The Australian Army is realising its long-range fires and littoral manoeuvre transformation as part of the National Defence Strategy. Through the 10th Brigade, Army has developed an unprecedented ability to strike land and maritime targets at distances beyond 500 kilometres. The 10th Brigade is equipped with new capabilities including the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS) and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). These systems provide the Australian Defence Force with the ability to generate short-range, ground-based air defence, long-range multi-domain strike and specialist targeting effects.
The 10th Brigade is located at the Edinburgh Defence Precinct and currently comprises the 9th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery; the 16th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery; the 54th Battery (the first sub-unit of the soon-to-be-raised 14th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery), and; the theatre civil-military cooperation capability. The 10th Brigade has already begun working with allies and close partners, taking part in Project Convergence, a multinational experimental exercise held in the United States, and leading a technology-sharing hub. The formation will also participate in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, during which it will conduct live-fire training with the Precision Strike Missile.
Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, AO DSC, said: “The Army is delivering relevant and credible land power, at speed, in support of the National Defence Strategy. We will demonstrate just how far this transformation has come at Talisman Sabre in July. I am incredibly proud of the work our soldiers do every day in the service of our nation.”
Commander 10th Brigade, Brigadier Nick Wilson CSC, said: “The Australian Army is committed to South Australia, and basing the 10th Brigade here is a significant investment in the local community. As the commander, it’s a privilege to lead the brigade. We are incredibly well-resourced and supported by wider Army, and our joint and coalition partners. It is a great time to be a soldier; I’m very proud of our team, and the colour-patch they wear. During my 30 years (of) service, I have never personally seen a capability roll-out this quickly, with the receipt of our first HIMARS launchers marking our Army’s ability to conduct ground-based long-range fires.”
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Now let’s give those efforts their full value, an extra 3 NASAMS (totaling 9 I believe) to bring that up to the barest needed capability. And Govt stop studying coastal strike and buy Strike Master, 10 systems 1 for testing, training etc. and 9 to form 3 batteries of 3 systems (4 launchers each) for the regiment/operations. PRsM INC2 might be longer ranging and heavier hitting but it’s at least 2-3 years before it gets close to rolling out and its more expensive (I’ve read) and at this point in time will be an imported weapon relying upon overseas willingness and availability to acquire and sustain, as no effort is yet heard of here around locally building PRsM in any form (would its ballistic trajectory also make it easier to detect and intercept). Whereas Strike Master would be an almost wholly Aussie undertaking, fulfilling the ever more important aspect of sovereign capability/ self-reliance. All this would help make sure the capability matched the effort put into creating 10th Brigade. P.S. Isn’t the HIMARS rgt going to have 36 launchers in total, PRsM inc2 could be bought later to back up Strike Master, when needed, and give a 2 tier coastal strike capability.
I think Strikemaster with the NSM and HIMARS with PRSM (including any of the increment of missile) could complement each other quite well. NSM will provide a low altitude and low observable passive weapon in comparison to the ballistic flight profile of the PRSM. It gives Army the ability to choose between effectors based on their inherent capabilities. Thinking a little more broadly than just maritime strike, doesn’t the NSM have a land attack mode as well, enabling Army to engage land targets with a land launched NSM? Also, what is to stop the current HIMARs regiment using PRSM increment 2 missiles, when they are available, to prosecute maritime targets..? Having each of these units with the flexibility to strike at a range of target types would be advantageous to Army.
The other more recent development to consider a little further down the line is that Kongsberg have begun development, in partnership with Germany, to develop a longer ranging supersonic sibling to NSM/JSM, due to be fielded in the early 2030’s. If this is able to be integrated with Strikemaster down the track, then it opens up a range of possibilities for a multi tiered effector line up able to prosecute targets using a variety of range, speed and flight profile regimes.
However, with all this in mind, range is I believe the key capability that Australia needs to focus on with the long range fires. Early PRSM variants only go out to about 500km, with later increments extending to a planned approx 1000km. As many have pointed out, that’s hardly long range, but rather longer range than our existing 155mm artillery. If we are serious about ground units with impactful projection at reasonable ranges from Australia, then we should really be thinking more in the MRBM or IRBM space. That would enable us to hold an adversaries home bases at risk as opposed to just their expeditionary forces.
Note for the MRBM, that the US Congress has just allocated funds to accelerate the re-establishment of MRBMs for the US Army. This will be an interesting space to watch over the next few years.
Could APDR please cease perpetuating or at least challenge the government LIE that Army possesses “ground based long-range fires”. Yes development of a medium range PRISM is underway, but at this time Army has no long range strike capacity despite 6 years of bipartisan political rhetoric about the ‘imminent’ threat posed by China.
For context, ground based Medium Range Ballistic Missiles (MRBM) capable of hitting ships at sea are categorized as missiles with maximum ranges between 620 and 1,860 miles (1,000 and 3,000 kilometers). The US Army is only now seeking to regain that capacity as it has not had an operational MRBM of any kind since the retirement of the nuclear-armed Pershing II in 1991. Furthermore, between 1988 and 2019, the US and Russia were both prohibited from developing and fielding nuclear or conventionally-armed ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles with maximum ranges between 310 and 3,420 miles (500 and 5,500 kilometers) under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
https://www.twz.com/land/bringing-back-medium-range-ballistic-missiles-fast-tracked-under-proposed-150b-defense-boost
I assume many people use “long range” in a generic sense – that is, any weapon that is not line-of-sight short range. I’m probably guilty of that myself.
Australia needs 12 Brigades (4 Mechn., Armored, 2 Cavalry, 2 Missile, 1 Amphibian
& 1 Air Mobile). Plus 72 F 18 F (With 8 Sqds.
X 9 Warplanes each), 36 B – 21 (4 Sqds. X 9 Warplanes each), 24 C – 130 J (4 Sqds. X 6 Warplanes each). Having 9 Bare Airports in Northern Australia. Plus 12 Hunter Class, 12 Perth Class Destroyers, 12 Mecco 200C Frigates & 12 Sumbarines. 18 Supplies Bases.
We are very under weaponed. See comment above.
Weapons based in SA what the? Stupid!
I think one of the key benefits of basing the air defence and longer range fires units in South Australia is the readily available access to the large instrumented ranges i.e Woomera etc., and the all round year training opportunities. The NT and North Queensland is limited by the wet season, which hampers training for a good third of the year.
Good point.
Also helps with personnel retention.
Watch what happens with all the moves to Townsville.
Not enough housing, schools, jobs for spouses etc.
110 Bty when formed in 1965 was stationed at Woodside SA, before being transferred to Butterworth airbase to replace 111 Bty. The new regiment when missiles came onboard originated from this group.