operations. These adaptations include enhanced manoeuvrability across dispersed and complex terrain (see figure 1), ensuring sufficient fire concentration to support manoeuvre elements. The minimum task-organized force required to support littoral manoeuvre consists of a gun troop comprising two HMT-E Gun Tow Vehicles, one PMV-C Battery Command Post, two PMV-T detachment lift vehicles, one 40M ammunition and A1 vehicle, and two M777A2 howitzers. This configuration enables rapid deployment via a single landing craft, allowing for seamless transition ashore, effective transportation of personnel and the carriage of stores and munitions. Figure 1: HMT-E towing M777A2. 102 Battery conduct a sea transit from Darwin Common User Facility (CUF) to Dundee Beach during Ex Predators Walk 24 to achieve Littoral milestones The suitability of the HMT-E as a Gun Tow Vehicle within the littoral battlespace was further validated through live-fire testing and assurance trials conducted by the 103rd Battery (see figure 2) during Exercise Predators Run Live-Fire Exercise (LFX) at Mount Bundey Training Area (MBTA). Throughout the