RAA Liaison Letter 2024 - 2025 Edition

RAA Liaison Letter – 2024 / 2025 Edition 73 20th Regiment RAA The 20th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery (20 Regt, RAA) was established in 2006 as the Australian Army’s sole Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System (TUAS) operating unit, an imperative it maintains to this day. In 2023, 20 Regt, RAA formally commenced actions in support of the Defence Project 129 Phase 3 (DEF129-3) project for the replacement of the legacy TUAS, the RQ-7B Shadow 200, with the Australian variant of the RQ-21, the A-61 Integrator. This would see one Shadow 200 Battery (132 Battery) commence the technical and practical transition to the new platform, through the requalifying of its TUAS operators and officers. The Battery flew the maiden flight of the new platform on Exercise Falcon’s Walk at Shoalwater Bay Training Area in May 2023. They would then deploy onto Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 with a Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) A-61 RQ-21 Integrator, as an interim training solution provided by Insitu-Pacific Limited (IPL), successfully supporting the RED FORCE Brigade. Concurrently, the remaining Shadow 200 Battery (131 Battery) deployed onto Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 in support of the BLUE FORCE of the 1st Australian Division, where the Battery would conclude the activity with a significantly greater Rate of Effort (flight hours) than the reported totals for many previous years. This exercise required the deployment of over two thirds of a Regiment, resulting in a significant burden being placed on the logistics and personnel management aspects of the unit. Throughout the second half of 2023, 20 Regt, RAA continued their tireless pursuit of capability enhancement and preparation for TUAS platform transition within the limitations of the DEF129-3 project. The Regiment continued to support Army through the provision of Initial Employment Training courses on the Shadow 200 TUAS and establishment of a High Risk Weather Season (HRWS) ready contingency force element (CONFE), based on 131 Battery. In the final month of training year 2023, 20 Regt, RAA was directed at short notice to support Operation RESOLUTE in the remote Kimberly Marine Park (KMP) as a national strategic priority. In response, the HRWS CONFE was rapidly enacted and deployed with their Shadow 200 TUAS, initially to Darwin and then eventually to Truscott Airbase at the isolated North Kimberly Airfield on the North coast of Western Australia. OP RES Medal Parade – Front to back: SGT Caryl Martinez, WO2 Aaron Bamford, SGT Scott McInnes The Regiment provided over six months of support to Operation RESOLUTE and Task Group 639.2, with Task Unit Dragon (TU Dragon) achieving over 1000hrs of operational TUAS flight directly supporting the Maritime Border Command operation. This was at a time when the Shadow capability was only expected to conduct 250 hrs of flying. The rotation of the majority of 20 Regt, RAA personnel through the various elements of TU Dragon and the supporting UAS Liaison Officer positions, gained invaluable operational exposure across all areas of the unit, and was a Regimental effort requiring high work rates at all levels. Additionally, TU Dragon successfully managed what became the Truscott Airbase logistics node on behalf of the Task Group 639.2 HQ. CFN Ethan Sheridan reinstalling “Remove Before Flight Tags” on the RQ-7B Shadow 200 TUAV following post mission recovery on Truscott Airbase in support of Operation Resolute.