RAA Liaison Letter – 2025 / 2026 Edition 58 53 Bty in Adelaide for the inaugural Southern Showdown coopetition with 54 Siege Battery In May, we hosted the Essendon AFLW team during their pre-season camp. A guided on-foot tour of the training area culminated with an early morning walk (stretcher carry) up Mount Puckapunyal. Glorious! 53 Bty at the top of Mt Puckapunyal with the Essendon AFLW Team During Talisman Sabre, we were tasked by Army to closely supervise our little brothers at 54 ‘Siege’ Bty as they fired PrSM across the Northern Territory. A big deal for them – our eleventh indirect LFX for the year. Our prayers were answered when we received a horde of new Gunners in August. With so many arriving, the solution was to run the Southern Combine. After an intensive week of testing, the Detachment Commanders had the opportunity to pick their teams during the Southern Draft. 53 Bty visits Windy Hill Essendon FC invited us to a reciprocal exchange in October. An awesome experience to link in with the high-performance staff at a world-class facility. We made the most of the week with a quick trip to Sydney to tour North Head. It’s not great there; we can see why they chose Puckapunyal instead. ;) 53 Bty visits Manly and the Old School of Artillery (emphasis added noting the distinct lack of drones, rockets and self-propelled howitzers) The year culminated when Bravo Detachment won Exercise Ubique to crown themselves the Champion Detachment. The exercise was a week of everything good about soldiering – shooting, fighting, gunnery, PT, sports and a trip to HMAS Cerberus for a taste of littoral warfighting. Through 2025, 53 Bty fired over 3,169 rounds across 19 LFX’s. We fired danger close and battle runs in support of School of Armour. We contributed to the IIS of HIMARS at the PRSM LFX and provided the CP & JFECC for the first AS-9 LFX’s. We supported Army’s global commitments and visited just about every state along the way. Above all, the biggest achievement is that not one full-time serving member discharged from the Southern Gunners in 2025. Radio and Digital Support Wing 2025 marked a defining year for the Radio Digital Support Wing (RDSW), delivering both challenges and triumphs as it continued shaping the future of the Royal Australian Artillery. Recruit to Segment – (RTS-A) Throughout the year, RDSW focused on implementing training designed to prepare ECN 500-8 soldiers via RTS – A for selection at a Trade Allocation Board and their subsequent IET courses within the School of Artillery. This effort paid off, with hundreds of trainees successfully allocated to their future trades within the RAA, reinforcing the Wing’s critical role in capability development.
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