RAA Liaison Letter – 2025 / 2026 Edition 84 16th Regiment RAA Lieutenant Colonel James Floyd Commanding Officer 16 Regiment’s 2025 has been a whirlwind year of closing off the last of the formal Introduction Into Service (IIS) training, commencing Battery-level operations, supporting FOT&E and (for the first time in the Unit’s History) relocating to a new location – Darwin Lines alongside 10 Brigade in the Edinburgh Defence Precinct. The submissions of Operations Support Battery, 110 Battery and 111 Battery go into the detail, but broadly the Regiment has continued to develop its capability to field and fight NASAMS. It has demonstrated this on multiple activities where the real new work has been increasingly robust integration into the AirComponent led IAMD structure, which has been absolutely key to the effectiveness of the capability – something that Army has had to feel its way forward on with support from our RAAF and US colleagues. Nowhere was this more evident than on Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 where the Regiment deployed most of its capability including an RCP to support multiple LFXs, FOT&E of NASAMS, the RAAF-led FTX and a few other trials to round it out. The Regiment’s ability to plan and project itself by road across the country multiple times was a credit to the plans teams and especially the hard work of the Combat Service Support Battery’s maintainers. The Regiments’ vehicle liability for NASAMS is extremely large relative to equivalent Army organisations which makes this achievement doubly impressive. Aside from this there has been the sustained drive to get as many AMD operators qualified in their new equipment to meet the new trade requirements. This has been a commendable effort first from 111 Battery with IIS training and subsequently with the Regimental Training and Standards Cell coordinating numerous courses in and around the rest of the Regiment’s work. Credit should also be given to Combat Service Support Battery’s RACT members for facilitating multiple driving courses to address that shortfall in the Regiment’s skillset. The relocation to Darwin Lines, despite inevitable challenges, has been accomplished to good effect. With some sadness the Regiment has vacated its founding location of Woodside Barracks in the Adelaide Hills, home since the second of June 1969. The loss is felt most acutely in the clubs and messes which formed a significant part of the Regimental identity of its members, but much has been gained. Darwin Lines is a cutting-edge facility which is designed to accommodate a capability as advanced (and sensitive) as NASAMS. The wider Edinburgh Defence Precinct offers multiple services and facilities not available at Woodside and even now the Soldiers and Officers are still realising the full scope of this. Still, it’s hard to replace the pastoral charm of Woodside with concrete and tarmac of Edinburgh. On a final personal note, as I sit in the (very plush) CO’s office at the Regiment’s new home of Darwin Lines, the Regiment has come so far in the last three years and his finally ensconced in its new home with a cutting edge NASAMS capability. Noting better men and women than I will take the Unit forward, it has been a privilege to lead Australia’s only (and therefore best) Air Defence Regiment. 110 Battery Major Brad Storm, Battery Commander As 16 Regiment continues to develop the NASAMS capability in-stride, 2025 found 110 Battery gainfully employed as it marched the road to Land 19 Phase 7B Final Operational Testing and Evaluation (FOT&E). Having selected Ex Talisman Sabre 25 as the vehicle for this milestone, the Battery hit that road running in order to set the necessary conditions for FOT&E mid-year. Exercise Arafura Shield The road to FOT&E in 2025 commenced with the deployment of a small 110 Battery led contingent to Tindal Airbase in March to participate in Ex Arafura Shield. The exercise enabled 110 Battery to conduct a technical proof of concept for the NASAMS kill-chain as a risk reduction activity prior to Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. The scenario design (comprised of both real and synthetic elements) enabled some phenomenal Joint training with the RAAF and the enthusiasm with which the SRGBAD
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