RAA Liaison Letter 2024 - 2025 Edition

RAA Liaison Letter – 2024 / 2025 Edition 71 Operations Support Battery Major Andrew Evans, Battery Commander In 2024, 16 Regiment Operations Support Battery (OSB) continues to remain agile, ensuring NASAMS (as part of L19 7B) forms an integrated and focused arm of Defence’s IAMD capability. With the recent revision to the Introduction into Service (IIS) of NASAMS under the L19 7B project and influenced by the National Defence Strategy (NDS) 2024, OSB continues to ensure that the required C2, communication and Tactical Data Link (TDL) Networks are established, enabling 16 Regt to achieve its mission. This shift sees 16 Regt remain at the forefront of the National Defence Strategy, required to provide a Short Range Ground Based Air Defence (SRGBAD) capability that is accurate, responsive, dependable and joint. This strategic realignment has presented numerous challenges. OSB has continued to balance the demands of introducing new systems and enhanced capability, alongside supporting broader modernisation efforts. This has involved extensive planning, support, and participation in various exercises throughout 2024, enhancing both capabilities and collaborative relationships. Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) Planning and Integration OSB has had the opportunity to attend and participate in multiple exercises throughout the training year to improve, practice, and develop our Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) planning procedures. These exercises were crucial for honing IAMD planning skills, especially as the Regiment transitions to 10 Brigade and assumes a new role as Army IAMD planners within Joint and Coalition frameworks. These experiences are vital for evaluating our current methodologies and gaining insights from joint forces and coalition partners. PROJECT CONVERGENCE CAPSTONE 4 (PCC4) The ‘America Project Convergence Capstone 4’ or PCC4 was a joint multinational experiment held by the US Department of Defense that was conducted over the period 23 February to 20 March 2024. PCC4 provided an opportunity for members of 16 Regiment to develop their technical mastery of Tactical Data Links whilst seeking to overcome the tyranny of distance. Throughout the experiment, members of 16 Regiment, OSB deployed to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton on the west coast of CONUS, whilst being supported by a small detachment from 110 BTY operating out of Canberra, Australia. The purpose of the experiment was to overcome challenges that often arise due to the development of bespoke capabilities within a coalition environment, and sought to validate the concept of ‘any sensor,