CONTACT Yearbook 2021 by Contact Publishing

2021 YEARBOOK AIR LAND & SEA THE AUSTRALIAN MILITARY MAGAZINE

2021 YEARBOOK

Produced by Contact Publishing, PO Box 3091, Minnamurra, NSW 2533 www.contactairlandandsea.com

2021 YEARBOOK

Compiled from the 2021 archives of CONTACT Air Land & Sea e-magazine

40 4

52 Featuring the best from CONTACT Air Land & Sea – Australia’s best boots-on-the-ground military e-magazine

CONTENTS

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32 6 The Big Pictures 12 Weapons of 6RAR 16 Battle Lines 24 Apache 28 Cope North 32 Military Tattoos 36 ANZAC Day 40 New Boat

72 98

44 RAAF 100

52 Wings Over Illawarra 56 RAA 150 64 Evacuation of Kabul 72 Talisman Sabre 76 One Wild Ride 78 Southern Jackaroo 80 Koolendong 84 Combined Arms 86 Japs in Darwin 88 Riverfire 92 RAF Photo Comp 96 Robot Olympics 98 Surfin’s Mental

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MARCH BIG PICTURE

F-35A

Photo by Corporal David Said A Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, off the coast of New South Wales.

• Despite it being a Public Holiday and in the middle of Defence’s Christmas stand-down, Australia’s F-35A Lightning II fleet officially achieved Initial Operational Capability on 28 December 2020. • Also confirmed in December is that all Australian F-35A initial pilot training is now conducted in Australia, with more than 30 jets and six networked simulators in place at RAAF Base Williamtown and four more simulators joining the network at RAAF Base Tindal this year. 6

• Three new F-35As arrived at RAAF Base Williamtown on 11 February, bringing the total fleet to 33. The new delivery is enough to see two operational squadrons fully equipped, plus training aircraft.

• The delivery in February, called Exercise Lightning Ferry 21-1, was conducted from Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, beginning on 27 January to RAAF Base Williamtown,

supported by an RAAF KC-30A multirole tanker transport from No. 33 Squadron and a No. 36 Squadron C-17A Globemaster.

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Photo by Corporal Dustin Anderson

JUNE BIG PICTURE

An Australian Army Staff Cadet fires an M72A1 66mm rocket launcher at Majura Training Area, Canberra. Staff Cadets from III Class at the Royal Military College Duntroon recently completed their initial training in high explosives, qualifying with F1 Grenade, 66mm Light Direct Fire Support Weapon, Claymore anti-personnel weapon and SL40 grenade-launcher. III Class is the first phase of officer training in the Australian Army, which lasts six months. This initial phase is designed to provide Staff Cadets the fundamentals of soldiering and the skills they will need for a career in the Australian Army.

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SEPTEMBER BIG PICTURE

Photo by Leading Aircraftman Stewart Gould

E-7A Wedgetail A30-005 from No. 2 Squadron departs from RAAF Base Darwin into a pink Northern Territory sunset for a night mission during Exercise Arnhem Thunder 21. As one of the Royal Australian Air Force’s largest domestic training exercises for 2021, Arnhem Thunder focused on high-end collective training and involved multiple force-element groups (FEGs). Operating out of RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal, Arnhem Thunder 21 provided excellent opportunities for cross-FEG interoperability, high-end air-power missions as well as practising rapid airbase activation. Exposure to large scale offensive counter air scenarios in an away-base environment is of vital importance to the training outcomes of RAAF elements. Approximately 40 aircraft and more than 500 RAAF personnel deployed on Exercise Arnhem Thunder 21.

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Photo by Corporal Lee ‘Matty’ Matthews

GRIFFIN

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DECEMBER BIG PICTURE A Royal Air Force C-130J conducts a nose-up break into the circuit at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. This photo won first place, Category E – Current RAF Equipment – in the 2021 Royal Air Force Photographic Competition. More photos and story starting on page 38.

Photo by Corporal Sagi Biderman

BIG PICTURES Royal Australian Air Force military working dog Ulf of No. 3 Security Forces Squadron is off to see the veterinarian – an annual event across Australia, to ensure that all RAAF MWDs are fit for duty. MWDs and their handlers provide security, crime-prevention patrols, emergency response and intruder detection on RAAF bases and in deployed locations.

An Australian soldier from the Red Berets parachute display team drops into Circular Quay carrying the Australian National Flag to help kick-start Sydney’s Australia Day festivities on 26 January 2021. The four-person Red Berets team landed safely on water targets in Circular Quay, thrilling crowds lining the harbour. 10

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An F/A-18F Super Hornet departs RAAF Base Darwin as a super Moon rises over the Northern Territory during Exercise Arnhem Thunder 21.

TOO A21- nducts o y in 018 c rial displa g Exercise e n an a ville duri 1. s 2 Town an Sabre their f m o s i l n Ta bratio ustralian e l e c A In e ot, th masc ie, No. 75 d magp ron applie te i d Squa k and wh paint c e a a bl emorativ 8A comm e to F/A-1 . schemt A21-018 Hor ne rcraft was rt its i o The a uled to sp me d e e h c h sc our s head l o c new etiring, a ’s r until squadron A 5 e 3 h t of oF 022. ition t trans ing II in 2 Lightn uadron q The s ed the t p o d its a ie as p mag t because o t masc belligeren a s i f o it dant defen ng with u its yo urage to c e th o . k attac 5 7 . No dron t a u Sq tes ou a oper F A of RA l in the a d T in er n North ry. o t i Terr

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Photo by Brandon Murray 11

Lieutenant Kurt O’Neill leads his men to the range. 12

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Soldiers from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, spent the first few days of their training year at the 25m shooting range on Gallipoli Barracks, Brisbane. Transport to the range was on shanks’ mare – a pack march to get the blood pumping. On the range, participants from A Company, 6RAR, cycled through combat shooting training serials with the in-service EF88 Austeyr rifle and the 9mm Browning 1911 self-loading pistol, honing vital marksmanship skills used by Australian infantry – and all Australian soldiers, to some degree. Commander of the 7th Combat Brigade Brigadier Jason Blain visited the range and spoke to soldiers and their leaders during the training. After the visit, the 7th Brigade Facebook page offered a succinct “Public Service Announcement: 6RAR’s Private Dilbag Singh is a weapon” – with which CONTACT could not argue, choosing his photo to grace the front cover of the March 2021 issue (right) of Australia’s best boots-onthe-ground military magazine.

BASIC

WEAPONS

OF 6RAR

ISSUE 69

MA RC H 20 21

BASIC

WEAPONS +

OF 6RAR

PHOTOS BY CORPORAL BRODIE CROSS A 6RAR soldier fires the Browning 9mm pistol. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

Private James Christou leads the march to the range. 14

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CONTACT’s unique Weapons of the ADF is a free 52page viewee-twoee-sized publication, offered to new subscribers as a reward for subscribing to CONTACT – which is also completely free. If you are a subscriber already and somehow missed getting this excellent collectable, you can download and print it, to fit neatly into a viewee twoee field notebook, by searching for “Weapons of the ADF” or “viewee twoee” on our web site, www.contactairlandandsea.com The EF88 is one of 49 weapons of the ADF that features in our unique, viewee-twoee-sized pamphlet of the same name. This unique product may well be the only resource of its kind anywhere in the world, bringing this information together in one handy reference guide. However, in researching these booklets, it struck us how hard it was to nail down specific facts. Defence is pretty cagey about exact facts and figures – sometimes even about which specific model or upgrade they use, especially with big-ticket items such as Navy’s missiles. Manufacturers too are cagey about specific facts in a lot of cases – but also bombard (pun intended) the reader with near-meaningless PR spin and sales talk. Wikipedia is an amazing resource – but can’t be relied upon 100%, especially when there are several variants and upgrades to a particular weapon or system and the researcher has to deduce which one to go with. We hope CONTACT did OK, but there’s every chance of errors. So please don’t rely on our info to win your next battle – or trivia quiz.

WEAPONS ALL THE

OF 6RAR AND THE ADF

WEAPONS OF THE ADF Assault rifles

EF88

WEAPONS OF THE ADF Machine Guns

WEAPONS OF THE ADF Handy Reference Guide

Minimi

Part 1 – Revision 2

Calibre Weight Length Barrel length Muzzle velocity Effective range Cyclic rate of fire

The F89 Minimi light support weapon (LSW), manufactured under liscence in Australia, is employed as the primary support weapon at the brick, squad or section level. It is gas operated, fully automatic, air cooled link belt, either loose or from a 100-round and fed by a disintegratingbelt box, and is capable of high rates of effective fire against point and area targets. The LSW 5.56mm Para Minimi (shorter, with employed as the primary support weapon collapsible stock), is for as a section-support weapon for parachute special forces teams and units. LSW is fitted with a Picatinny rail and is configured with standard optical weapon sights or can be fitted with an enhanced optical sight, nightaiming device, laser target designator or night weapon sight.

To fit your viewee twoee

WEAPONS OF THE ADF Explosive Weapons

Weight Length Width Lethal radius Casualty radius Danger radius Detonation

5.56mm 7kg (with 100-round box magazine) 1080mm (865mm Para) 570mm (349mm Para) 930m/sec 400m 800-900 rounds per minute

WEAPONS OF THE ADF Support Weapons

Grenade

SL40

370g 96mm 58mm 6m 15m 30m 4.5–5.5 seconds

When direct fire on an enemy may not be appropriate or achievable, soldiers require a weapon that can overcome such deficiencies. A hand-thrown blast and fragmentat ion grenade provides this capability at short range. It can be easily carried by individual soldiers and so is available for immediate use. The F1 fragmentation grenade is a hand-thrown, anti-personnel grenade, effective in clearing enemy from bunkers, fire trenches, dugouts and buildings. It can also be used for all types of close-quarters battle, urban fighting and ambushing. The F1 fragmentation grenade contains 30g of high-explosive (HE) mixture and approximately 4000 x 2.5mm steel balls. Smoke variants are also available. “They’re still a weapon and come in very handy,” one soldier told CONTACT.

Weight Barrel length Muzzle velocity Effective range Max range Action

1.025kg 180mm 76m/second 150m 400m Single shot

The SL40 grenade launcher attachmen t is a derivative of Steyr’s GL40, specifically modified for fitment to the EF88. The SL40 has a side-opening receiver and its trigger is located within the EF88’s trigger guard. It can be fitted and removed by the operator without specialist equipment and can fire all standard 40mm grenades.

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Calibre Weight Length Barrel length Muzzle velocity Effective range Cyclic rate of fire

5.56mm 3.89kg (with full magazine) 802mm 508mm 930m/sec 300m 680-850 rounds per minute

Enhanced F88 or EF88 is the in-service weapon of the Au stralian Army, with initial issue commenci ng in 2016. Defence contracted Thales to produce the new rifle, grenad e launchers, spare parts and various anc illaries, at their facility in Lithgo w, NSW. The EF88 (which Thales is ma rketing as the F90) can be fiel d fitted with a grenade launcher attachme nt (GLA) with no special tooling required. One significant difference bet ween the EF88 and older var iants is that the barrel is fixed. It can also be fired right or left handed without adjustment. The weapon as issued to the Army is black, but soldiers and units are authorised to custom paint their weapons, with approved paints.

The Australian Army’s biggest acquisition ever has reached a significant milestone with six prototype test-and-evaluation vehicles from the project’s two shortlisted tenderers ready to rumble...

Project LAND 400 Phase 3, valued at up to $27billion will provide the Army with an advanced infantry-fighting-vehicle capability. South Korean company Hanwha and Germany’s Rheinmetall have each delivered three prototype vehicles, through their Australian subsidiaries, for test and evaluation, to see which offering will ultimately be issued to the Army. Two vehicles from each company will be driven and used by soldiers for the next year or more, in as many different environments as a possible, while the third of each vehicle type will be subjected to various ballistics and blast tests – to ultimate destruction. Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds said the delivery of the prototype vehicles was a crucial step in the project, allowing Defence to assess the shortlisted tenderers’ performance claims, focusing on the areas of highest technical risk. “These significant activities include Australian soldiers participating in user evaluation and testing, with a particular focus on the armour, firepower and mobility of the platforms,” Minister Reynolds said. “The risk mitigation activity will undertake important analysis on each vehicle’s ability to integrate with other key ADF land, sea and air capabilities, including amphibious lift.

A SENSE OF SCALE: CONTACT is not displaying a preference here – just trying to give a sense of the immense size of one LAND 400 Phase 3 contender – Lynx – as seen at Land Forces Conference 2018 in Adelaide. Photo by Brian Hartigan. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

“Infantry fighting vehicles are a tracked, armoured vehicle, capable of carrying six [or more] soldiers in addition to a crew of three. “These advanced vehicles will provide increased protection, mobility, and firepower for the ADF.” Politics, will undoubtedly and unfortunately play some part in the ultimate selection process. Minister Reynolds said the risk mitigation activity would include sufficient detailed testing and evaluation of the tendered vehicles to provide Defence with the objective, quality evidence it would need to inform a government decision in 2022. Already, both companies have enlisted the support of the State governments in Victoria and Queensland. The Victorian government threw its support behind Hanwha Defense Australia to build and maintain its vehicles in Geelong, where the company has also

committed to building 30 self-propelled howitzers and 15 armoured ammunition resupply vehicles and their supporting systems – as well as maintenance and repairs during their years of service in the Australian Army – under the separate Army LAND 8116 Phase 2 Protected Mobile Fires Project confirmed in September last year. Victorian Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Martin Pakula signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hanwha in January to formalise a long-term partnership that will support the establishment of Hanwha’s defence manufacturing operations in Victoria. Minister Pakula was at Laverton North to inspect Hanwha’s LAND 400 Phase 3 vehicle – the Redback AS21 – before it was delivered to the Commonwealth for testing.

Not long after, Rheinmetall announced it had secured the support of the Queensland government in its bid to win LAND 400 Phase 3 program, from its new Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence – MILVEHCOE – at Redbank, south-west of Brisbane. That State government had earlier backed Rheinmetall’s successful Boxer 8×8 combat reconnaissance vehicle bid for the LAND 400 Phase 2, partnering with the company to establish the MILVEHCOE as a national hub for military vehicle technology. Rheinmetall MAN had also won the ADF’s truck-fleet replacement project LAND 121 Phase 3b, to supply 2700 trucks, 3800 modules and 1700 trailers, which began to roll out in 2016 – and was later asked to bolster the fleet with an additional 1044 trucks, 872 modules and 812 trailers, in 2018.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison officially opened the Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in October 2020 and it is now in the early stages of commissioning ahead of the transition to full Boxer production in 2023. Under Project LAND 400 Phase 3, Army will acquire up to 450 infantry fighting vehicles and a manoeuvresupport-vehicle capability of up to 17 vehicles – at a total cost of up to $27billion – Army’s largest spend ever. There are even suggestions that Defence has already asked for and received additional information about possibly procuring another 117 vehicles, configured as logistics vehicles, mortar carries with direct fire capabilities, mortar ammunition providers and protected amphibious platforms. Before we get to selection, however, both companies will be allowed and encouraged to engage with

Defence, to clarify, refine and negotiate their tender offerings. The tender process for LAND 400 Phase 3 officially opened in August 2018 and, just over a year later, Hanwha Defense Australia and Rheinmetall Defence Australia were short-listed to participate in the test and evaluation phase. Key differences between this new tender and LAND 400 Phase 2 (won by Rheinmetall’s Boxer CRV) is that there are more than double the number of vehicles required – and the winning vehicle will likely be a much heavier, definitely with more firepower, and roll on tracks rather than wheels. The two vehicles contending are also quite different – Hanwha’s AS21 Redback is an Australia-specific derivative of their K21 IFV, in service with the South Korean Army for more than 12 years, with 400 vehicles

built to date – while Rheinmetall’s Lynx is a new vehicle, first displayed at a trade show in Paris in 2018, with Hungary recently announced as the first country to buy it but not yet field it. Whichever vehicle is eventually chosen, it will herald a massive upgrade in the Australian Army’s warfighting capabilities.

Australian soldiers from the 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, stand with the Hanwha Redback (left) and Rheinmetall Lynx KF4 (right), during user evaluation trials at Puckapunyal, Victoria. Photo by Sergeant Jake Sims.

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LAND BATTLE 400 BEGINS Both contenders for the largest acquisition project in the history of the Australian Army were officially unveiled in Canberra in March. Two infantry fighting vehicle contenders are currently undergoing evaluation and, once delivered, will provide the Army with an advanced, mounted, closecombat capability. Each company has delivered three prototypes for more than a year of torture testing by the Army. Acting Minister for Defence Marise Payne said up to 450 infantry fighting vehicles would be acquired at a project cost of up to $27billion. “These next generation infantry fighting vehicles will provide Australian soldiers with higher levels of protection, mobility, firepower and connectivity,” Minister Payne said.

“They will give our troops the best possible opportunity to successfully complete their mission safely.” The two shortlisted tenderers for LAND 400 Phase 3 project are Rheinmetall, offering its KF-41 Lynx, and Hanwha, with its Redback. If successful, both companies have proposed to build the the majority of the fleet in Australia – Rheinmetall in Queensland or Hanwha in Victoria. Attending the official unveiling in Canberra, former Army Major General Senator Jim Molan said Defence was seeking a tracked infantry fighting vehicle capable of accommodating six soldiers in addition to a crew of three.

“Hanwha Defense Australia and Rheinmetall Defence Australia have each delivered three prototype vehicles which will be tested over the course of this year, as part of a two-year risk mitigation activity,” Senator Molan said. “These activities include Australian soldiers participating in user evaluation and testing, with a particular focus on the armour, firepower and mobility of the platforms.” A decision on the preferred tenderer will be presented to government for consideration in 2022. The infantry fighting vehicles will replace the current M113 armoured personnel carriers that have been in service since the mid-1960s.

WINNER TAKES ALL $27BILLION

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HOWLING WOLF WORDS CAPTAIN TAYLOR LYNCH PICS PRIVATE HAMID FARAHANI Tank crews from 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry) honed their skills operating M1A1 Abrams during Exercise Howling Wolf, while local Indigenous school children interested in a Defence Force career, watched. Soldiers cycled through their drills to neutralise threats, ticking boxes to progress to the next level of training. Trooper Dade Goldberg was one of the newer gunners being assessed throughout the two-week exercise and said it was a great experience. “I’ve done live fire before on my gunners course, so it was good to hone those foundation skills and drills again,” Trooper Goldberg said. “It was thrilling. You’re laser focused the whole time and when you finish, and take that moment to breathe, you realise it’s one of the best jobs you can have.” Trooper Goldberg said teamwork was key for the fourman crew. “It’s not just one person – you’re backed by the rest of the crew and you work like a well-oiled machine. “Through our drills we have quick words of command to tell the crew commander what we’re seeing, what we’re doing, and it just flows nicely. “When you’re in there it’s a hell of an experience, but you’ve got to be on top of your game.” Trooper Goldberg said the regiment also placed importance on engagement with the community. 22

“It’s good for the students to see what we’re capable of doing and know that we take our jobs extremely seriously,” he said. “You learn discipline, you learn good skills, but the opportunities this job offers are the best. There’s nothing like it.” Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships representative Joel Moon said witnessing Exercise Howling Wolf was an invaluable experience for local Indigenous students. “Supporting employment among Indigenous youths to help them get into work is an important part of our job,” Mr Moon said. “The Defence Force gives Indigenous youths a pathway and guidance, which they need at a young age. Some of the candidates we have are just looking for someone to guide them and give them the tools for success. “A few of our candidates are keen on the Defence Force and this was an opportunity for us to get a better understanding for when I’m talking to the kids and providing guidance for different careers. “Exercise Howling Wolf was definitely an eye opener – it’s a good step for them to see if they really want to commit to the Army. I think they all enjoyed it.”

UPGRADE

Ozzie

ABOVE: A US Army 1st Cavalry Division Abrams M1A2 SEPv3 sends its first round downrange at Fort Hood, Texas. Photo by Sergeant Calab Franklin. RIGHT: An M1074 joint assault bridge. US Army photo.

M1A2 SEPv3

The US has approved the sale of 75 M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks to Australia – plus other systems not fielded by the Australian Army before. US State Department approved the possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of Heavy Armored Combat Systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of US$1.685 billion. Australia requested to buy 160 M1A1 tank structures/ hulls provided from stock in order to produce the following end items and spares: • • • • •

75 M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams main battle tanks; 29 M1150 assault breacher vehicles; 18 M1074 joint assault bridges; 6 M88A2 Hercules combat recovery vehicles; and, 122 AGT1500 gas turbine engines.

Also included is development of a unique armour package, common remotely operated weapon station low profile (CROWS-LP), driver’s vision enhancer, mission equipment, special tools and test equipment, ground support equipment, system and engine spare parts, technical data and publications, US government and Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

contractor technical and logistics assistance, quality assurance teams, transportation services, program management, new-equipment training, and other related elements of logistic and program support. The US statement said the proposed sale would improve Australia’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing the lethality, survivability, and interoperability of the Australian Army. “The M1A2 SEPv3 will upgrade the current Australian fleet of M1A1 SA tanks with no changes to Royal Australian Armoured Corps force structure. “Additional M88A2s provide de-processing and combatvehicle-recovery support for the Australian tank fleet. “The M1150 assault breacher vehicles and M1074 joint assault bridges will be a new capability for the Royal Australian Engineers, bringing under-armor bridging and breaching capability, increasing the effectiveness and survivability of Australian combat engineers and providing increased mobility for the armoured fleet.” The above information all comes from an April 2021 US DoD announcement, which has not yet been confirmed by the ADF (as of 31 May 2021). 23

BELOW: A British Army Apache over Salisbury Plain. Photo by Richard King. UK MoD/Crown copyright. RIGHT: A US Army Apache in the North Arabian Gulf. US Army photo by Specialist Cody Rich.

Army getting Apache AH-64E AT LAST!!! Then Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds made the announcement in January that the Australian Army would begin to receive new Apache AH-64E helicopters in 2025. “Army’s armed reconnaissance capability will be strengthened following the selection of Boeing Apache Guardian to replace Army’s armed reconnaissance helicopter from 2025,” Minister Reynolds said. I nearly choked on my coffee when I saw the press release. First of all, it had a banal headline – FUTURE READY – STRENGTHENING ARMY’S ARMED RECONNAISSANCE CAPABILITY – seemingly deliberately designed not to attract attention. And, the actual news just about everyone wanted to hear was ‘buried’ 14 words deep into the first, overly long paragraph. Then there’s the fact that, while a replacement project was announced less than two years ago, so little has been said (officially) about the Tiger-replacement project (maybe the second-most lambasted capability after submarines) that I had all-but forgotten it was even a thing. Third – did I mention the project was launched 18 months ago? – making this one of, if not the shortest turnarounds in Defence acquisition history! There was no word from the minister to suggest how many helicopters we had suddenly decided to buy – though 29 was the rumour, later confirmed by ARMY Newspaper – and that’s seven (a whole squadron’s worth) more than the Tigers they’re replacing. No mention either of the project cost. In a not-so-veilled swipe at Tiger, Senator Reynolds said Defence considered a number of helicopters against the selection criteria of proven ability, maturity and an off-the-shelf operating system. “AH-64E Apache Guardian is equipped with improved sensors, communications suites, attack capabilities and improved survivability,” she said. “Apache Guardian is the most lethal, most survivable and lowest risk option, meeting all of Defence’s capability*, through-life support, security, and certification requirements.” *Though some, like noted Defence observer Ian Bostock, believe that maybe a very key capability has been overlooked, or at least accepted under, ‘we can work with that’ – the lack of marinisation. 25

AH-64 APACHE specifications 2

Crew

30mm cannon 70mm rockets AGM-116 Hellfire missiles

Weapon systems Sensors

ermal/day TV/laser designation system and ‘Longbow’ fire-control radar providing; Th • longer-range weapons accuracy and all-weather/night-fighting capability; • detection of moving or stationary objects without being detected, out to 8km; • classification and threat-prioritisation of up to 128 targets in less than a minute

Networking

• • •

I ntegrated sensors, networking, and digital communications for situational awareness and management of the battlespace in real time. Digital transmission of images and target locations to other assets and commanders. Capability to control unmanned aerial vehicles.

Speed

Aproximately 150 knots (280km/h)

Badass level

Very high (especially in dark-grey or olive drab colour scheme)

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION? Should Australia’s AH-64E Apache attack helicopters be painted... in hues of greenie/missionbrown/pink (as per below); or,

be-scared-shitless grey or olive drab The editor has no opinion or bias either way ;-)

In another, more pointed backhander to Tiger, Minister Reynolds said that pursuing a proven, low-risk system offered by the Apache, Defence would avoid the ongoing cost and schedule risk typically associated with developmental platforms [noting that Airbus proposed to improve the inservice Tiger as their bid in the Tiger-replacement project]. “Lessons learnt from issues with the ARH Tiger and other rotary-wing projects [hinting at MRH-90 and possibly Sea Sprite] had informed the strategy to seek a proven, mature ARH replacement capability,” Senator Reynolds said. “This new ARH capability will strengthen Australia’s armed reconnaissance force to better shape our strategic environment and deter actions against our national interest.” Two weeks after the official announcement, ARMY Newspaper confirmed one of the key details missing from Minister Reynolds’ press release – that Army would acquire 29 AH-64E Apache Guardians to replace its existing 22 Tigers. The seven extra platforms would be enough to raise a whole new squadron, but no details have yet been announced. Another detail which remains unclear is whether all – and if not, how many – of the new helicopters would be fitted with the ‘Longbow’ fire-control radar, distinctive above the main rotor. But, as pointed out by one CONTACT fan in discussion, “The FCR (fire-control radar) is not always required and comes at a significant weight penalty. The bonus of having an interoperable data link is that other non-FCR-equipped formations (or any other L16 player) can share [the radar picture from an equipped helicopter and even] shoot off their track. Joint connectivity and a large user group is the clear strength of Apache over the other bids.” There was also no word on how much this acquisition project would cost. But we do know that Apache – possibly in AusCam colours, though Facebook experts almost unanimously hated that idea – will replace the beleaguered Tiger as Army’s armed reconnaissance helicopter starting from 2025. Tiger helicopters will, apparently, only be operated and supported until 2028.

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Another soon-to-be-familiar sight – Apache helicopters over Australian suburbs – in this case, Townsville. Photo by Corporal Oliver Carter. 27

COPE NORTH

Story compiled by CONTACT from contributions by USAF Technical Sergeant Jerilyn Quintanilla and Senior Airman Jonathan Valdes, and ADF

Featuring the best from CONTACT Air Land & Sea – Australia’s best boots-on-the-ground military e-magazine

Forty-three years ago, the United States and Japan came together for the inaugural Cope North exercise, in Japan. In 1999 the exercise moved to its current home at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, with news of its ‘ending in victory’ splashed across local newspapers. With the addition of Australia, Cope North has grown to be the largest multinational exercise in the US Air Force’s largest area of operations.

A simulated casualty awaits aero-medical evacuation. US Air Force photo by Technical Sergeant Jerilyn Quintanilla. Photo digitally altered by CONTACT – flying formation added. Formation photo by US Air Force Staff Sergeant Divine Cox. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

This year’s exercise was again held at the United States’ Andersen AFB from 3 to 19 February 2021. The first week of the exercise focused on humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief (HA/DR) scenarios, followed by strike-mission training, while the second week focused on air-combat tactics and large-force employment. For the first time, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force – or Koku-Jieitai – took the lead on the exercise. Lieutenant Colonel Akihiro Namme, the Koku-Jieitai HA/DR lead planner said the exercise was very complicated and difficult to plan because they had a lot of functions and personnel, and he had to ensure they achieved all objectives. HA/DR training started in classrooms, followed by basic familiarisation and hands-on training, capped off with a field-training element. Out in the field, 21 medical personnel from the Koku-Jieitai, US Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force worked side-by-side as they were put through the ringer. RAAF Wing Commander Joleen Darby, an Australian exchange senior flight surgeon serving as an HA/DR white-force member, said they were simulating operations on a small island in the Pacific that had just experienced a typhoon. “Our doctors and medical technicians set up a field hospital, and we simulated patients constantly rolling in,” Wing Commander Darby said. “Patient conditions included heat illness, mosquito-borne illnesses, injuries sustained in a vehicle rollover, and suspected COVID symptoms. “The main training objectives were to execute the mission the way we would in a real-world situation, ensure everyone was familiar and integrating with one another and across services, and of course, we had to do all this while keeping everyone real-world COVID safe.” The wide range of patients was deliberately designed to test the team’s ability to respond to every possible situation they might encounter in a real emergency. United States Air Force Staff Sergeant Jhosselin Alonzo, a 36th Medical Group independent duty medical technician-paramedic, said the most beneficial part was to learn how to work with medical teams from the other countries and establish relationships. “It was an amazing experience working with Staff Sergeant Sasaki from Koku-Jieitai – his scope of practice in Japan is very similar to mine so, despite the language barrier, we both understood medicine,” Staff Sergeant Alonzo said. Week two of Cope North 2021 saw the debut of the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, joining flying units from the Royal Australian Air Force and Koku-Jieitai. This was the first time the Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska-based aircraft had flown outside that state since arriving there about a year ago. US Air Force 356th Fighter Squadron commander Lieutenant Colonel James Christensen said the F-35A enhanced the lethality of the entire air package, with the world’s most advanced sensors, weapons and avionics suites available on any fighter. 29

COPE NORTH 2021 ABOVE: Members of the Japan Self Defence Force and the Royal Australian Air Force provide medical care during a simulated masscasualty aeromedical evacuation on Exercise Cope North 21. US Air Force photo by Senior Airman Duncan C. Bevan. BACKGROUND: A US Air Force C-130J assigned to 36th Airlift Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Japan, approaches Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, after completing an Exercise Cope North 21 sortie. US Air Force photo by Master Sergeant Larry E. Reid Jr.

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ABOVE: Royal Australian Air Force Wing Commander Joleen Darby, an Australian Exchange Senior Flight Surgeon, and US Air Force Doctor Matthew Luthman, a 36th Medical Group flight doctor, assess a patient’s injuries during a mass casualty scenario on Exercise Cope North 21. US Air Force photo by Technical Sergeant Jerilyn Quintanilla. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

“We can rapidly deploy and seamlessly integrate with sister services and partner nations to bring peerless military options to our commanders,” Lieutenant Colonel Christensen said. “With its game-changing technology and ability to provide air power at a moment’s notice, the F-35A demonstrated their undeniable presence and important role in the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. “It was also important to show how safely and rapidly we could bring the F-35A online in PACAF and demonstrate our ability to deploy and project air power from multiple locations around the Pacific.” After flying more than 7500km, from the Alaskan tundra to the tropics of Guam – from minus 34 degrees C at Eielson AFB to plus 30 in Guam – taking the F-35As to Cope North was no easy feat. US Air Force Master Sergeant Jade Son Villena, an F-35A specialist section chief with the 356th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, said a site-survey team was deployed to Andersen to identify supportability factors that would shape how the 356th would operate on a daily basis. “One factor was that the F-35A has unique modern requirements and part of the effort was exploring the capabilities of Andersen Air Force Base to be able to support F-35A operational needs.” Despite the drastic temperature difference, long hours, heavy rain and strong winds, every second on Cope North was invaluable for Senior Airman Benjamin Lubert, a 356th AMU F-35A avionics journeyman assigned to Eielson AFB, Alaska. “Seeing a wide range of aircraft from the US and partner nations first hand has been very exciting to say the least,” Senior Airman Lubert said. “It has also strengthened my sense of pride in the work my unit and I do. “Hearing the F-35A roar over Andersen AFB certainly made me stand a little bit taller.” The list of accomplishments on Cope North 21 would have been impressive under normal circumstances, but this year participants dealt with an added curveball in the form of a global pandemic. But, exercise director Colonel Hutchinson said that if the nations let COVID dictate how they trained, readiness would suffer – “And, we refuse to let that happen”. “We’ve taken every precaution to make sure that all the participants and their families were safe, all the populations we visit were safe and also that we’re safe when we go and re-integrate into our bases back home.” Australian exercise director Group Captain Nathan Christie said team performances, in spite of the COVID environment, was evidenced in the strength of international bonds. “The fact that we could undertake this exercise during a global pandemic proves that, no matter what we face, if we work together we are able to do so and combat those effects together,” Group Captain Christie said. “We are here to celebrate our similarities and understand the similarities between the three nations. “But, more importantly, we’re here to understand the differences between Japan, USA and Australia, because it is our differences and understanding those differences that makes us stronger together. “Equally, as the world continues to grapple with the effects of COVID-19 and a range of natural disasters, exercises such as Cope North enhance our collective humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief preparedness.” More than 2000 military personnel and around 95 aircraft from the United States Air Force, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, Japan Air SelfDefense Force and Royal Australian Air Force participated in Cope North 2021. Australia’s contribution included around 170 personnel, an E-7A Wedgetail, a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport, a contingency-response squadron and operational headquarters staff. The Australian personnel were tested for COVID-19 on departure from Guam and were expected to complete applicable mandatory state or territory quarantine protocols when they got home, in line with other returning Australians. 31

personal histories in ink 32

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WORDS BY LIEUTENANT WILL SINGER

Operations Officer HMAS Ballarat Lieutenant Commander Kane Stuart’s tattoos are a tribute to his family history in the Navy and a reminder of his own challenges and successes in service. Photos by Leading Seaman Shane Cameron.

For many officers and sailors in the Royal Australian Navy, nautical-themed tattoos are a tradition that provide a sense of identity and belonging – and, for some, a form of remembrance. Inscribed on their skin is the overcoming of adversity, the bonds of family and friends and the many experiences had while serving in the Navy. Operations Officer HMAS Ballarat Lieutenant Commander Kane Stuart has Popeye tattooed on the inside of his left bicep. He said the cartoon sailor and a collection of other tattoos were his personal tribute to a family history in the Navy. “My uncle was in the Royal Navy when I lived in the United Kingdom years ago, and whenever I stayed at my great grandma’s house, he would show me his new tattoos when he was around,” Lieutenant Commander Stuart said. “When he showed me his Popeye tattoo I told him that if I joined the Navy, one day I would get the same, and that is exactly what I did. “The Popeye tattoo reminds me of my family’s connection to the Navy and makes me feel closer to family back in the UK.” Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

Chief Petty Officer Lachlan Sommerville on HMAS Ballarat displays his traditional crocodile tattoo, done in honour of a three-year posting as the maritime training adviser to Timor-Leste. Photos by Leading Seaman Shane Cameron. 34

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A compass over a world map and the helm of a ship are tattooed on Lieutenant Commander Stuart’s right shoulder. The artwork marks his successful completion of the principal warfare officer course, one of the most challenging courses in Navy. “I was looking for direction in life and had decided that focusing on my career was what I wanted,” Lieutenant Commander Stuart said. “The ship’s wheel and compass represents the search across the world.” Principal warfare officers are employed at sea as the officer in charge of a ship’s operations room where they control and direct all weapons and associated equipment, as well as personnel, to fight the battle. Chief Petty Officer Lachlan Sommerville served as the Maritime Training Adviser in Timor-Leste for three years. In honour of his time on the small island nation, he has tattooed Lafaek on his right calf, which means crocodile and is taken from the Timorese creation story of Lafaek, a crocodile that formed the island in a mythical time. “Having spent many years in Darwin, I already had a healthy respect for crocodiles and, as my posting drew to an end, it seemed fitting to commemorate my time in Timor-Leste with a tattoo,” Chief Petty Officer Sommerville said. “Lafaek was the obvious choice and this was endorsed by my Timorese comrades.” In Ballarat’s operations room, Able Seaman Matthew Hicks has a medley of tattoos on both legs, including a tall ship, lighthouse, map, compass and kraken – a legendary sea monster in Scandinavian folklore. “The lighthouse shines a light on my path and ensures my journey is clear of danger, while the map and compass is there to guide me on my journey,” Able Seaman Hicks said. “The ship is there because I love the look of the old-style tall ships – their elegance and style is something truly unique – while the kraken symbolises strength, adaptability and wit.” Coincidentally, Able Seaman Hicks got all of his tattoos in his hometown of Ballarat, Victoria. Tattoos were once worn only by sailors, rebels, jailbirds or other ‘rough men’. Today, they are more socially acceptable, though the Navy, Army and RAAF do still have rules governing their acceptability. Love them or hate them, traditional skin art is fabric to our maritime and military culture and the reasons for getting a tattoo are as varied and personal as the men and women who wear them, the stories they tell and the significance they hold for their owners.

TOP LEFT: Lieutenant Richard Mingramm displays some of his personal ink at HMAS Stirling, WA. Photo by Leading Seaman Richard Cordell. BOTTOM LEFT: Petty Officer Michael Crole displays his tattoo at the Submarine Escape and Rescue Centre aboard HMAS Stirling, Western Australia. Photo by Leading Seaman Ronnie Baltoft. BELOW: Leading Seaman Nicholas Evans displays his tattoo in Fleet Support Unit – West at HMAS Stirling, WA. Photo (digitally altered) by Leading Seaman Ernesto Sanchez. BACKGROUND: Part of Able Seaman Matthew Hicks’ leg tattoo. Photo by Leading Seaman Shane Cameron.

ANZAC Day After being locked down and locked out in 2020, ANZAC Day was back as big as ever – or bigger – in towns and cities all around Australia in 2021. With COVID restrictions all-but lifted nation wide (with a few notable exceptions), veterans and supporters were out in droves to mark that most special day of the year for those who have served in our nation’s defence and those who are grateful for their sacrifice. As many as 20,000 current-serving ADF personnel were out in uniform supporting vigils and ceremonies big and small with Defence members taking part in commemorations in communities to which they feel a strong connection – the place they think of as home, the community they currently serve in or communities they bonded with during recent emergencies. About 130 officers and soldiers travelled back to communities they assisted during Operation Bushfire Assist 2019-20, such as Eden on the NSW south coast, Mallacoota in Victoria and Kangaroo Island off South Australia. Commander Forces Command Major General Matt Pearse said it was important for soldiers to preserve the 36

photos by Christabel Migliorini

Tradition reborn 2021

connections they built in some of the worst fire-affected areas. “As the COVID-19 restrictions eased, this was an opportunity to strengthen Army’s commitment and contribution to our community,” he said. “Many of those communities asked us to make a particular effort to get our people back so the community could show their appreciation for the work they did.” Troops from brigades, training centres and units in Brisbane, Darwin, Adelaide and Sydney gladly participated. “While we’re always working hard to connect with everyone who lives nearby, there is of course often another place we think of as home, or where we have a deep connection with a community that time and distance cannot erode,” Major General Pearse said. “As we get back to our core business of training for war, it’s good for us to pause and gather with the communities we are from, and where we have served during these extraordinary times. “It’s an opportunity to return, reunite and remember.”

Minister for Defence Personnel Darren Chester said this ANZAC Day, tens of thousands of Australian Defence Force personnel provided ceremonial support to regional towns, schools, veteran and community groups, local memorials and aged care facilities. “The ability to gather in person to honour our service men and women is a welcome return,” Mr Chester said. “I am proud of all personnel who played a part in services across the country.” ADF support ranged from catafalque parties and marching contingents to musicians, wreath layers and guest speakers. Major David Coleman, 1st Armoured Regiment, who travelled to Kangaroo Island said the return involved unexpected moments for members. “The first thing we saw was how the resilience of the locals had transformed the tragedy of last year into a sense of optimism this year,” Major Coleman said. “Then, as we walked through the streets, we had people come up to our soldiers and thank us – people we didn’t personally know, but who knew about us and knew what we had done.

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“The respect and appreciation shown by members of the community was fantastic, and it is something that will stay with our soldiers for a long time to come.” For Craftsman Cameron Powell, 1st Aviation Regiment, his return home was an opportunity to march with veterans and discover the rich military history of his home town, in Broomfield, Victoria. “There was a particularly important moment for me when I met George Hepburn, nicknamed Tiny, who was not only in my trade, but also served in the same squadron I am now serving with,” Craftsman Powell said. “Meeting Tiny was one of the highlights of my day. He is 90 years old, and served in Vietnam as a maintainer in 161 Independent Reconnaissance Flight. “Being able to enjoy and commemorate ANZAC Day in my home town was something very special.” Another ‘old soldier’ who thought it was important to parade with his home battalion was Corporal Daniel Keighran VC, who marched in Brisbane with his 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment comrades, instead of his usual VIP duties at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. “I felt it was important for me to be back in Brisbane this year for ANZAC Day, especially to do a mentalhealth check-in with those I served with,” Corporal Keighran told CONTACT’s Queensland ‘stringer’ Christabel Migliorini. “It was a truly special day to be able to connect with those who have served, and to remember some not making it home.” Christabel was also emotionally touched by 85-year-old Malay and Vietnam veteran Emile Smets. “He was so happy to be able to attend. His carer said he was very emotional getting ready this morning,” Chrissie said. “He wore his slouch hat with such pride and stood up and saluted as best he could with each Corps that went past for as long as he could before needing to sit again. “The pride and happiness on that man’s face, saluting his brothers and sisters of service, brought tears to my eyes and filled my heart. “People like him are what makes me proud to be an Aussie.” Chrissie said there was a wonderful turnout of support and respect for those who have served our nation at both the dawn service and the march in Brisbane. In CONTACT’s home town, Kiama, NSW, I estimate the Dawn Service crowd was the equal of 2018 – the last year of the ‘ANZAC Centenary’ – and the crowd lining the street and clapping as we marched our usual route was bigger than I’d ever seen before. From all accounts, most centres, big and small, reported similar. ANZAC Day 2020 was very special and memorable for me – so much so, I thought I wanted to do the private driveway remembrance again this year. But I’m glad I didn’t – ANZAC Day 2021 turned out to be very special too – a pressure-valve release and return to (near) normal in a turbulent world. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

ABOVE LEFT: Emile Smets. FAR LEFT: A veteran family at Brisbane’s Dawn Service. MAIN: An Army corporal supports the Dawn Service. All photos by Christabel Migliorini in Brisbane. 37

FAR RIGHT: Old and new swords now add to a powerful narrative to a prowd family’s military heritage. TOP RIGHT: First attempt to straighten the sword, which had been wrapped around a tree by the force of a gas explosion. BOTTOM RIGHT: A ruptured gas bottle in the rubble of what was once a family home – the explosion of which is thought to have expelled the sword out of the burning house and across the property, causing it wrap itself around a tree. BACKGROUND: The family home, near Bateman’s Bay, New South Wales, left in ruins by the New Year’s Eve 2019 bushfire. Featuring the best from CONTACT Air Land & Sea – Australia’s best boots-on-the-ground military e-magazine

Over the normally ‘festive season’ of 2019 and well into 2020, large swathes of Australia were devastated by the worst bushfires to sweep through Australian communities in years. Among them was Batemans Bay, New South Wales, and one home in particular where a treasured family heirloom was thought lost forever. A ceremonial sword, belonging to one Lieutenant Commander GH Starling, who joined the Royal Australian Navy in or about 1968 when he was not much more than 17. Originally hailing from Goolwa, South Australia, the young man served at sea, posted to HMA ships Tobruk, Vendetta and Supply. He also did a posting to Papua New Guinea, mapping the Sepik River, and an ANZUK deployment in 1974. When Lieutenant Commander Starling was diagnosed with cancer in 1981, he continued to work on shore as a training officer at Creswell, Penguin and Watson. Despite treatments and yearly surgeries, he continued working until his last year, succumbing to the insipid disease in 1992 after an 11-year battle. His many photos, mementos – and his ceremonial sword – were treasured heirlooms in his family home – until the home and all of its contents were destroyed by bushfire on New Year’s Eve 2019. Or so it was thought. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

While the house was certainly razed to the ground, and with the family slowly recovering from the loss, thoughts turned to what, if anything, might be salvaged from the site before bulldozers came to clear it. Family and friends hoped beyond hope that, with most photos and memorabilia certainly gone, the patriarch’s ceremonial sword might yet be found. A current-serving chief petty officer and friend of the family drove through the night to spend the last day before excavators arrived looking for the sword. Initially, the tip of the scabbard was found under collapsed and twisted roofing – but, the absence of the more substantial blade in or near the same spot was baffling. As the search dragged on into the night, the sword was eventually found – wrapped around a tree at the bottom of the property. The theory is that it had been blasted there by exploding gas tanks in the house. Later in the year, Canberra-based ceremonial sword retailer, the Military Shop, was approached for a replacement sword and, as staff fondled the sadlooking remnants of the original, they also listened intently to the moving story of its demise. Sales Manager Arthur Mitchell said the family explained how the sword was basically an almost unrecognisable black U shape when they located it and, that while they were able to straighten it to a degree, they wondered what if anything could be done with it now.

Military Shop made contact with their sword refurbisher who, in true Aussie spirit, agreed to “give it a crack!” While the family purchased a new sword, inscribed to identically reflect the one thought lost, Arthur Mitchell suggested that if the fire-damaged sword could be cleaned up, the two together would tell a powerful story – a bit like a Phoenix rising from the ashes! Weeks later, Arthur said the overly modest refurbisher had done a wonderful job. “All he said was that he had “cleaned it up and re-tempered the steel”, but it was amazing to see the drastically improved condition it now presented in. “We could even read the original inscription, and the sword was straightened to near perfection. “It was an amazing feat, considering how it first presented and the hellfire and explosion it had suffered.” The sword is now presented in tandem with its modern replacement and the family is very grateful for the work undertaken to preserve its significance. Arthur Mitchell said the joy of returning the sword to the family after all they had been through brought tears to his eyes. And, as for what the family thinks – “The sword has remained a big part of our special memories of him and now that most of the photos, books and so on have gone, this is the one thing that we will honour for generations to come”. 39

A new regional support craft destined for Army’s 51st Far North Queensland Regiment (51FNQR) underwent sea trials in Yamba on the NSW north coast, as boat manufacturer Yamba Welding & Engineering (YWE) prepared to hand over the craft to the ADF in April. Heralding a new maritime capability for the Regional Force Surveillance Group (RFSG) fleet, the 12.5m Naiad was designed for a number of mission sets, including boosting Army’s sovereign border protection activities in north Queensland. This new watercraft is a sister vessel to a series of Australian Border Force (ABF) Naiads that were delivered by YWE in 2019 for use in a variety of Australian coastal regions as part of Operation Sovereign Borders. It will also join an 11.3m Naiad in operation on Thursday Island by Queensland Police. The regional support craft will provide a spectrum of marine support operations to Regional Force Surveillance Units (RFSU) including search, rescue and recovery, casualty evacuation, stores and equipment transfer, community engagement and surveillance. A key capability of this vessel is its performance and handling in complex bodies of water and highly variable maritime conditions, as it facilitates personnel movement within the Torres Strait and Cape York area of operations,

enabling engagement with local communities and other government agencies. Managing Director of The Whiskey Project Group, parent company of Naiad and YWE, Darren Schuback said that for more than 20 years, Australia and New Zealand’s coast guard, rescue, patrol and Defence agencies have relied on Naiad’s performance and handling in some of the world’s most challenging maritime conditions. “The recent extreme weather events experienced in northern NSW provided opportunity for the Naiad to demonstrate its performance and handling in elevated sea states, with sea trial operations undertaken in up to sea state 5,” Mr Schuback said. “As an Australian defence-industry business, Whiskey Project Group is proud to deliver a 100% sovereign capability advantage to Army. “We are delighted to demonstrate how all of Australia benefits when the solution is a superior-performing vessel, built from the ground up, right here in Australia. “It benefits our regional Torres Strait neighbours and far-north Queensland communities, it benefits the regiment, it benefits Operation Sovereign Borders and it benefits Australia’s maritime industry, our manufacturing skills, training and employment. “But most importantly, it benefits the end user who receives a fit-for-purpose vessel that will enhance their ability

to safely undertake the variety of maritime missions they perform each day.” The regional support craft will be based on Thursday Island, a remote locality that influenced a number of key capability requirements including stability, safety, consistent performance and handling in difficult sea states, and the necessity for the vessel to operate on diesel fuel. To best meet the performance capability requirements of the vessel with a diesel fuel system, Army selected COX CXO300 outboards – a new generation of diesel power, which is a light-weight and robust marine propulsion option that requires 25% less fuel than an equivalent gasoline outboard but offers 650Nm of engine torque and 300 horsepower at the propeller. The first of their type in Australia, these COX diesel outboards are designed to last three times longer than a gasoline equivalent, and combine exceptional performance with the reassurance of proven V8 diesel technology. A spokesperson from Power Equipment Pty Ltd said the CXO300 diesel outboard had been designed and built specifically for marine use – the first of its kind.

3 x 300hp outboard diesels 40

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NEW RIDE FOR

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51FNQR

DISSUB Submarine in Distress

Following the recent loss of an Indonesian submarine with all hands, the importance of Australia’s submarine-rescue system was brought to mind PICS LEADING SEAMAN RICHARD CORDELL 42

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BACKGROUND: An image of HMAS Farncomb sitting on the sea floor is relayed to the rescue ship by a remotely operated underwater vehicle during Ex Black Carillon 2013. All other images from Black Carillon 2020 by Leading Seaman Richard Cordell. LEFT AND BELOW: The LR5 submersible is lowered into the sea from MV Stoker. OPPOSITE PAGE: The LR5 submersible conducts night operations during Exercise Black Carillon 2020.

JFD Australia has been the Royal Australian Navy’s submarine rescue system supplier for more than 12 years and recently marked a decade of successful participation in the RAN’s yearly Black Carillon submarine rescue exercises off the coast of Western Australia. Held once a year in some of the world’s most challenging ocean environments, Black Carillon is designed to thoroughly test every aspect of Australia’s submarine rescue system in a series of scenarios that replicate a real-life submarine emergency as closely as possible. These scenarios include several dive rotations in shallow and deep water to demonstrate the capability of JFD’s fully-integrated system, which includes a submarine rescue vehicle – or mini submarine, with pilot and crew – a transfer-under-pressure chamber to bring submarine personnel safely to the surface, and a hyperbaric suite where rescued submariners can receive immediate and often lifesaving medical treatment once they are out of the water. Importantly, with this capability, the entire crew of up to 60 personnel from any Australian Collins-class submarine can be rescued and treated at the same time, if required. Retired rear admiral and Chair of JFD Australia Allan du Toit said the highest priority for JFD had been and always would be to keep Australia’s submariners and other defence force personnel safe. “In an emergency situation, human life is the only thing that matters,” Dr du Toit said. “That time to first rescue is critical, and being on stand-by to respond and mobilise our air-transportable system and team could not be more important. “That is why exercises such as Black Carillon, as tough and demanding as they are, mean we are rescue ready at all times and proud to be the world’s ‘safe pair of hands’.” In 2020, JFD Australia was awarded a contract extension from the Royal Australian Navy to continue to operate Australia’s submarinerescue system for another four years, with a one-year option. JFD Australia is part of a huge Scottish-based underwater capabilities and training provider, serving the civilian oil, gas and other marine engineering industries as well as defence, with diving, submarine and hyperbaric rescue, technical solutions and services. JFD provides subsea rescue services, engineering services and training to 80 countries and 33 navies including the UK, Australia, Singapore, Korea and India, plus NATO’s Submarine Rescue System. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

The Royal Australian Air Force officially celebrated its 100th birthday across much of 2021, bookended by ceremonies and a spectacular flypast in Canberra on 31 March and the Australian International Air Show at Avalon, Victoria – or at least that was the plan until COVID forced the cancellation of Avalon.

At the Canberra event, more than 60 past and present aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force made a big impact with crowds watching on the ground – and on national television. The latest F-35A and F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters loudly announced themselves before flying over Government House and Lake Burley Griffin. Giant C-17 Globemaster transports, high-tech P-8A Poseidons and E-7A Wedgetails graced the skies. And RAAF’s World War II-era aircraft weren’t forgotten, with the iconic Spitfire and Kittyhawk fighters, Catalina flying boat and Dakota transport also taking part. All followed by a 14-minute aerobatics display by the Roulettes. Minister for Defence Personnel Darren Chester attended a centenary event at Government House, along with special guest 100-year-old Air Force veteran John Cockburn. Mr Chester said the centenary commemorations recognised the 350,000 people who had served in the Royal Australian Air Force and he thanked those who continued to do so. “One thing that is consistent right across RAAF is the incredible amount of professionalism and commitment to service, and today we say thank you for your service and we wish the Royal Australian Air Force a happy 100th birthday,” Mr Chester said. Before the flypast, Governor-General General (retd) David Hurley presented the Royal Australian Air Force with a new Queen’s Colour during a parade at Government House, replacing an older colour presented by the Queen in 1986.

Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld said the new colour would represent the dedication and sacrifice made to ensure Australia’s security. “Let it also lay a marker for the Royal Australian Air Force that we are today and will be into the future,” Air Marshal Hupfeld said. “The Royal Australian Air Force, represented by our new colour today, is ready to meet any emerging challenge our nation encounters. “All who proudly serve in the Royal Australian Air Force carry a deep sense of duty to our nation and will serve to safeguard its future for the generations that will follow us.” Centenary commemorations actually began earlier in the day with a flag-raising ceremony by cadets from the Australian Defence Force Academy at Commonwealth Place in Canberra, followed by another at Defence headquarters – and concluded with a Last Post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial, dedicated to Royal Australian Air Force sergeant William Godley. Sergeant Godley was born in India on 31 March 1921, sharing his birthday with the Royal Australian Air Force. He joined the RAAF in 1940, became an air gunner, and was later attached to the Royal Air Force’s No. 14 Squadron as a wireless operator/air gunner on Bristol Blenheim light bombers in the Middle East. On 17 March 1942, his aircraft collided with another Blenheim, near Bahariya, Egypt, killing all onboard both aircraft. 45

Autumn Colour

It was a perfect day at Government House for an important ceremony, Petty Officer Lee-Anne Cooper reported. On the manicured grounds of Government House, Canberra, on a cool autumn morning, guests huddled in pockets of sunshine waiting for the rare opportunity to witness the presentation of a new Queen’s Colour to the Royal Australian Air Force. Historically carried in battle to signified unit locations in the chaos, today, ‘colours’ embody a spirit of devotion to duty. A kaleidoscope of colour from the deciduous European trees with the settling fog on Lake Burley Griffin made for a spectacular backdrop as a Navy MH-60R ‘Romeo’ helicopter trailed the RAAF Ensign beneath to kick off the event. Master of ceremonies was Royal Australian Air Force’s own specialist capability officer Wing Commander Peter Overton, also known to many as a 60 Minutes reporter and Channel Nine Sydney senior newsreader. All current colours, banners and standards lined the parade ground as the Queen’s Colour was blessed and dedicated, then presented by the Governor-General General (retd) David Hurley to the Royal Australian Air Force. Following the formalities, a sea of members in blue uniforms turned their eyes skyward to feast upon the display of air power, past and present that flew over the nation’s capital. A beaming smile from ear to ear, Warrant Officer of the Air Force Fee Grasby shone with the energy of the day. “It was absolutely amazing – exceeding all expectations,” WOFF-AF Grasby said. “The highlight was seeing the look on everybody’s faces.” The RAAF hot air balloon served as a backdrop for lunch and cake on the vista lawn, giving friends and colleagues the opportunity to catch up. The high-point, according to WOFF Des Byrnes was RAAF being able to come together on the day. “Running into people that I have met through my time in RAAF and being able to share today with everyone here, has been the best part,” WOFF Byrnes said. Gathering around a three-tiered cake adorned with roses and topped with a RAAF crest, guests enjoyed red, white and blue cupcakes following a very loud “Happy Birthday” rendition. Three cheers – hip, hip, hooray

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FAMILY portrait PHOTO CORPORAL NICCI FREEMAN WORDS CORPORAL VERONICA O’HARA

As they stood in the shape of the number 100, under grey skies and light drizzle, the assembled Royal Australian Air Force members’ spirits were not dampened – they were excited to make history, on 17 March. Home to five military aircraft types and 6000 personnel, RAAF Base Amberley – Australia’s largest – hosted the iconic centenary-framing photograph. A spectrum of aviation and ground-support capabilities surrounded personnel wearing their trade-specific uniforms, to represent the diversity of specialisations and musterings. The ‘Air Force 2021’ team had created an aircraftparking plan for all in-service aircraft and ground assets, including drawing the aircraft and assets to scale. Flight Sergeant Tim Muehlberg said selecting the base for the photo was the first step, with ‘most musterings, specialisations and aircraft’ considered. “Amberley was the obvious choice for runway and apron size, and roughly 90 per cent of musterings already here,” Flight Sergeant Muehlberg said. “Our plan was to alternate the left and right flanks in case aircraft were delayed, but there was very little variation to the plan in the end. “RAAF was also planning for the centenary flypast in Canberra on March 31 and, while that was dynamic 48

and this was a static event, it’s still interesting how much work was involved in bringing so many assets together.” Flight Sergeant Muehlberg said land and tow timings were as critical as the layout. “To get most of the aircraft positioned in one morning showed a stellar effort between air crew and ground support. “All units were excited to participate and fantastic to deal with – everyone had a ‘can do’ attitude.” Senior imagery coordinator Warrant Officer Ian Gosper said he appreciated everyone’s support. “It was virtually all hands on deck and everyone was keen to make it happen,” he said. “Despite the drizzle, everyone kept their good humour and their eyes on the prize. “To rack and stack every aircraft type in the inventory in one place at one time, and have all the musterings represented, is unique,” he said. “I wish the weather had been kinder to us, but even that gave us a nudge. “It got a bit breezy out there while the imagery specialists got the shots from the chopper, but I think even the military working dog enjoyed it,” Warrant Officer Gosper said. “Considering all that conspired against us, and how we overcame the challenges, it was a beautiful thing.” Featuring the best from CONTACT Air Land & Sea – Australia’s best boots-on-the-ground military e-magazine

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FUTURE F CUS

As the Royal Australian Air Force enters its second century leaders outline challenges on the horizon When asked about their vision for RAAF, Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld and Head of Air Force Capability Air Vice Marshal Cath Roberts said they saw a bright future. Air Marshal Hupfeld said all RAAF personnel were guardians of a proud heritage of service and sacrifice established over the past 100 years. “Our task now is to build on that legacy and define the second century of the Royal Australian Air Force together,” he said. “RAAF’s contribution to the joint force has moved from being about ‘things with wings’, to realising the unsurpassed advantage of the ultimate high ground – the air and space domain. “We need to be open-minded about how we achieve air and space power as we plan for the future. “Our people will always be our most important asset, however, our talent mix will change to include more analysts, cyber and space experts. “There will also be non-traditional roles, such as programming, data analysis, creative dilemmas, training robots and Ai.” As Head of Air Force Capability, Air Vice Marshal Roberts is responsible for imagining the future force and then creating it. “The force of tomorrow will be characterised by things that you can’t see, connecting us across air, land, maritime, space and cyber – with masses of data from sensor inputs being fused using artificial intelligence and machine learning to rapidly convert data to knowledge, to provide insight at unfathomable speeds,” she said. “This is why we need to move away from platform-centric thinking, as our entire Defence Force will be one big, integrated system of systems. “If you look at things in that way, you realise the importance of agility. Our competitive advantage will be in how we use creative and and non-prescriptive compositions of capabilities to achieve effects.

“This will be driven by the creativity and ingenuity of our people. “Our high-value crewed systems will be force-multiplied by layers of robotic and autonomous systems. “We will see increased mass and miniaturisation – supplementing large, expensive platforms with smaller, lower-cost capability such as drones, expendable sensors and commercially available technology. “Most aircraft will be remotely or autonomously piloted – hypersonics will help us reach further and faster – bases will be agile and resilient – training will be virtual – and space will become more pivotal. “The Royal Australian Air Force is leading an exciting new era in defence space, which will support our operations across the air, ground, maritime and cyber domains. “The strategic environment has changed. Regional players are acquiring advanced aerial capabilities, including networked fifth-generation combat aircraft and high-speed, long-range weapons. “This means our focus on long-range deterrence and strike capability is more important than ever. Imagine a hypersonic weapon that can travel Melbourne to Sydney in seven minutes.

“Through a collaborative agreement with the United States, we are jointly developing and testing full-size hypersonic cruise-missile prototypes, which have the potential to be carried by a range of combat platforms, including uncrewed aircraft. “Future uncrewed systems, such as the Loyal Wingman, will require a carefully considered human-machine teaming approach to gain advantage against increasingly sophisticated threats in complex environments” Air Marshal Hupfeld said collaboration with partners was key. “I believe relationships and collaborations are a distinct element in our competitive advantage. “Never before has our relationship with our allies, academia and industry been so important to helping us deliver leading capabilities.” Air Vice Marshal Roberts said evolving technology needed to be incorporated into the force at relevant speed. “Our Defence industry and academic innovation needs to help us achieve ‘transient’ capability advantages and continuous capability development to compete and win against potential adversaries.” As the Royal Australian Air Force continues to transform, Air Vice Marshal Roberts, who will next year become the first commander of Australia’s new Space Command, within the Royal Australian Air Force, said RAAF must reshape and upskill the workforce to transition into more complex capabilities and platforms. “Our people are at the core of how we will sharpen our edge and our emerging capabilities, such as cyber, intelligence and space, and electronic warfare will bring so many exciting opportunities and challenges. “We need RAAF personnel to be changemakers, creators and innovators and we need them to constantly be challenging the status quo. “Only then will we be able to realise the potential of our future force.”

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AVIATORS we will now be known collectively as

WORDS FLIGHT LIEUTENANT JESSICA ALDRED PHOTO CORPORAL NICCI FREEMAN

At the Royal Australian Air Force centenary celebrations on March 31, Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld announced the re-vector of RAAF culture, to become strategy led and deliver a strong foundation and shared purpose. “Re-vectoring is about celebrating the positives of our air force and its culture, while simultaneously making adjustments required to ensure we are tactically and technically capable, underpinned by our shared purpose, values and behaviours. “This re-vectoring process requires us to re-examine our identity. “Regardless of where in the RAAF we work or the roles and tasks in front of us, the skies above us are our domain – air and space defines us. It gives us our identity, drives our purpose, fuels our aspirations, gives relevance and gravity to our past, and lights the path to our future. “As Royal Australian Air Force members, we embody the same sense of limitless perspective that characterises our domain. “The air and space is our home and the place from which we serve our nation. Your role may place you on the ground, but your purpose in this force is intrinsically linked to air and space.

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“We have this in common – we are aviators in defence of our nation’s interests. “By re-vectoring as we begin our second century, Air Force will ensure our workforce is intelligent, skilled and culturally ready to innovate, adapt and evolve into the future force we need to be. “The future Royal Australian Air Force workforce will continually challenge the status quo, refusing to be satisfied with where we are now. “Our culture is at the core of RAAF’s ability to defend Australia and its interests, and to advance our nation’s prosperity and security. “We all have ownership and responsibility for our cultural transformation. “Noting this purpose, the re-vector also includes the introduction of a new and inclusive collective noun to describe Royal Australian Air Force people – where we were once all airmen and then, in more recent years, airmen and airwomen, we will now be known collectively as aviators.

“While there are many of us who are comfortable with the collective term ‘airmen’, at the same time unconscious biases from a gendered term are no longer helpful for understanding who we are and, more importantly, who we aspire to be. “At the start of our second century, it is timely to reframe how we are known. “As Royal Australian Air Force aviators, we will continue to work seamlessly alongside soldiers, sailors and our other partners to provide air and space power in support of the joint force. “Transformation is not always easy, so please support each other through this change, be encouraging and helpful to your workmates, leaders and team. “As members of the RAAF, we are all aviators. This is who we are, what we do, what we believe, and what binds us together.” Air Marshal Hepfeld’s re-vector will also include a review of rank titles for aircraftman and aircraftwoman, leading aircraftman and leading aircraftwoman.

With the Australian International Airshow at Avalon, Victoria, first postponed then cancelled in 2021 because of COVID-19 worries, the annual Wings Over Illawarra had every chance of being a big deal in 2021. “Sydney’s air show” at Albion Park, 90 minutes south of the NSW capital, was itself cancelled in 2020 and bumped a couple of weeks in 2021, but eventually took off on 27-28 November. And the crowds flocked in, relieved to be just recently set free from COVID restrictions and hankering for a good dose of aviation. Unfortunately, the weather had a significant impact again this year, though it was rain rather than wind in 2021, moreso on Saturday, with the usual grassy carparks turning to bog. On Sunday, when I attended (because I was surfing on Saturday:-), the rain threatened all day. We could see it pouring on the escarpment – and at times couldn’t even see the cliffs for rain – but not a drop was felt at the airport. This being about my 15th air show, it was going to take a lot to impress me – but impressed I was – especially by the size and apparent enthusiasm of the crowd and by the fast jets. Aerobatics are always awe-inspiring and warbirds are beautiful and nostalgic to watch – but you just can’t beat the noise and spectacle of fast jets to get the blood pumping. And, while there were only two jets in the air, they certainly impressed. The show was opened by an F/A-18A ‘classic’ Hornet – and I realised right away I forgot my hearing protection ;-) Ordered 40 years ago in November 1981, A21-44 from 75 Squadron in Tindal, NT, put on a great swan-song performance – on the day before her formal retirement. About an hour later (the hour filled with slower, quieter

WORDS AND PHOTOS BRIAN HARTIGAN

aviators), F-35A Lightning II – A35-032 – flew in from RAAF Base Williamtown and put on a very similar routine. Without hearing protection (and partially deaf to start with), I honestly couldn’t say that the F-35 was louder than the F/A-18, but officially it is. In any case, the drama and spectacle was right up there for wow-factor – and, I have to say it – she’s a beautiful looking bird. A good range of the quieter, slower performers kept the entertainment going for the next few hours until the same F/A-18 took to the sky again for a repeat performance. This time, I was at a completely different vantage point – outside the wire, at the end of the runway – so, while the routine was probably the same, my experience was completely new and just as exciting as the first run. Wings Over Illawarra is a great airshow – big crowds, lots of side-shows, food and entertainment – and a super impressive collection of (unfortunately) mostly ground-based displays belonging to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS). My only ‘complaint’ this year was the dissapointingly low RAAF support. I really expected them to out-do their previous attendences, especially in this, their Centenery year, and especially with Avalon cancelled. Just two fast jets (out of a promised six) and a static C-130J turned up – but no C-27J, C-17A, A300 MRTT, E-7A or P-8A – all of which were there two years ago. Navy flew one helicopter (albeit a comparatively tame performance), with two on the ground. While Mother Nature often seems to challenge organisers, Wings Over Illawarra is certainly worth the attendance, especially if you’re an aviation enthusiast or just a vicarious thrill seeker.

BACK

WITH A

BANG After a very nervous wait, Wings Over Illawarra Airshow went ahead as planned on 27-28 November – and actionhungry crowds were out in force to support it. 53

CLASSIC FAREWELL

LAST SHOW After more than 30 years service in the Royal Australian Air Force, Australia’s fleet of F/A-18A and F/A-18B ‘classic’ Hornets was formally retired on 29 November 2021, to make way for the F-35A Lightning II fighter. The remaining few active ‘classic’ Hornets – that have been employed in the defence of our nation since 1985 – were farewelled by Minister for Defence Peter Dutton, Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld, Air Force aviators and industry partners at a ceremony and final flypast at RAAF Base Williamtown. The last aircraft were from No. 75 Squadron – the last ‘classic’ Hornet squadron to changeover to the F-35A – at RAAF Base Tindal, near Katherine in the Northern Territory. Air Marshal Hupfeld, an F/A-18A/B pilot and Fighter Combat Instructor, praised the extraordinary capability the ‘classic’ Hornets provided to Australia’s air power, and the contribution they made in so many theatres. “It is quite fitting that in RAAF’s Centenary year we say goodbye to the ‘classic’ Hornet, a fighter jet that has been an integral part of Australia’s defence capability for more than three decades,” he said. 54

“As the time of the ‘classic’ Hornet draws to a close after nearly 408,000 total flying hours, it’s time to for the transition to the advanced lethality, survivability, and supportability delivered by the F-35A Lightning II.” Air Marshal Hupfeld also noted that the ‘classic’ Hornet had been a special aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force, and an important piece of Australian aviation history. “Hornet’s first operational deployment was in November 2001 to May 2002 under Operation Slipper, following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks. “The Australian government agreed to deploy F/A18A/Bs to protect the major United States Air Force air base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, which was being used to stage operations in Afghanistan,” Air Marshal Hupfeld said. “In February 2003, it was my privilege and an honour to personally command the contingent of 14 Hornets and personnel from No. 75 Squadron that deployed to Iraq under Operation Falconer as part of Australia’s contribution to the war on terror. “This was the first operational combat deployment

of Australian fighters since the Korean War, and our aviators and aircraft performed above expectations.” Air Commander Australia Air Vice-Marshal Joe Iervasi, also an experienced F/A-18A/B pilot, reflected on the ‘classic’ Hornet’s most recent operational employment, and the future of Australia’s air-combat capability. “In 2014 to 2018, F/A-18A/B Hornet squadrons were deployed on Operation Okra as part of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh. “Once again performing above expectations, on Okra, the ‘classic’ Hornets flew 1937 missions, accumulating 14,780 flying hours and delivering approximately 1600 munitions,” Air Vice-Marshal Iervasi said. “While I’m sad to see this incredible aircraft end its role as a sentinel of Australian skies, it’s an exciting time for the RAAF as we enter our second century with the F-35A delivering combat air power as part of a networked joint force, to assure the ADF’s ability to deter or defeat threats to Australia’s interests.” Some of Australia’s F/A-18A/B Hornets have been sold to the Royal Canadian Air Force, and an American contractor, with a few retained for heritage.

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Featuring the best from CONTACT Air Land & Sea – Australia’s best boots-on-the-ground military e-magazine

Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery A

ustralian artillery marked its 150th anniversary on 1 August 2021 – a century-and-a-half of continuous service. The formation of an Australian artillery capability 150 years ago marked an initial step in Australia becoming a sovereign nation, according to the Head of Regiment Brigadier Richard Vagg. The first permanent Australian artillery unit was established on 1 August 1871, when the NSW colonial government raised and funded a permanant battery. The history of Army’s longest continuous-serving permanent unit, A Battery, can be traced to that original NSW battery. Commemorative services were held around the country on 1 August to mark the 150th anniversary. Brigadier Vagg told those gathered at Mount Pleasant in Canberra that the enduring story of Australian artillery began after 1870 when the last British forces left the colonies of Australia. “This anniversary is therefore a special day for every Australian, not just for gunners, as 1871 marks the year from when Australia’s colonial governments made a permanent commitment to their own self-defence – one of the hallmarks of sovereignty and nationhood,” Brigadier Vagg said. “Today, Australia’s gunners continue to serve proudly across the nation.” A sequential national salute, which fired from locations around Australia, used a mix of M2A2 105mm and M777 155mm howitzers, with firing locations chosen as COVID-19 restrictions permitted. While most of the planned firings, including a live fire at Mount Bundey Training Area in the NT, went ahead, firings at Brisbane’s historic Fort Lytton and Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance

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were postponed until later in the year, when the full national salute of 150 rounds will be completed. The first guns fired for the national salute were fired from Mount Pleasant, where more than 180 people gathered for the commemorative service, including current and former serving artillery members. Speaking about the continued relevance of artillery on the battlefield, Brigadier Vagg said artillery remained a vital blend of the science and art of war. “Today, the realm of the 21st century gunner extends across multiple disciplines and domains. “Ready now as always, the artillery’s critical capabilities are essential to winning battles – including not just guns and mortars, but rockets, missiles, drones, radars and, most vitally, the provision of essential joint-fires coordination. “Looking ahead, the future-ready RAA is unquestionably at the forefront of the Australian Army’s modernisation program, with projects delivering new air-defence systems, self-propelled artillery, long-range rockets, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting systems, digital terminal control and new artillery ammunition.” Commemorations ended with a Last Post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial honouring the life of Corporal Frank Matt, a gunner who was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions at the Battle of Pozieres during WWI. More events marking the anniversary have been planned, with a new Queen’s Banner and Captain General’s Sword to be presented, dependent on COVID-19 restrictions. 57

LEFT: Soldiers from 8th/12th Regiment, RAA, conduct a fire mission at Bradshaw Field Training Area, NT, during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2015. Photo by WO2 David Cleland. RIGHT: Gunner Tyler Kirkpatrick, 101st Battery, 8th/12th Regiment, RAA, confirms the charge for a M777A2 howitzer during the Australia-wide 150th Anniversary Of Continuous Australian Artillery Forces gun salute at Mount Bundey Training Area, NT. Photo by Corporal Rodrigo Villablanca. PREVIOUS PAGE: Soldiers from 8th/12th Regiment, RAA, conduct a fire mission at Bradshaw Field during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2015 (US Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Eric Dougherty firing the shot). Photo by WO2 David Cleland.

“The most heroic gallantry” BY GRAHAM BROADHEAD

The family of a WWI gunner honoured at the Last Post ceremony held during the Australian artillery’s 150th anniversary commemorations on 1 August was moved by the tribute. Corporal Frank Matt was a Gallipoli veteran who was posthumously awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions at the Battle of Pozières in 1916. Kate Jennings, from Canberra, is the great-grand-niece of Corporal Matt and attended the ceremony at the Australian War Memorial with her husband and three children. She described the service as a “significant event in our family”. While she said it was disappointing her grandmother, Corporal Matt’s niece Allison Mooney, couldn’t attend the service in person because of COVID-19 travel restrictions, family members from around the country were able to watch a livestream of the event. 58

“To have my own children attend the ceremony was very meaningful – a new generation becoming aware of the sacrifice of those who went before to protect our freedom,” she said. The family of Corporal Matt was accompanied by Defence Personnel and Veterans’ Affairs Minister Andrew Gee, along with Chief of Army Lieutenant General Rick Burr, Deputy Chief of Army Major General Anthony Rawlins and dozens of serving and former-serving RAA officers and soldiers. While every Last Post ceremony is unique and special, this ceremony held particular significance to the RAA community, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of Australian artillery. Brigadier Richard Vagg told the gathering Corporal Matt made the supreme sacrifice on the Western Front, serving with 1 Australian Division Trench Mortars.

“His dedication to duty remains an enduring example to all gunners, even now, more than 100 years later,” he said. Frank Matt was born on 26 October 1893 at South Yarra in Melbourne and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force shortly after the outbreak of war in August 1914. He was posted as a batman to a senior officer in 2 Field Artillery Brigade’s headquarters and left Australia on 20 October 1914 for Egypt, where the brigade trained before landing at Gallipoli on the afternoon of 25 April 1915. After the evacuation from Gallipoli, Matt served with different artillery batteries before transferring to the newly formed trench mortar batteries in April 1916 where he was later promoted to corporal. On the Western Front, Corporal Matt was unsuccessfully recommended for a Victoria Cross after risking his life to defuse a bomb fired by his gun crew that landed within metres of their own position.

A few weeks after that incident, the trench mortar battery was moved to a position near the French village of Pozières. On 23 July 1916, the Australian 1st Division captured the village despite strong German resistance. Corporal Matt and his trench mortar crew, during an enemy counter attack on the night after the village was captured, went into no-mans-land to get a better shot at their allotted targets and maintained that position despite heavy fighting until all the crew members were killed and Corporal Matt was severely wounded. He was taken to 3 Casualty Clearing Station where he died. Mrs Jennings said the story of Corporal Matt’s service was legendary within the family. “We all feel so proud of his sacrifice and service at such a young age and are proud to have him in our family lineage,” Mrs Jennings said. She praised the efforts of those who organised the Last Post ceremony to honour Corporal Matt.

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Future ready With RAA at the forefront of Army’s modernisation, the future looks set with game-changing capability, writes WO2 Max Bree. While the RAA’s M777 howitzers deliver deadly bombardments of indirect fire, their RBS 70 air-defence launchers search skyward, ready to launch missiles at enemy aircraft. From the air, RAA’s Shadow UAVs keep watch above the battlefield providing surveillance and targeting for a range of weapons, including RAA’s own howitzers. Back on the ground, reservists of the RAA keep alive their tradition of indirect fire, lobbing rounds with their 81mm mortar, as well as developing an organic small UAS capability. It’s a picture of the RAA set to be radically enhanced during coming decades.

While M777s will remain, they won’t be RAA’s only gun firing a 155mm shell. Army will acquire a fleet of 30 AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzers, able to fire eight rounds per minute and capable of multi-round simultaneousimpact missions. The heavily armoured AS9 can travel up to 60km/h and its ability to rapidly relocate between fire missions is set to rewrite RAA doctrine. Short-range missiles of the RBS 70 should fall out of use within a decade, replaced by the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, which will fire medium-range AIM-120 missiles from purpose-built canisters or from atop Hawkei protected mobility vehicles, far outstripping the old system’s capabilities. The range of future indirect-fire systems should extend well beyond the howitzer, with acquisition of rocket or missile artillery capable of hitting targets beyond 500km. It will be mobile and rapidly deployable while possibly opening new RAA employment categories in data communications and targeting. RAA’s UAVs should also be upgraded and enhanced with the ability to rapidly update sensor pods and other

technologies. Australian manufacture of 155mm rounds will be established and, in future, modernised rounds produced that are less vulnerable during storage and transport. There will also be a focus on acquiring autonomous, precision-guided 155mm munitions. Future 81mm mortar rounds should be also able to achieve similar effects of today’s 120mm mortar rounds. For the first time, Australian land power will possess the ability to reach into and influence the deep battlespace with persistence and potency. Today, the unique gunner culture remains as important to the success of artillery in the support of land manoeuvre as it was 150 years ago. The balance between technical and tactical excellence remains ever-present in the artillery of 2021. The role of the gunner today and tomorrow remains one of cooperative human spirit – professionals devoted technically and tactically to their role, and operating as a highly interdependent team.

First shot in War The Australian Artillery has made a significant impact throughout its 150 years.The first shot fired in the British Empire in WWI was from the Australian Coast Artillery at Fort Nepean, Portsea, writes Major (retd) Bernie Gaynor. On 5 August 1914, the German freighter SS Pfalz tried to escape from Port Phillip Bay to the open sea, before WWI was declared. Pfalz was built in 1913 and launched from the yard of BremerVulcan, Vesesack, Germany and berthed at No 2, Victoria Dock, on 31 July 1914, during its maiden voyage under Captain Wilhelm Kuhlken on his first command. War in Europe was declared on 4 August 1914, at 11pm London time, which was 9am on 5 August in Melbourne. About 12.40pm, the Pfalz was under way and just short of Port Phillip Heads, having been released by RAN from inspection near Portsea. At that moment, news reached

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Fort Queenscliff that war had been declared in Europe. Fort Queenscliff, the local coast artillery HQ controlling all the separate forts in the Point Nepean, Queenscliff and Swan Island vicinity, telephoned Fort Nepean and gave the order: “The SS Pfalz must be stopped”. An initial flag signal from Fort Nepean for the Pfalz to heave to was not seen or heeded – the Pfalz continued to steam towards the heads, which was now tantalisingly close from the perspective of the German captain. Once the Coast Artillery gunners confirmed that the Pfalz was not heaving to in accordance with the Fort Nepean signal, the order was given to fire a shot across her bows to compel her surrender. And so it was that, about 12.45pm on 5 August 1914, a 100lb 6-inch round, was fired from the right-hand 6-inch gun at Fort Nepean to stop the Pfalz. The shot worked. After a brief struggle on the bridge between the German captain and Australian pilot – one Captain Robinson – Captain Kuhlken surrendered. 59

Where right and glory lead Many soldiers and officers have served the Australian artillery with distinction over the past 150 years. These profiles were compiled by the RAAHC with help from Major Darryl Kelly and WO2 Steven Wilson. Gnr Charles Paynter 49 Bty, 13 Fd Arty Bde, Montbrehain, France By 8 October 1918, with the seemingly impregnable Hindenburg Line now breached, the allied forces had the Germans on the run. A farmer from Rupanyup, Victoria, Gunner Charlie Paynter, was posted to 49 Battery, 13 Field Artillery Brigade, as part of a forward observation party temporarily attached to the US 30th Infantry Division. The Americans were advancing hard in the vicinity of the French village of Montbrehain. To ensure vital field-telephone communications were maintained between the forward observer and the guns, Gunner Paynter was detailed to man a relay and transmitting station, which was little more than a hole in the ground, subjected to heavy hostile artillery barrages from zero hour until the advance commenced. In spite of the danger, Gunner Paynter crawled out time and again to repair broken communications lines. As the forward troops advanced, Gunner Paynter had to run out longer lengths of line, even though he was subjected to enemy machine-gun fire from close range. As the enemy started to withdraw, Gunner Paynter was able to rejoin his observation officer for the continued advance. Encountering some dogged resistance, Gunner Paynter and the officer turned an abandoned German 4.2-inch howitzer around and used it to engage the enemy at a range of 1000 yards, inflicting casualties. Gunner Paynter was largely responsible for the successful manner in which his forward observation officer carried out his duties. He was awarded the Military Medal for “his excellent conduct and devotion to duty”. Bdr Lindsay Barrett 101 Howitzer Bty, 1 Fd Arty Bde, Ypres, Belgium After his enlistment on 11 January 1916, South Australian Lindsay Barrett, 21, was allocated to the 13th Reinforcements of 3rd Light Horse Regiment. Arriving in the staging camps of Egypt, Barrett found himself in stirring times – the AIF was growing enormously after its withdrawal from Gallipoli and new units were being formed for action in France and Belgium. Artillery appealed to the young soldier and, after further training in England, was posted to the newly raised 101st Howitzer Battery, which was part of 1st Field Artillery Brigade. In October 1917, 101 Howitzer Battery was in action along the infamous Anzac Ridge, near Ypres, Belgium, and Bombardier Barrett took over as 2IC of No 5 gun. 60

On the morning of 26 October, the battery was firing in support of attacking allied infantry and enemy counterbattery fire was heavy – but the Australian gunners stuck determinedly to the task. Suddenly, an enemy round exploded between No 5 and 6 guns, killing or wounding both detachments, except Bombardier Barrett, who was generally unscathed. Realising the loss of firepower from the two guns would cause a serious gap in the barrage line, Bombardier Barrett began to lay, load and fire his gun singlehanded. For the next 10 to 15 minutes and under heavy fire, he did the work of an entire detachment and his efforts kept the rolling barrage generally intact on the target. As new information was relayed to the remaining guns to cover the gap of fire, Bombardier Barrett was ordered to tend to his wounded mates. For his actions that day, Bombardier Barrett was recommended for a VC, though the citation was downgraded to the Distinguished Conduct Medal. He later served in the Militia in WWII. Bdr Edward Courtney 2/3 Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Tobruk, Libya As the Italian garrisons fell to the Commonwealth forces in the early stages of the desert campaign of WWII, so did large quantities of arms, ammunition and equipment. While some equipment was of dubious quality, it was still functional and lethal in the right hands. Bombardier Edward Courtney was one of the famous ‘Rats of Tobruk’ and, as a gunner, was assigned to a captured 20mm Breda anti-aircraft gun, located to defend the vital port facilities. It was Anzac Day 1941 when 40 enemy aircraft attacked. As the Australian gunners were returning fire, the Breda gun manned by Bombardier Courtney and his detachment had a severe stoppage. The detachment was ordered to take cover, but Bombardier Courtney remained at his post. Despite heavy machine-gun fire and nearby bomb blasts impacting the gun pit, he was able to clear the stoppage and effectively re-engage the enemy aircraft. On 7 May, the gunners were tasked with providing anti-aircraft protection to a troop of 60-pounder guns. While being attacked by enemy dive bombers and escorting fighters, the Breda gun manned by Bombardier Courtney jammed once again. Even though enemy aircraft strafed the position and rounds peppered his gun pit, he continued to clear the stoppage to bring the gun back into action.

quo fas et gloria ducunt

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For his actions he was awarded the Military Medal for “bravery and devotion to duty in an anti-aircraft detachment while under heavy dive-bombing and machine-gun fire”. Bombardier Courtney went on to fight at El Alamein, and in New Guinea and, at war’s end, returned home to his family. Sir Arthur Roden Cutler VC 2/5 Fd Regt, Merdjayoun, Syria Sir Arthur Roden Cutler VC remains one of the most distinguished Australian gunners. In May 1940, he transferred from the citizen’s militia to 2 AIF, commissioning into 2nd/5th Field Regiment, RAA, Australian 7th Division. In 1941, he served in the Syria-Lebanon campaign, fighting against Vichy French forces, including the tough, experienced French Foreign Legion units. During the period 19 June to 6 July, in the Merdjayoun-Damour area of Syria, Lieutenant Cutler’s regiment was involved in the Battle of Merdjayoun, where his exploits over two weeks included repairing a vital field-telephone line under heavy fire, repulsing enemy tank attacks with an anti-tank rifle, setting up an outpost to bring artillery fire onto a road used by the enemy, and employing a 25-pounder field gun to demolish an anti-tank gun and post that was threatening the Australian advance. Later, during the Battle of Damour, Lieutenant Cutler was seriously wounded and, when rescued 26 hours later, his leg had to be amputated. He received the VC for his actions in the Merdjayoun-Damour area, and was medically discharged in 1942. An extract from Lieutenant Cutler’s VC citation reads: “For most conspicuous and sustained gallantry during the Syrian Campaign and for outstanding bravery during the bitter fighting at Merdjayoun when this artillery officer became a byword amongst the forward troops with whom he worked … throughout the campaign, this officer’s courage was unparalleled, and his work was a big factor in the recapture of Merdjayoun”. After the war, he served in diplomatic roles, was the longest-serving Governor of NSW, and knighted by the Queen in 1965. Gnr Wilbert Hudson 2 Australian Heavy Anti-Aircraft Bty, Darwin Wilbert Hudson was born on 17 December 1920, lived with his family in the Merrylands/Greystanes area of western Sydney and, after leaving school, was employed as a textile worker. With the onset of WWII, he enlisted in the Militia Forces on 5 April 1940, was posted to 2 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery and deployed to Darwin in November 1941. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Darwin took on an urgent war footing and prepared for possible attack. 62

Based at Berrimah, Gunner Hudson was showering when the first air raid sirens sounded just before 10am on 19 February 1942. With the drone of enemy aircraft increasing, Gunner Hudson ran to man his ‘battle station’ in nothing more than his helmet, boots and a towel around his waist. With the angle of approach by the attacking aircraft, Gunner Hudson and his number 2 could not get an accurate bead to effectively engage the planes with their Lewis light-machine gun. The team immediately redeployed into an open paddock and, with the gun supported on the shoulder of his mate, Gunner Hudson began firing. As an enemy Zero bore in on the pair, they stood their ground and poured a steady stream of fire into the fighter, sending it spiralling off in flames. During the action, Gunner Hudson realised he had lost his towel – and his modesty. For his courage and determination that day, Gunner Hudson was awarded the Military Medal. His citation said – “he handled his Lewis gun with great skill and tenacity”. LBdr Frederick Wombey 14 Australian Heavy Anti-Aircraft Bty, Darwin Fred Wombey was a keen young Digger eager to do his bit. Enlisting in the Militia in April 1941 when he was 19, he was allocated to the RAA as an anti-aircraft gun number. Craving action, he volunteered for service in Darwin where he arrived in August, to join the 14 Australian Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery. In lieu of action, Wombey initially had to settle for drill, flies, humidity, hard work and boredom. But this was about to change. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor and Japan’s entry into the war, Darwin became part of Australia’s front line. During enemy air raids on Darwin, a prime target for the attacking force was the Navy’s vital oil-storage tanks, and among the elements charged with their defence was Lance Bombardier Wombey’s anti-aircraft detachment. As the air-raid sirens wailed, Lance Bombardier Wombey took post on his light machine gun and could see the formation of enemy dive bombers and escorting fighters peel off and head straight for his position and the adjacent tanks. Fighters screamed in and peppered the area around him. As the next wave came in, fire from the air was so intense that Lance Bombardier Wombey ordered his men to take cover, but stood his ground to return a continuous stream of fire, forcing the planes to break off. Reloading, he readied for the next attack. The Zeros tore in, intent on silencing the air defences before unleashing the bombers. This time, Lance Bombardier Wombey waited until the attacking plane was close enough to be an ideal target, then opened up with everything he had, again forcing the Japanese planes to abort.

For his actions that day, Lance Bombardier Wombey was awarded one of only two Military Medals for action on Australian soil. Lance Bombardier Wombey later transferred to the AIF, and survived the war. Lt John Pearson 2/4 Fd Regt, Nadzab, New Guinea It was an undoubted ‘first’ for the RAA – executing a combat parachute insertion of guns, 192 rounds of ammunition and detachments into battle. The action was to centre on Nadzab airfield in New Guinea, in an effort to take enemy pressure off the amphibious landing at Lae. 2nd/4th Field Regiment volunteered two of its eight new, just-delivered 25-pounder short guns, to be broken down and parachuted in, accompanied by a contingent of four officers and 30 other ranks, under the command of Lieutenant John Pearson. A number of the contingent had undertaken some rudimentary training, but for some, their first jump would be this operational sortie. Inspections on the guns found serious flaws and six were cannibalised to build two complete guns fit for the task. These were proofed by firing 20 rounds, with one of the guns failing the test and requiring significant work to make it serviceable. A thousand things would have been going through Lieutenant Pearson’s mind in the preparation phase, leading the readying of a task never performed before. Once in the air though, his mind would need to be clearly focused on the mission, his men, the precious guns and the follow-up ammunition drop. All too quickly came the orders that had him standing in the doorway of the aircraft – and then the trepidation of the tap on the shoulder, and that first step into history. On the ground, Lieutenant Pearson assembled his men running in from all points. Miraculously, only one man was injured, with a broken collarbone. Together, the gunners searched for the gun parts in the high kunai grass and laboured until they had found one complete set of components. The gun was quickly assembled and made ready to fire – but never called on to defend the new airhead. Lieutenant Pearson later served with distinction at Shaggy Ridge, earning a Military Cross when he and his party managed the most complex fire plan yet experienced in New Guinea. The party moved with the lead infantry element, through enemy rifle and mountain-gun fire and maintained continuous and ‘dangerously close’ fire on the enemy. A month before the end of WWII, Lieutenant Pearson was killed in action at Balikpapan, Borneo, again operating with the leading infantry teams.

Sgt Kelvin Ivor Palmer 2/5 Fd Regt, Balikpapan, Borneo Kelvin Palmer enlisted in the AIF on 23 May 1940, as part of 2nd/5th Field Regiment. He acquitted himself well in and out of action for the next five years, seeing action in Syria and New Guinea. In July 1945, Australia’s 7th Division, which included the 2nd/5th Field Regiment, was tasked with an amphibious assault on the oil-rich area of Balikpapan in Borneo – the last Allied littoral assaults conducted in WWII – and a contentious manoeuvre which historians to this day argue if they were at all necessary. Regardless, on 5 July 1945, Sergeant Palmer and his detachment were chosen for a key mission. The gunners deployed forward to just short of a selected position near the vital Manggar Airfield, tasked was to neutralise two enemy 155mm gun emplacements dominating the higher ground, which, over the previous two days of concentrated fire, were preventing Australian troops from assaulting and capturing the airfield. An Australian 6-pounder anti-tank gun had tried before dusk, but lacked the weight of fire to silence the 155s. Laying up just short of the 6-pounder gun platform, the detachment settled in for the night. Just before dawn, Sergeant Palmer ensured every available man was on hand to manhandle the gun quickly into position. In the emerging light, he targeted the first enemy gun over open sights and the first of a number of rounds was on its way. Sergeant Palmer calmly switched his fire between the two targets and, even when enemy fire was returned, wounding several members of the detachment, the Australians stuck grimly to the task, continuing to fire until both enemy guns were neutralised. Only then could the infantry press forward an attack and successfully occupy the airfield. For his actions, leadership and disregard for his own safety, Sergeant Palmer was awarded the Military Medal. Sgt Douglas Russell 2/3 Fd Regt, Klidi Pass, Greece After fighting in the western desert in 1939, Sergeant Douglas Russell deployed to Greece and was part of the first Australian regiment to engage the onslaught of the German invasion. Ordered to stage a staggered withdrawal, members of 2nd/3rd Field Regiment made their way south. On 12 April 1941, the regiment was deployed near Klidi Pass and, although initially holding the enemy at bay, the Australians were forced to withdraw to a more defendable position when the enemy broke through at 1pm. Sergeant Russell and his detachment was chosen to remain behind with a 25-pounder gun and buy time for the remaining nine guns to be withdrawn.

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With his delaying mission complete, Sergeant Russell took out an enemy observation post with a couple of well-aimed rounds, before withdrawing. With Greece lost and, forced to destroy their equipment, members of 2nd/3rd Field Regiment evacuated to nearby Crete having fired more than 65,000 rounds in three weeks. Now armed with captured Italian guns, the Allies prepared to repel German attempts to capture Crete, but were again forced to evacuate, with a number of the regiment falling into enemy hands as POWs. Others, including Sergeant Russell, made it back to Egypt and began to reorganise, rearm, reinforce and continue the fight in north Africa and later the Pacific. Sergeant Russell was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal, “for great coolness and control at Klidi Pass”. He survived the war and was discharged in October 1945. Lt Rex Blow 2/10 Fd Regt/Z Force, Sandakan, Borneo Rex Blow was never born to be a prisoner. Highly intelligent, a powerful swimmer and athlete, coupled with a tough physique and a zest for danger, he was the perfect figure of a young and competent gunnery officer. A member of 2nd/10th Field Regiment, Lieutenant Blow had served admirably in the fight down the Malay Peninsula in the face of the Japanese advance and was one of thousands of Allied soldiers made POWs when forced to surrender as Singapore fell. Originally imprisoned in Changi, Lieutenant Blow was like a caged animal. Eager to escape and rejoin the fight, he volunteered to be part of the POW draft relocated to Sandakan, Borneo. To aid in his eventual escape, Lieutenant Blow had concealed parts of a radio, a .38 calibre revolver, ammunition and a map in his personal effects. Biding his time in the infamous Sandakan prison camp, Lieutenant Blow and others made a run for freedom. Instead of heading south for Australia as expected, they headed north to the southern Philippines. Marrying up with local guerrilla forces, Lieutenant Blow and his mates were handed over to the local senior officer, Colonel Suarez, commander of the US 125th Infantry Regiment. The escapees were seconded to remain with the guerrillas and help train the growing force of irregular recruits. Lieutenant Blow and a fellow trusted Digger, Jock McLaren, led separate small bands of guerrillas attacking superior numbers of Japanese with great success. Both were integrated into Australia’s famous ‘Z Force’. Lieutenant Blow was later tasked to conduct a close reconnaissance on the camp from which he escaped – Sandakan – ahead of a possible rescue mission to save more POWs. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

Lieutenant Blow’s incredible deeds were almost beyond belief. His Distinguished Service Order citation summed him up perfectly – “the most outstanding guerilla commander of the Pacific War”. He was also awarded a US Silver Star. LBdr Peter Maher 12 Fd Regt, Vietnam Lance Bombardier Peter Maher and his signaller, Gunner Bayne Kelly, were attached to 5 Pl, B Coy, 3RAR, during Operation Overlord, north of Phuoc Tuy Province, Vietnam, in 1971. At 5pm on 6 June, 5 Platoon contacted a large bunker complex and withdrew to allow artillery to engage. Despite Lance Bombardier Maher coordinating two fire plans that night, the NVA/VC gamely probed the platoon on three occasions. There was a preliminary bombardment at first light on 7 June before the understrength 5 Platoon’s assault on the bunker complex. The infantry soon came under heavy fire and took serious casualties. Lance Bombardier Maher engaged the bunkers again with fire ‘very close’ to 5 Platoon from A Field Battery and 104 Field Battery, as well as US 155mm medium guns. Later that morning, the remainder of B Company closed up to reinforce 5 Platoon. The company forward observer relieved Lance Bombardier Maher but was mortally wounded soon after, so Maher again found himself coordinating artillery as close as 100m, pausing to allow RAAF Bushmaster and US Cobra gunship strikes. A RAAF Iroquois resupply helicopter was shot down and burst into flames 30m to their rear. Gunner Kelly had been moving wounded under fire to the landing zone and rushed to the crash site, rescuing wounded from the chopper. For this, he would receive the US Army Commendation Medal for Valour, more than 20 years later. D Company and Centurion tanks from 1st Armoured Regiment joined the fray that afternoon and swept through the bunker complex, uncovering 47 bunkers. Three Australians were killed in action and 12 wounded, while enemy casualties were difficult to determine because of the destruction to the bunkers, but the toll was thought to be heavy. Lance Bombardier Maher was awarded the Military Medal for his steadfast coordination of sustained and accurate indirect fire and gunship support over 24 hours. Bdr David Robertson MRTF2, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan Bombardier David Robertson deployed to Afghanistan in October 2010 as part of Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force 2. Deploying from Patrol Base Qareb, he accompanied a patrol consisting of 15 5RAR

infantrymen and 20 Afghan National Army soldiers to the village of Moruch. While there, the patrol planned to interact with locals and search for caches. In support was an Australian infantry section, a mortar section and an ASLAV. “The closer we got to the village, the more sigint (signals intelligence) reports we had of insurgents watching us and preparing for an attack,” Bombardier Robertson said. Not long after engaging with the locals and searching the village, Australian snipers engaged a number of insurgents who could be seen carrying PKM machine guns in the next village. This engagement triggered effective small-arms fire from high ground overlooking the Australians. Bombardier Robertson, his signaller Gunner Aaron Costa, two snipers and a MAG-58 machine-gun crew pushed onto nearby high ground that was exposed to insurgent fire, with little cover available, and moving to a small cliff face only exposed them to fire from another direction. Undaunted, Bombardier Robertson called in a mortar-fire mission; and after one correction and “three rounds fire for effect”, the elevated insurgent position was silenced. He then turned his attention to the other insurgent machine gun, opening at three rounds fire for effect, using airburst proximity high-explosive rounds. Both insurgent locations were neutralised within 20 minutes of the first engagement. The infantry commander ordered the patrol forward to engage the origin of the original engagement at the next village. Remaining in location, Bombardier Robertson called in another fire mission to suppress the RPK machine-gunners on the nearby high ground, while the patrol searched the village for insurgents and weapons. This suppression continued until sundown when the patrol moved back to the patrol base. Although Bombardier Robertson said he feared for his safety during the patrol, he was more concerned about his mates. “When the time came, everyone else was relying on me to do my job and I really didn’t want to let anyone down,” he said. He was awarded a Medal for Gallantry.

including Sergeant Hastings were located at Forward Operating Base Edinburgh. In January 2009, after a difficult reconnaissance, on which two British gunners were seriously wounded by an improvised explosive device, the battery established a direct-fire single-gun position at the nearby Roshan Tower, a small clearing atop a feature commanding the Musa Qaleh district. Under cover of darkness, the gunners and an accompanying platoon from the Royal Gurkha Rifles manhandled a 1.8-ton 105mm British light gun (identical to the Australian Hamel) to the top of the steep-sided feature, where it was concealed when not in action. Many of the Australian gunners rotated through this isolated location for up to a month at a time, with Sergeant Hastings the first detachment commander of a mixed Australian/British detachment. Used in its direct-fire role, the gun provided devastating, accurate fire out to 3000m, dominating the valley below. Freed from the constraints of seeking clear air, Sergeant Hastings accrued a significant record of targets suppressed or destroyed. Even so, it wasn’t all one-way traffic – the Taliban managed to sporadically attack the tiny outpost with machine-gun fire. Despite the enemy’s best attempts, targets that had withstood attack by mortars, 105mm HE, Apache Hellfire missiles and aerial bombs were now dealt with effectively by the gun’s direct fire into windows and doorways. The moniker ‘dragon gun’ was created by the Taliban on its receiving end, and its fearsome reputation passed into local folklore – for a time.

Sgt Simon Hastings Operation Herrick, Helmand Province, Afghanistan From 2008 to 2011, RAA contributed successive contingents of 15 gunners to British Royal Artillery regiments over six rotations into Afghanistan. Sergeant Simon Hastings deployed as part of 4th Field Regiment’s first contribution – known as Wallaby Troop. Embedding with the British 8 (Alma) Battery, 29 Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery, the Australians initially trained in Britain before deploying to Helmand. Some members,

This 150th Anniversary Of Continuous Australian Artillery Forces commemorative spread was compiled by the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery and ARMY Newspaper, first published in ARMY dated 18 August 2021 and republished by CONTACT with thanks. 63

EVACUATION OF

KABUL

DID WE DO ENOUGH Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Famous words – but no one in power ever seems to learn. Aside from any justifications or right/wrong arguments/predjudices, the fact remains that the NATO Coalition is just the latest (and likely not the last) occupying force to tackle Afghanistan and leave in ignominy. At the ‘end’ of Australia’s other recent war, there was a protracted soldier, veteran, public and media outcry to issue visas to interpreters who worked with Australian troops in theatre. After much debate and pushback, the government of the day gave in and resettled thousands of Iraqis in Australia. Defence Minister of the day Joel Fitzgibbon conceded Australia had a moral obligation to help the Iraqis. “Interpreters and translators played a very significant role in assisting us, and we do feel we have a moral obligation to them,” Minister Fitzgibbon said. “We don’t want to see the mistakes that were made in the past and we’re determined that they’ll be taken care of.” Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he did not want a repeat of the Vietnam War, when the Whitlam Government was accused of ignoring the needs of those who helped Australian soldiers. You might be forgiven for expecting the Liberal government of today would do the opposite to Labor – but, the then Liberal Opposition immigration spokesman Chris Ellison backed the Labor government saying “if someone stands by our Australian troops in need we look after them – we don’t leave them high and dry”. With that in mind, move forward to 2021 and the current government don’t seem to have learnt from the past – ignoring, blocking or just plain red-taping the inevitable and totally predictable repetitive chorus of support for Afghan interpreter visas. Even as the Taliban occupied our main base, in Tarin Kot, and rushed headlong towards the capital, the Australian government spruiked about the capabilities and steadfastness of the Afghan army and government. It wasn’t until after the Afghanistan president deserted his country, the Taliban gave a press conference from the presidential palace and the capital descended into lethal anarchy did our government reluctantly launch a ‘rescue mission’. Even then, our soldiers and aviators seemed initially hamstrung by red tape and paperwork.

CONTACT always has and always will support, admire and praise the work of front-line ADF people – doing a professional job, in far-flflung places, constrained by rules of engagement written behind a desk in canberra

Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster pilots prepare to take off from Hamid Karzai International Airport after boarding Australian citizens and visa holders to evacuate from Afghanistan. Photo by Sergeant Glen McCarthy. PREVIOUS PAGE (MAIN): Afghan evacuees on board a RAAF C-17. Photo by Sergeant Glen McCarthy. Other photos by various ADF.

A day after a US Air Force C-17 took a record-forthe-type 823 people out of harms way, a RAAF C-130 extracted just 26. It seems the Australian aircraft was only authorised to take onboard Australians and Australian visa holders who were at the airport – and those with the right paperwork weren’t at the airport because they didn’t know the flight was coming – and the flight didn’t tell anyone they were coming ‘for operational security reasons’ [and while this diabolical catch 22 is editorial speculation, it is plausible nonetheless]. A subsequent Australian C-17 flight departed with just 40 evacuees, on the same aircraft type that squished 823 on board days earlier. 66

These Australian rescue flights are undoubtedly being conducted to the highest professional standards – within their rules of engagement – and the US flight was a completely illegal but heroic on-the-spot decision by that flight crew. But the contrasting optics did not look good and are surely hard to justify, especially in light of the fact that while other countries removed Australian paper holders from Kabul, Australia did not report returning the favour – though the Kiwis did report a handful of theirs got out on RAAF flights. In the end, Australia extracted some 4100 people on 30 flights – with just five Afghans on the last Herc out. To be crystal clear in this – CONTACT’s finger pointing is

squarely at the Australian government and bureaucrats dictating the rules of engagement – and not at the brave men and women of the Australian Defence Force flying into a foreign city beyond the brink of collapse. CONTACT always has and always will support, admire and praise the work of the ADF throughout the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns – we visited them in theatre four times to see for ourselves. We know in our hearts that, at the tactical level, Australian military personnel did a magnificent job over there for 20 years – sometimes well above and beyond what was asked or expected – some giving their very lives to the mission. But we also know in our heart, at the strategic level,

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ABOVE: Australian and British troops conduct passport checks at the Abbey Gate to Hamid Karzai International Airport. Photo by Sergeant Glen McCarthy. ABOVE RIGHT: Afghan refugees disembark a RAAF flight at a Middle East staging base. Photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Jacqueline Forrester.

Australia was over there for one reason and one reason only – to wave our flag alongside our biggest ally, because they asked us to. On that count, Australia absolutely achieved its strategic aim also. But our biggest ally left the job half done at best – worse than when they started, most will say – with the distinct possibility they or someone else will have to have another crack at it, for everyone’s sake. America’s longest war looks like failure – and that’s not just CONTACT’s opinion. The following is a speech to the British House of Commons on 18 August, delivered most passionately by MP and Afghanistan war veteran Tom Tugendhat. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

“Like many veterans, this last week has seen me struggle through anger, grief and rage — through the feeling of abandonment of not just a country, but the sacrifice that my friends made. I have been to funerals from Poole to Dunblane. I have watched good men go into the earth, taking with them a part of me and a part of all of us. This week has torn open some of those wounds, has left them raw and left us all hurting. And I know it is not just soldiers; I know aid workers and diplomats who feel the same. I know journalists who have been witnesses to our country in its heroic effort to save people from the most horrific fates. I know that we have all been struggling. If this [parliamentary] recall

has done one thing, it has achieved one thing already. I have spoken to the Health Secretary, who has already made a commitment to do more for veterans’ mental health. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] This is not just about us. The mission in Afghanistan was not a British mission — it was a NATO mission. It was a recognition that globalisation has changed us all. The phone calls that I am still receiving, the text messages that I have been answering as I have been waiting, putting people in touch with our people in Afghanistan, remind us that we are connected still today, and Afghanistan is not a far country about which 67

Australian, American and British troops conduct passport checks at the Abbey Gate to Hamid Karzai International Airport on 24 August 2021. Two days later, 13 Americans were killed in an explosion, along with more than 100 Afghans, at the same location. Photo by Sergeant Glen McCarthy.

we know little. It is part of the main. That connection links us also to our European partners, to our European neighbours and to our international friends. So it is with great sadness that I now criticise one of them, because I was never prouder than when I was decorated by the 82nd Airborne after the capture of Musa Qala. It was a huge privilege to be recognised by such an extraordinary unit in combat. To see their commander-in-chief call into question the courage of men I fought with, to claim that they ran, is shameful. Those who have never fought for the colours they fly should be careful about criticising those who have. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] What we have done in these last few days is demonstrate that it is not armies that win wars. Armies can get tactical victories and operational victories that can hold the line; they can just about make room for peace — make room for people like us to talk, to compromise, to listen. 68

An un-named Australian infantryman from 1RAR carries a young boy queuing for a flight. Photo by Sergeant Glen McCarthy.

It is nations that make war; nations endure; nations mobilise and muster; nations determine and have patience. Here we have demonstrated, sadly, that we — the west — the United Kingdom — do not. This is a harsh lesson for all of us, and if we are not careful, it could be a very, very difficult lesson for our allies. But it does not need to be. We can set out a vision, clearly articulated, for reinvigorating our European NATO partners, to make sure that we are not dependent on a single ally — on the decision of a single leader – but that we can work together, with Japan and Australia, with France and Germany, with partners large and small — and make sure that we hold the line together. Because we know that patience wins. We know it because we have achieved it; we know it because we have delivered it. The cold war was won with patience; Cyprus is at peace, with patience; South Korea – with more than 10 times the number of troops that America had in Afghanistan – is prosperous through patience.

So let us stop talking about forever wars. Let us recognise that forever peace is bought, not cheaply, but hard, through determination and the will to endure. The tragedy of Afghanistan is that we are swapping that patient achievement for a second fire and a second war. Now we need to turn our attention to those who are in desperate need, supporting the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Programme and so many other organisations that can do so much for people in the region. Yes, of course I support refugees, although I am not going to get into the political auction of numbers. We just need to get people out. I leave the House with one image. In the year that I was privileged to be the adviser to the governor of Helmand, we opened girls’ schools. The joy it gave parents to see their little girls going to school was extraordinary. I did not understand it until I took my own daughter to school about a year ago. There was a lot of crying when she first went in — but I got over it [Laughter] — and it went okay.

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ABOVE, a young girl on a flight to safety – and RIGHT, a queue of evacuees waits to board a RAAF C-17. Photos by Sergeant Glen McCarthy.

I would love to see that continue, but there is a second image that I must leave the House with. It is a harder one, but I am afraid it is one that we must all remember. [Time elapsed: Interjection:] “I wonder whether my honourable friend could say a bit more about that second image.” I am very grateful to my honourable friend, who was watching the clock more than me. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

The second image is one that the forever war that has just reignited could lead to. It is the image of a man whose name I never knew, carrying a child who had died hours earlier into our fire base and begging for help. There was nothing we could do. It was over. That is what defeat looks like; it is when you no longer have the choice of how to help. This does not need to be defeat, but at the moment it damn well feels like it.” 69

BRAVERY ON BOTH SIDES

KIWIS’ KABUL PERSPECTIVE Among those sent to Afghanistan to provide safe passage for thousands of evacuees from Kabul was an elite group of New Zealand soldiers who used code words and tactical landmarks to assist identifications in an attempt to avoid chaotic and dangerous scenes. Members of the New Zealand Army, deployed as part of the New Zealand Defence Force’s Operation Kōkako, were on the ground at Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) in Kabul to help evacuate New Zealand nationals, their families and visa holders. The turbulent and dangerous environment saw special-forces troops, including a female-engagement team, move deep into the security area designated around HKIA, at times using a sewage canal, to reach those they had been sent to help, guiding them through the crowds to points on the perimeter where they could be brought into the airport, secured and safely evacuated. 70

A special forces commander on the ground said the evacuees would be given code words for them to show in order to be positively identified. “Once identified we began the work of extracting them, often during a lull where it was tactically acceptable. “We were very deliberate in this approach lest we started a riot or caused a breach.” The bank of the canal was controlled by coalition forces so the soldiers were able to use the banks as a tactical thoroughfare, often jumping into the fetid water to aid evacuees. In one rescue, a wheelchair-bound woman and her son were helped across the banks to safety. “This specific rescue was just one of hundreds of acts we undertook to recover New Zealand nationals,” the SF soldiers said. “All those involved in the operation take great pride in being able to be a part of the numerous acts that took place to get people out safely.”

Senior national officer for the New Zealand operation Group Captain Nick Olney said the scene was confronting for personnel to deal with. “We were looking for needles in haystacks, and there were a lot of haystacks out there to start with and we had no idea what the needles looked like,” he said. “We were assisting people through sewage ditches, over barbed wire fences – I can’t describe enough the bravery on both sides. “With the evacuees, in their desperation, would do anything to get into the airport. “On our side, our team pushed themselves to every physical and psychological limit to get these people out and make them safe.” Group Captain Olney said the New Zealand troops “put their lives on the line” by going into crowded areas knowing there were credible threats of attack – that later came to tragic fruition for US forces.

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ABOVE AND LEFT: New Zealand soldiers try to identify Kiwis and visa holders in the crowd. RIGHT: A new Zealand soldier helps a woman across a sewage drain at night. NZDF photos

“There was absolute bravery and desperation on both sides to make it work,” he said. “We had some very highly trained, highly capable individuals on the ground who did their absolute best.” He said the operation was a team effort and many in the team were tormented reflecting on situations where they could physically reach out and touch people they wanted to help, but they couldn’t get them through. “I can’t stress enough how difficult it was to bring those people through the wire. “It was best endeavours to make miracles happen in the timeframe we had available.” Those who were saved, Group Captain Olney said, were relieved, frightened – “and every human emotion you could possibly think of”. “When they saw a Kiwi serviceperson, it was their first sign of hope.” Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

CONTACT thanks the New Zeland Defence Force for providing this very human insight into a very difficult mission. We are certain Australian soldiers at the wire experienced very similar emotions, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their Kiwi, British, American and other comrades. Unfortunately, the ADF wasn’t able to produce human-interst stories of this calibre to go with the high-quality imagery they produced at the airport. 71

PHOTO BY CHRISTABEL MIGLIORINI 72

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TALISMAN SABRE 2021 Despite COVID-19, Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021 went ahead in Australia in July with around 17,000 military personnel from seven countries participating.

The key focus of TS21 was moving from land to sea, as forces from Australia, United States, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the United Kingdom prepared for an action-packed amphibious phase around the Bowen and Ingham areas of north Queensland and featured air operations, beachlandings, armoured vehicles and urban operations. Commander Deployable Joint Force Headquarters Major General Jake Ellwood said the amphibious phase included complex joint-force manoeuvres. “This is the culminating activity we’ve been working towards throughout the year,” Major General Ellwood said. “It’s the final test of our ability to operate as a joint force in a contested environment across land, sea, air, space and cyber. “Around 20 ships and 60 aircraft conducted war-atsea training off the Queensland coast as part of the scenario.” A beach landing in Ingham included Australian, United States, Japanese and British Exercise Director Air Commodore Stuart Bellingham said this year’s Talisman Sabre looked a little different, with reduced scale but increased complexity. This year’s exercise included some of the most realistic and challenging training activities yet, spreading even further across Queensland than in previous years.

In the first few days of the exercise, each nation focused on foundational training to get the multinational forces reading from the same playbook. In a first for Australia, the US Army launched the MIM104 Patriot surface-to-air missiles at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area. The next two days involved a barrage of munitions from land, air, and sea, culminating in an awesome display by the US High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Not only spectacular to watch, the live-fire activities ultimately showed that the forces of the seven nations could operate as one to produce a coordinated and staggering result. Things ramped up again in the second week with collective training – engineers paired with infantry; explosive detection dogs alongside amphibious elements; and special forces worked in the air and in the shadows. As the complexity of each event built, so did the threat scenario. Townsville Field Training Area hummed within the urban operations training facility, a series of structures built for soldiers to fight through streets and buildings of a simulated town. At sea, air and maritime assets engaged in high-end warfare training above and below the waves off the Queensland coast. 73

Meanwhile a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber joined the latest Australian aircraft in a simulated long-range strike. In the third week, the combined forces orchestrated all these moving pieces in a complex opposed scenario involving real Queensland communities in Bowen, Ingham and Cairns, with forces in the community fighting through a scenario designed to test their skills at the highest level. For the first time in history, Australian, US, Japanese and UK amphibious forces operated from the same ship. Inland, Alaska-based paratroopers embarked in a C-17A Globemaster in Darwin to drop onto farmland thousands of kilometres from home, in Charters Towers. Not to be outdone by their counterparts operating across the physical domains, cyber and information warfare operators sharpened their skills too. Just like the real-world, experts were tested through simulated social media and traditional media scenarios too. Tactical leaders saw their decisions tested – with their failures tipping social-media sentiment towards the opposing force, only to see it swing back again through influence operations on public support for the mission. TS21 exercise director Air Commodore Bellingham and his US counterpart Colonel Jerry Hall both praised the efforts of all the nations involved. “TS21 was a tremendous success and I applaud what our international forces have been able to accomplish together in the past three weeks,” Air Commodore Bellingham. “I am particularly proud of the many milestones we have achieved this year, including the US Patriot missile launch, the HIMARS tactical airlift, and the first-ever employment of the US Space Force in an international exercise.” Colonel Hall was more focused on the strategic signifance of TS21. “I’m extremely proud that this year’s Talisman Sabre directly contributed to advancing the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” Colonel Hall said. “We want people to be free, we want free trade, we want to sail, to fly anywhere in the Indo-Pacific region without having to worry about the security situation. “That is our shared vision and why we work together.”

ABOVE: Soldiers from 9th Batallion, Royal Queensland Regiment and 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, work together in an urban-clearance operation. Photo by Christabel Migliorini. LEFT: Australian soldiers from Battlegroup Eagle advance on an enemy camp, at Townsville Field Training Area. Photo by Corporal Brandon Grey. TOP RIGHT: Alaska-based US Army paratroopers with 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, drop from a C-17 near Charters Towers, Queensland. US Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Alyssa Chuluda. FAR TOP RIGHT: An Australian Army military working dog and handler from 2nd Commando Regiment watch as a US Army Black Hawk from 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment prepares for a fast-roping activity at RAAF Base Tindal, NT. US Army photo by Private First Class Matthew Mackintosh. BOTTOM RIGHT: British Royal Marine Commandos patrol along a sugar-cane train track near Ingham, Queensland. Photo by Corporal Jarrod McAneney. FAR BOTTOM RIGHT: Soldiers from the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force disembark a Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan at Bowen, Queensland. Photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Jacqueline Forrester. Featuring the best from CONTACT Air Land & Sea – Australia’s best boots-on-the-ground military e-magazine

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WORDS AND PHOTOS BY BARRIE COLLINS 76

Featuring the best from CONTACT Air Land & Sea – Australia’s best boots-on-the-ground military e-magazine

I had the pleasure of spending a day with the United States Marine Corps, Aviation Combat Element – or ACE as they are known – in Darwin on deployment with the Marine Rotational Force - Darwin. MRF-D spend six months in Darwin during their annual rotational deployment and this is the 10th year a rotational deployment has taken place – and getting bigger and better each year. Last year the deployment was cut short by COVID-19. This year, contingency plans paid off and approximately 2200 Marines took part. Support personnel arrived ahead of the main body to prepare and set up for their arrival and, having an Air Combat Element with the MRF-D takes a lot of preplanning, logistic support and hours of maintenance. The Marines flew into RAAF Base Darwin and underwent COVID testing immediately on arrival, followed by 14 days of quarantine. Their equipment, supplies and munitions arrived by air and sea. The aircraft came by sea. On arrival at Darwin’s East Arm wharf, the aircraft were inspected, re-assembled, then serviced before being flown to their deployment home at RAAF Base Darwin. On this rotation the air wing comprised attack/ gunship helicopters, the Bell AH-1Z Viper – utility-support helicopter, the Bell UH-1Y Venom, and the unusually designed Bell/Boeing MV-22B Osprey, a vertical/short take off and landing (V/STOL) multi-mission tiltrotor aircraft. These MV-22B Osprey are from the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron VMM-363 Red Lions – or “Lucky Red Lions” according to their motto – form part of the Marine Aircraft Group-24 (MAG-24) 1st Marine Aviation Wing (1st MAW) based in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The Vipers and Venoms hail from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 (HMLA-367) Scarface – “When you are out of Scarface, you’re out of guns” – also based in Hawaii with MAG-24, 1st MAW. Together, the Vipers clear the way for an advancing Marine force, the Ospreys convey Marines to their deployment area and assist with supplies and medical evacuations and the Venoms support ground troops with their on-board firepower, and relay vital information as they assist with medical evacuations. On my arrival at RAAF Base Darwin, I had the pleasure of meeting the commanding officer of the ‘Red Dragons’, Lieutenant Colonel Joe A Whitefield Jr, who is a Marine Corps man through and through. Lieutenant Colonel Whitefield typifies the words gung ho, oozing the enthusiastic energy that makes you want to go to hell and back with him. He’s been a Marine since 1994, starting out as an enlisted man, making his way up through the ranks. As a staff sergeant, Joe Whitefield completed his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and was then promoted to second lieutenant. He became a naval aviator in 2007 and has flown with a number of helicopter squadrons and transitioned to Osprey in 2008, accumulated more than 2100 military flying hours in Osprey and 1000 more on other types. It was arranged I attend the morning briefing and, afterwards, have an informal catch up with crew. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

The briefing went over the mission rules of the day, flight path and safety concerns. Everything was done in complete detail, with the emphasis on safety. ‘One Wild Ride’, the lead captain was very thorough in his briefing. I paid a lot of heed as it involved the flights I’d be taking later that day. On meeting the aircrew, I immediately got the impression of how proud these men were – a true team, even though they had individual jobs, bonded by love of Corps, love of flying and respect for one another. I felt humbled to be with them. During chat, we laughed, told stories and talked of the importance of their roles. Captain ‘B1’, call sign ‘Tiny Dancer’, was the shortest of the group but packing a mighty punch as pilot of the lead Viper. We spoke of the challenges he faced – the hardest being away from his family and home.

agreed the people were really happy and friendly – not so the wildlife! “Everything here wants to kill us. There’s no way we’ll land in the water – your crocodiles are way too big.” They also agreed that bird and bat strikes were a serious flying hazard. They are very watchful for both. Another Australian hazard they have to watch out for are termite mounds, as the tall, hard mounds are difficult to detect from the air. Talking over, the first mission for the day was an introduction flight in the MV-22B Osprey, out to the Mount Bundey military training area, where we would land just so I could snap a few photos, before returning to base – a round trip of around 90 minutes. The second flight was later in the day. This time, I was on board the UH-1Y Venom, doing an interdiction and recovery mission to the Tiwi Islands. We were

Captain B1 believes in practice, practice, practice, knowing that if he makes a mistake in practice he won’t make the same mistake in combat. Captain ‘V-L’ reminded me of the pilot ‘Too Tall’ from the movie ‘We Were Soldiers’. Another Venom pilot, his call sign is ‘Two Moms’ – I didn’t ask, even though the Texan has a great sense of humour. Being a Venom pilot was his first choice – “Low and fast is the way to go”. The newest pilot in the group was Captain ‘B2’, who hasn’t been given a call sign yet as this is his first deployment. I’m betting it will be ‘Bill Bailey’. Hailing from Ohio, Captain ‘B2’ has been flying since he was 16 and loves flying the MV-22B Osprey. Last of the group was UH-1Y Venom crew chief, Corporal ’S’. Crewing in the Venom was his first choice and he’s been a crew chief for two years. He loves his job and plans on staying with the Marines for 20 years or longer. Combined, they all agreed that they would come back to Australia again in a heart beat – they all

accompanied by one AH-1Z Viper. This was a great opportunity to catch some air-to-air shots of the impressive-looking gunship. On the approach to Melville Island, aircrew put the Venom through its paces, taking evasive action during a mock attack. It was one wild ride, that’s for sure! After evading incoming munitions, the enemy was spotted from a few kilometres out and the threat was eliminated – making it safe for us to land and rescue a downed pilot. After a successful mission, we returned to base just on sunset, refuelled and landed back at the ‘Snake Farm’. My day was not over yet, as I managed to get a few sunset shots and some nice images of the Osprey preparing for a night flight. After a long day with ACE, I felt a greater appreciation of the important role they play in the big picture that is the United States Marine Corps and their rotational force in the Australian ‘Top End’. Semper Fi, Marines, and thank you! 77

Southern Jackaroo

Words Captain Thomas H. de Vries, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Photos Barrie Collins In the heart of the Australian Outback, US Marines, Australian soldiers, and Japan Ground SelfDefense Force soldiers assembled and successfully conducted Exercise Southern Jackaroo 2021 in June. The trilateral exercise, held over a two-week period, was a tangible demonstration of multinational interoperability, where the forces worked through logistical and cultural challenges that tested the ability of each of the militaries to mutually support one another. The exercise began with an opening ceremony at Robertson Barracks, home of the Australian Army’s 1st Brigade, where commanders addressed a formation of Australian, Japanese and US troops. They spoke on themes of enhanced cooperation between each force and the importance of building deep, personal and professional relationships with one another. To overcome communication barriers, the force integrated teams of military interpreters throughout 78

the formations in order to best facilitate understanding amongst each other. Japanese liaison officer at 1st Brigade HQ Australian Army Captain David Ferwerda said they built a multirank team of interpreters, drawn from the ADF and JSDF, to bridge the gap from the lowest ranks up to the command group. Training commenced with urban breaching operations at the Urban Operations Training Facility at Mount Bundey, where all three forces demonstrated their tactics, techniques and procedures for manoeuvring through urban terrain. Leaders frequently reviewed the patrols and breaches to learn from one another and, if required, integrate squads in future operations. Simultaneously, US cannoneers from Mike Battery, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (Reinforced) and the Australian 103rd Battery, 8th/12th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, established a combined gun line of six M777 howitzers, where they participated in fire missions directed by US and Australian fire-support coordination centres. MRF-D Command Element fires officer Captain Eric vanHorn said the time and effort that the Marines and their Australian friends invested during the exercise – and would continue to invest to advance interoperability – demonstrated the strength of the ANZUS alliance. “Coordinating fires came easy to us because of a shared purpose, built upon a long history of partnership for more than a century,” Captain vanHorn said. To conclude the first week of training, troops from all three militaries met at a combined marksmanship range, where snipers demonstrated advanced shooting techniques to engage targets at maximum effective range. Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Colonel Kosyo Mizoguchi, commanding officer 50th Infantry Regiment, said the opportunities presented by training with Australian and US forces was very important. “It is also very meaningful because Australia has very broad training areas, so we can conduct long-range shooting,” Colonel Mizoguchi said.

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In the second week of training, all three militaries came together in a culminating live-fire event, where directand indirect-fire assets supported ground troops while assaulting multiple objectives. During the event, weapons teams fired 400 mortars, 250 rounds of artillery, and thousands of rounds of machinegun ammunition. Most notably, troops also fired four FGM-148 Javelin anti-armour missiles at simulated enemy targets, as a powerful display of interoperability in support of manoeuvring ground forces. During the assault, all three militaries seized objectives throughout Mount Bundey Training Area, enabling one another to move forward on their mission and demonstrate the ability to command and control fires and manoeuvre. Although a challenging feat, the training the week before allowed the forces from the three nations to confidently perform this complex event in concerted synchronisation. MRF-D commanding officer Colonel David Banning said successful integration of indirect fire, fire-support coordination, various types of heavy weapons and aviation fire support, was a big task. “Any one of those things, just with your own unit, would be complicated,” Colonel Banning said. 1st Brigade commander Brigadier Ash Collingburn said Exercise Southern Jackaroo 21 had well prepared all involved for future challenges. “I look at all of you, shoulder-to-shoulder, and know that you stand ready for what challenges lie ahead,” he said.

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KOOLENDONG WORDS ADF PHOTOS BARRIE COLLINS

More than 2000 troops from the Australian Defence Force and Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (MRF-D) completed a high-end live-fire warfighting exercise at Bradshaw Field Training Area in the Northern Territory in September. Commander 1st Brigade Brigadier Ash Collingburn said Exercise Koolendong confirmed the ability of United States and Australian forces to quickly respond to crises in the region if needed. “Exercise Koolendong was the culminating activity of MRF-D 2021 and a key training event for the Australian Army’s 1st Brigade in enhancing security cooperation between USMC and the ADF through combined-arms live fire,” Brigadier Collinburn said. “It is a tangible demonstration of ADF and USMC capability to respond to a crisis 80

in the region as a coalition-force land component with an integrated coalition command structure.” Commanding Officer MRF-D Colonel David Banning said Koolendong demonstrated that the US and Australia alliance was as strong as ever. “The ability of MRF-D and the ADF to conduct this exercise during a pandemic is testament to the strength of our partnership,” Colonel Banning said. “We’ve brought together all the assets of a Marine air-ground task force and an equivalent ADF force, including more than 2000 troops, 500 vehicles and 20 airframes. “The Australia-US Alliance has never been more important as we look ahead to our shared strategic challenges in the region,” Colonel Banning said.

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‘Most intense exercise in 10 years of MRF-D’ 81

KOOLENDONG combined might of partner forces

Throughout September, Australian soldiers, with the US Marines and sailors of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D), contested an area of operations under a combined command construct during Exercise Koolendong. The contested area – Bradshaw Field Training Area – was renamed Bradshaw Island for the purpose of the exercise. Commander of the combined task force (CTF) Brigadier Ash Collingburn said the training was the most integrated, realistic, high-end warfighting activity conducted in MRF-D’s 10-year history. “This year, we operated as a CTF, combining our significant combat and logistic capabilities to deploy to Bradshaw Island, destroy the

fictitious enemy, hand over security responsibility to local forces and then redeployed to Darwin Island,” Brigadier Collingburn said. Planning for the activity was ongoing for about 12 months, with the final rehearsal of concept conducted and deployment orders issued in late July for the CTF’s subsequent move to the island. “Conducting this exercise at Bradshaw allows us to increase the complexity of our training, to incorporate US Marine aviation assets, challenge our logistic systems, and extend our medical support while integrating combined Australian and US assets at every level, including within the combined task-force headquarters,” Brigadier Collingburn said. About 1500 Australian soldiers trained with a similar number of US Marines ahead of their final activity during this year’s rotation – the combined live-fire-manoeuvre activity aimed at defeating the enemy on Bradshaw Island.

MRF-D Commanding Officer Colonel David Banning said he was satisfied with the comprehensive planning and rehearsals before his US Marines departed into the field. “The planning phase was complete and we looked forward to putting the plan into action as part of a combined force,” he said. Australian soldiers and US Marines rehearsed expeditionary bilateral, joint warfighting in a simulated archipelagic region laid over the 6600sq/km Bradshaw Field Training Area. “Operating from Bradshaw allowed us to integrate the full range of US Marine Air-Ground Task Force capabilities as part of a combined task force,” Colonel Banning said. “For MRF-D, this exercise was the culminating event of a tangible demonstration of our ability to respond to any type of crisis or contingency in conjunction with our Australian partners.”

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A HIMARS (HIgh Mobility Artillery Rocket System) vehicle moves to a firing position. OPPOSITE: A C-17A lands on a dirt airstrip. PREVIOUS PAGE: An MV22 Osprey.

A High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV).

A Hawkei protected mobility vehicle – light, is escorted through a track plan.

All photos by Barrie Collins.

INternational stars on same song sheet Exercise Koolendong 2021 Combined Task Force 667 took on the Indigenous name of the fifth-brightest star in the Southern Cross – Ginan. Pronounced “Gee-nan”, the story behind the name includes a process of trading songs to verify friends before a ceremony. Headquarters 1st Brigade Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Mike Webbe thought the name was fitting for the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin and ADF Combined Task Force to represent the trusted relationship between US and Australian forces built during a decade of training together in Australia. “Our aim during Exercise Koolendong is to further integrate our people, their skills and equipment, each year,” Lieutenant Colonel Webbe said. “Ginan is a perfect fit to encompass our long-standing, continued relationship.” The star, located 228 light years away, was accorded the Aboriginal name Ginan in 2018 by the International Astronomical Union. In the dreamtime lore of the Wardaman people, the star represents a red dillybag filled with songs of knowledge, traded between trusted people to verify their friendship. “When I learnt the story behind the star’s name, I couldn’t think of a better way to honour our First Nation’s People and the country we train on, while highlighting what we are doing here alongside the US marines and sailors,” Lieutenant Colonel Webbe said. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

The Wardaman people’s ancestral country is 145km south-west of Katherine in the Northern Territory. The Southern Cross constellation is worn on the left shoulder of the ADF uniform and emblazoned on the unit logo of the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin. CTF Ginan was a fully integrated headquarters of both forces, exercising command decisions during fictitious battles, all while administration, movement and support was coordinated at a forward operating base called ‘Gwion’. Pronounced Gee-on, it was chosen by exercise control staff for its relevance to the landscape within the Bradshaw Field Training Area, relating to a traditional style of Indigenous rock painting found in northern Australia. An escarpment winds through the training area from the south-west to the northeast for more than 70 kilometres. Ancient artwork adorns the rock faces – which are protected sacred sites – throughout the 870,000-hectare training area. This was the first time an exercise of this size was conducted in the area, with the combined force of around 3000 personnel able to extend its lines of communication, exploit surveillance data from unmanned aerial systems, and integrate long-range weapons serials during the culminating activity for the 10th Marine Rotational Force – Darwin. 83

LEFT: Australian soldiers from 1RAR and 2nd Cavalry Regiment, patrol a track at Cowley Beach Training Area, Queensland. OPPOSITE (clockwise from top left): Breaching a room during a clearance patrol at Cowley Beach – soldiers from 1RAR and 2 Cav Regt, patrol a track at Cowley Beach – Lieutenant Luke Frawley, 1RAR, delivers orders at Jungle Training Wing, Tully – and, soldiers run to their next objective at Cowley Beach Training Area.

Words Captain Diana Jennings Pics Corporal Brodie Cross

The days of jungle training at Tully being exclusive to light-infantry sub-units are a thing of the past. Combat Training Centre (CTC) has successfully reinvented the traditional training event to enable Army’s combined-arms teams to survive and thrive in the jungle, mountains, coastal and urban terrain typical of Australia’s near region. Troops from 1RAR’s Ready Combat Team (RCT), roled as the Air Mobile Combat Team of the Australian Amphibious Force (AAF), commenced the new RCT Warfighter Exercise in the dense Tully jungle, completing a range of dismounted missions including reconnaissance, patrolling, rural-village clearances, ambushing, attacks and defensive actions. 84

Private Lucas Hinselwood, who recently returned from non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO operations) in Afghanistan, said the variety in complex training environments ensured their combat team was ready for any situation. “It’s been a good change going from the NEO operation straight into the jungle environment, which practises our adaptability and our capabilities as well,” he said. Exhausted after completing the training serials in harsh terrain, Private Hinselwood, who had stepped up as 2IC, credited his section for their cohesion and resilience throughout the exercise. “They did an absolute cracking job working through the complex clearance – it’s been hot and raining, not

the best conditions, but during the hard times the section came together and kept up morale,” he said. “Being a brand-new section and watching how far we have come from the start of the exercise to where we are now, it’s really good and I’m confident about where we’re headed.” Following the initial deployment to the mountains, dense jungle and rural villages in Tully, 1RAR RCT air assaulted via a 5 Aviation Regiment MRH-90 Taipan helicopter to link up with M1 Abrams to practise combined-arms tactics in the close coastal country and urban villages. OC of the inaugural Regional Warfighting exercise, CTC’s Major Daniel Farrands, stressed the importance

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of varying the training environment to best practise the agility, adaptiveness, robustness, resilience and cohesion of Army’s rapidly deployable combat teams. “We’ve already noticed the soldiers making a mental shift in the way they apply general tactics within these environments, and that in itself demonstrates they will be more adaptable and can easily transition from one terrain type to the other,” Major Farrands said. Officer commanding C Company, 1RAR, Major Matthew Hamill said he was keen to have his soldiers use a range of combined-arms elements throughout the exercise. “The addition of armour and aviation assets provided a great opportunity for personnel to integrate and train Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

closely with those elements we don’t see on a day-to-day basis,” Major Hamill said. Observing the warfighter exercise in north Queensland, Commander 1st Division Major-General Jake Ellwood and Commander of the Amphibious Task Group Navy Captain Phillipa Hay were impressed to see the Ready Combat Team setting a solid foundation for future jointforce exercises. “This is really important training and it’s a great first step,” Major-General Ellwood said. “Moving into next year, these combined-team operations will then bring together our amphibious platforms to undertake ship-to-shore manoeuvres followed by high-end warfighting.

“It’s fantastic to see teams coming together and learning how they would fight in a littoral environment.” Captain Hay was pleased to see the landmark exercise displaying the ADF’s advancement towards training in complex amphibious environments. “It’s important that the Australian Defence Force has a full range of capabilities that are deployable and supportable in Australia’s near region,” Captain Hay said. “We need to take every opportunity we can to make sure that we are training the way we’re going to fight and today is a demonstration of that.” 85

JAPANESE WARSHIPS IN

DARWIN

SURPRISE/SECRET(?) VISITORS

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PHOTOS BY BARRIE COLLINS Two Japan Maritime Self Defence Force ships pulled into Darwin in mid September for a goodwill visit and to replenish supplies after recent exercises in our region. CONTACT’s man in the north Barrie Collins was quickly on the water to snap a couple of photos of this special and unannounced arrival. “We were expecting them about 10 or 10:30 but, as I was loading up the boat, my mate called and said that they had arrived early and one was already docking – so it was a mad rush,” Barrie said. “Anyway, they are both classed as destroyers. “The Kaga, DDH-184, is an Izumo-class muli purpose ‘helicopter destroyer’ built in 2017 with a crew of 900 plus 500 marines. “It can carry a combination of assets including MV-22 Osprey, Seahawk helicopters and 50 or so vehicles. “It has been modified to also carry fixed-wing aircraft, namely the F-35B. “It has a maximum speed of 30 knots and is 248 metres long. “JS Murasame is the lead destroyer for the JMSDF. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

“She was commissioned in 1996, has a crew of 165, and carries one SH-60 anti-submarine helicopter. “She is armed with a 76mm front gun, two triple torpedo tubes, two 20mm Phalanx, eight anti-ship missiles and 16 Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles. “She also has a top speed of 30 knots.” Barrie Collins was on hand again to grab a few photos as the ships left Darwin and said it was very odd that there hadn’t been a word in the media about the visit. Even Defence’s report on the ships’ interactions with Royal Australian Navy vessels near Darwin [published after their departure] didn’t mention the port call… “HMA Ships Maitland and Maryborough farewelled Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) helicopter carrier JS Kaga and destroyer JS Murasame with a formation sail in the waters just off Darwin this last week”, an official Defence statement said. “Kaga and Murasame are deployed together to train and exercise with partners in the region. “After taking part in Exercises Talisman Sabre, Pacific Vanguard, ARC-21 and La Perouse, they joined the two RAN Armidale-class patrol boats during Exercise Malabar. “Sailing in column and exercising with the JMSDF was a unique opportunity to strengthen interoperability and

reaffirm the longstanding friendship between the RAN and the JMSDF. “After detaching Maryborough at outer harbour limits on 18 September, Maitland and her crew engaged in a series of officer-of-the-watch manoeuvres with Kaga, demonstrating professional ship handling and close-in manoeuvring between the 57-metre-long patrol boat and the 248-metre-long helicopter carrier. “Maitland and Kaga also conducted an exchange of gifts via seaboat transfer. “They concluded the manoeuvres with a ceremonial pass, where the ships’ companies fell in on the upper decks to wave farewell. “Commanding Officer Maitland Lieutenant Commander Julia Griffin thanked Kaga in Japanese for the opportunity and wished her ship’s company fair winds and following seas. “Shortly after, Maitland rendezvoused with Murasame and conducted a ceremonial pass, with both vessels exchanging waves and final farewells.” The lack of other-media attention or Defence information on this port call make Barrie Collins’ photos somewhat of an exclusive for CONTACT. So thank you Barrie. 87

The atmosphere on the ground was electric as onlookers cheered and clapped as the ADF put on a spectacular show at Brisbane’s Sunsuper Riverfire on September 25. No. 36 Squadron C-17A Globemaster III pilot Flight Lieutenant Dirk Taylor said he was proud to have captained the 2021 flypast over the Brisbane CBD. “We realise the importance of the flypast and putting on a show for the community,” Flight Lieutenant Taylor said. The Globemaster provided a unique spectacle, flying from RAAF Base Amberley over Mt Coot-tha and the NRL game being played at Suncorp Stadium, then headed south along the river at South Bank before repositioning to fly east along the Kangaroo Point cliffs towards the Storey Bridge. Applause for the flypast was followed by more excitement as those gathered at South Bank awaited the arrival of helicopters from the Army Aviation Training Centre, Oakey. When the ARH Tiger and MRH90 Taipan helicopters passed, kids jumped up and down, waving enthusiastically. Captain Lucas Holt said he was honoured to be the flight lead for the ARH Tiger section. “This was my last flight as an Army aviator, and what better way to say goodbye than seeing the excitement of the crowd as we flew our slow-speed handling manoeuvres,” he said. Both flying units spent hours planning and practising for the flypast, with Flight Lieutenant Taylor saying a lot of time was spent in the preparation phase to make sure the flight was safe. “We surveyed the city and practised the flight in the simulator to make sure it was perfect on the day,” he said. Captain Holt said the preparation was necessarily a lengthy process to confirm all safety requirements could be met. “We rehearsed all the procedures prior to conducting the activity in the actual aircraft. “Our ADF aircraft have the ability to fly safely through the city at a low level and land in all different types of terrain. “These skills provide assurance that we can serve the community effectively and help those in need. “Riverfire was a great opportunity to demonstrate to the community what we can do and give back to the community that we proudly serve.” 88

Story by Flying Officer Lily Lancaster Photos by CONTACT stringer Christabel Migliorini A C-17A Globemaster III from No. 36 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley, conducts a low-level flight through the Brisbane CBD during the Sunsuper Riverfire 2021 event. Featuring the best from CONTACT Air Land & Sea – Australia’s best boots-on-the-ground military e-magazine

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Judging for the 2021 Royal Air Force Photographic Competition took place in October, with several categories producing stunning results

This year’s Royal Air Force Photographic Competition had seven categories – up from last year’s four, thanks to COVID-19. The categories were Personnel, Current RAF Equipment, RAF Operations and Exercises, the Mallett Student Trophy, Section Portfolio, Video and, of course, the Peoples’ Choice. Nearly 1500 images and more than 50 videos were submitted across the competition’s categories, with the best nine images chosen by the judges going head-to-head in the Peoples’ Choice category, where the general public could vote via the Royal Air Force’s official Facebook page – and the winner was SAC Dafydd Lewis’ Flying Home (above right). With space limited, the “CONTACT Editor’s Choices” are presented in this spread, with our ‘winner’ and second place in the Peoples Choice, Corporal Lee ‘Matty’ Matthews’ photo ‘GRIFFIN’ published on page 9 of this yearbook. Adding to that ‘Current RAF Equipment’ category win (and the “CONTACT Editor’s Favourite”), Corporal Matthews also won the RAF Operations and Exercises, and the Video categories. Other winners were SAC Craig Williams in the Personnel category; the Joint Air Delivery Test and Evaluation Unit Photo Section won the Section Portfolio; and, SAC Amelia Turnbull took out the Mallett Student Trophy. This year’s judges, with a mountain of quality work to get through, were WO2 Jamie Peters, British Army photographer, LPhot Dan Shepherd Royal Navy photographer, Imperial War Museum Senior Curator of Photography Hilary Roberts, editor at The Warzone blog Thomas Newdick, picture editor of The Telegraph Matthew Fearn, head of the Royal Air Force photographic trade, WO Andy Malthouse and Mrs Pam Mallett. Hilary Roberts said this year’s entries reflected the RAF’s huge contribution to British life as well as its core role of keeping British skies safe. “Congratulations to all winners and entrants on an excellent standard of photography in an exceptionally challenging year,” she said. WO2 Peters said picking the top images from the many submitted was a real challenge. “The standard of entries were as technically excellent as they were varied, showing the diverse range of tasks the RAF and its photographers do all over the world,” WO2 Peters said. “From support with the COVID pandemic at home to operations abroad, the photographers have captured it all. “As a fellow military photographer, I looked for images that made me wish I had taken them and there were many that fell into that bracket, which made my job all the more difficult. “Well done to everyone who entered.” Featuring the best from CONTACT Air Land & Sea – Australia’s best boots-on-the-ground military e-magazine

BELOW: “Flying Home” – 1st Place Peoples’ Choice and 3rd Place Category E – Current RAF Equipment – RAF Typhoon Display Team aircraft, BLACKJACK. By SAC Dafydd Lewis. LEFT: “Mind Over Matter” – 1st Place Category C – Section Portfolio – an RAF Voyager refuelling aircraft in the Middle East on a takeoff roll. By Cpl Lee ‘Matty’ Matthews. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

LEFT: “Contemplation” – 2nd, Category B – The Mallett Student Trophy – portrait of Aircraftman Mcgarvie, taken as part of an excercise to teach the fundametals of environmental portraiture as part of Defence photographer training. By SAC Tomas Barnard. ABOVE: “Back to the Office” – 3rd, Category C – Section Portfolio – an 84 Sqn crewman supporting personnel from Ayios Nikolaos Station, British Forces Cyprus. By Corporal Phil Dye. FAR RIGHT: “Just Hanging” – 1st Place Category C – Section Portfolio – Sergeant Neil Flannigan, Parachute Test Team, prepares for a jump. By SAC Kitty Barratt. RIGHT: “Family Portrait” – no placing, Category B – The Mallett Student Trophy – five images combined, silhouetting the photographer’s family. By SAC Aeris Finney. All images © UK MOD Crown copyright 2021 94

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AUSSIE TEAM 2nd IN

LEFT: CSIRO’s Data61 scientists prepare their robots for the final challenge in DARPA’s Subterranean Challenge, otherwise known as the Robot Olympics. OPPOSITE: ‘Bingo’ sniffs a path through a tunnel. Photos supplied by CSIRO.

Australian robotics experts led by national science agency CSIRO, beat teams from NASA JPL/MIT, California Institute of Technology, and Carnegie Mellon University in September to claim second place in a world-leading robotics competition dubbed the ‘Robot Olympics’. Organised by the US Defense research agency DARPA and spanning a three-year-period, the Subterranean Challenge was designed to push the boundaries of autonomous robotic technology. Scientists were tasked with remotely running their robots in an underground environment that simulated a real-world scenario. This included locating models representing lost or injured humans, backpacks, or phones, as well as variable conditions such as pockets of gas. 96

Points were awarded for correct identification and location of items, mapping the terrain, and maintaining autonomy and communications throughout. The competition culminated in a final event held inside the Louisville Mega Cavern in Louisville, Kentucky. You can watch the Australian team’s final run on YouTube. Made up of members from CSIRO’s Data61, CSIRO spinout robotics company Emesent, and the Georgia Institute of Technology, the team competed under the name ‘CSIRO’s Data61’ and won the preliminary round before being awarded second in the final circuit, to collect US$1million. CSIRO’s Robotics group leader and team leader CSIRO’s Data61 Navinda Kottege said it was an amazing result. “We are the first Australian team to place in the top two at a DARPA robotics challenge,” Dr Kottege said.

“This cements CSIRO’s place as a world leader in robotics and puts Australia firmly on the map in this increasingly important area of science. “I’d like to thank team partners Emesent and Georgia Institute of Technology for their exceptional research and development and contribution to this amazing result.” The $US1 million ($AUD1.3) prize money will be reinvested into team CSIRO’s Data61 research and development of Australian technology. CTO and co-founder of Emesent Farid Kendoul said the achievement was great news for Australia. “I am so proud of team CSIRO’s Data61 placing second, and the contributions that Emesent made over the three years to advance the team’s state-of-the-art robotics and showcase the capabilities of Australian companies on a global stage,” Dr Kendoul said.

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Director of the Mobile Robot Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology Ronald Arkin said the Georgia Tech Mobile Robot lab was thrilled to have been team members with CSIRO and Emesent. “Our years of hard work together paid great dividends both intellectually and in camaraderie, and it is truly exciting to see the outcome,” Professor Arkin said. Dr Kottege said the team would now focus on translating the technology and capabilities developed from this project to solve some of Australia’s greatest challenges. The DARPA Subterranean – or “SubT” – Challenge seeks novel approaches to rapidly and autonomously map, navigate and search difficult underground environments during time-sensitive combat operations or disaster response scenarios. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

Complex underground settings present significant challenges for military and civilian first responders, with hazards varying drastically across domains, which can degrade or change over time and are often too high-risk for humans to deal with. DARPA encourages participation from multidisciplinary teams from around the world to address the autonomy, perception, networking, and mobility technologies necessary to map subsurface networks in unpredictable conditions. To attract a broader range of participants, DARPA’s SubT Challenge includes both a physical systems competition as well as a software-only virtual competition, and prize monies totalling US$5million. Teams in both competitions compete in three circuit events that explore the difficulties of operating in specific

underground environments... tunnel systems can extend many kilometres in length with constrained passages, vertical shafts, and multiple levels urban underground environments can have complex layouts with multiple stories and span several city blocks, and, natural cave networks which often have irregular geological structures, with both constrained passages and large caverns. Teams competed in three preliminary circuit events, several months apart, and a final integrated challenge course pursuing high-risk and high-reward approaches. The final event put teams to the test with courses that incorporated diverse challenges from all three environments. 97

SURFin’s mental Photos by Levi Cahill Photography

Army veteran Rob Knox rides his own surfboard – a present from his proud son – watched by Veteran Surf Project guru Rusty Moran. 98

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“ IT’S LIKE MEDITATION FOR DUMMIES”

The Veteran Surf Project is helping former service members restore balance – on surfboards, as well as in their mental health. The Australian-first program, which is the brainchild of former professional big-wave surfer Rusty Moran and with the backing of Keith Payne VC, uses surfing as therapy on the wounds of veterans suffering from depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “It’s mental-health therapy disguised as having fun,” Rusty says. The free program at Seven Mile Beach, Gerroa, south of Sydney, has just completed its first year with grant funding from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. In its first year, the Veteran Surf Project has done a classic ‘under promise and over achieve’, with more than 1300 veteran attendances by more than 100 veteran participants. Each participant in the surf program is also a participant in a research study with the University of Western Sydney, filling out mental-health surveys before session one and after session 10, and participating in an indepth interview after that 10th session. But, more importantly, the Veteran Surf Project has already been credited with saving at least three veterans who were on family ‘suicide watch’. The Veteran Surf Project was organised with the support of retired Navy officer and Chairman of the Keith Payne VC Veterans Benefit Group Fred Campbell. “This is just what our veterans need – learning a new sport in a low-pressure social setting, with time in the ocean to clear the mind and let everything else just wash away,” Fred said. Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

Rusty Moran says he knew surfing could make a difference to veterans suffering PTSD, because everyone who surfs knows how being in the ocean calms your mind. “It’s like meditation for dummies”, he says. “We knew there were a heap of veterans in our local community with heavy PTSD and depression and we were hoping we could help in their recovery and allow some of them to climb out of that dark place of depression. “Keith Payne looked me in the eye and said, “This will grow into something special that will help our veterans and prevent suicide down the track”. “So, to prove my faith in the concept, I had hoped we might save one life during the program this year – but we’ve actually heard from at least three veterans that we’ve done just that for them. “That’s huge – mind-blowing. “And, while it is amazingly gratifying, there is also a huge responsibility behind it.” Rusty says that while the thrills of surfing may be the initial attraction to bring veterans together, there are deeper elements at play. “The social connections, the feelings of achievement and of self-belief in overcoming challenges, and the awareness that others are going through similar journeys can’t be underestimated. “Surfing is a difficult sport to learn, so the first thing we teach is how to fall off. Then you get back on and try again and keep trying until you get it. “It’s a bit like life that way.” One young ex-army veteran said “When I come here,

I can be myself. It’s the only place where I feel there’s other people who ‘get me’, because I’m a veteran. I struggle to walk into Coles without feeling like a stranger, because I’m not a civilian. But when I come surfing, even if I feel like shit, I know I’ll have a good time and just be around others who know what it feels like to struggle some days.” CONTACT Editor Brian Hartigan is also a participant in the Veteran Surf Project with 16 sessions under his belt, and agrees both the camaraderie and the ocean have improved his mental health considerably. “I’ve never come across anything that can change my mood for the better so dramatically, so quickly,” Brian says. “One day in particular, I stumbled out of bed in a crap mood, dragged myself down to Gerroa, an hour late for the start of the session – and just two sloppy shore-breaks later, I was grinning like a Cheshire cat. “They had to order me out of the water that day.” Another participant, Graeme Copeland, served in all three branches of the ADF and had an unrestricted pilots licence, but, when his PTSD became too severe, he had to give up his career and give up flying. After taking part in the surf program and gaining confidence back, he is now halfway through the challenging task of getting his unrestricted pilot’s licence again. Army veteran Greg Williams has no doubt the Veteran Surf Project saved his life. Suffering PTSD since his service in Iraq and battling the ‘black dog’ for years, he says he now sleeps well and wakes with enthusiasm. 99

Clockwise from above: Doug Rattey greets the camera like a real surfer. Megan Cahill shreds a wave. Graeme Copeland and Tahnee Barnes discuss the finer points of a ‘party wave’. Greg Williams and Greg Symmans celebrate their 50th Veteran Surf Project session. 76-year-old Vietnam veteran Gary Tearle showing off his new-found skills on a surfboard. Tahnee Barnes shows how stoked surfing makes her feel.

“I’m a bit more like that Energiser bunny I was before I deployed – before my head got in the way.” His wife Ros agrees too. “We’ve had our ups and downs over the past 10 years or so,” she said in a moving interview for a mini documentary produced for the Veteran Surf Project, available to view on YouTube by copying this link – https://youtu.be/5W0IWaJZKhE “To come home and find that the person you love most in the world has tried to take their life – I can’t explain – it’s just surreal. “After that, you’re always worrying, ‘he’s late, where is he, what’s he doing – is he even coming home?’ “But I don’t worry about that anymore – I know where he is. He’s at the beach, surfing. “I often joke now that I’m a surf widow – and that’s the only kind of widow I ever want to be.” There have also been numerous stories of participants being able to either greatly reduce or in some cases stop the medication they have been taking for a variety of conditions for years. 100

Rusty Moran says one of the coolest stories for him has been 76-year-old Vietnam veteran, Gary Tearle. “He thought he would ‘give it a go’ and might just use a ‘boogie board’. “But, after getting on the surfboard he has become addicted to the feeling of riding a wave on his feet. “When he debriefed after his 10-week program, he said he has gone from only sleeping three hours a night – something he had experienced for almost 50 years – to now sleeping six hours every night. “One of my proudest moments was watching Gary go through the course and seeing him catch a wave from out the back, getting up on his own and riding it all the way into shore – that was magic,” Rusty says. “As coaches, when we see someone struggle to get to their feet and finally do it and catch a wave on their own, we can’t help but cheer and throw our fists in the air in celebration. “That camaraderie is infectious. We are all cheering each other on – it’s just one big family and is so special to be part of.”

A number of the participating veterans have now become so in love with surfing that six members are qualifiying as surf instructors, so they can pass on their experience and become mentors and take on coaching roles for newcomers. Rusty says, of the more than 100 participants in the Veteran Surf Project program so far, about two thirds have continued to “hit the waves” – with two chalking up their 50th sessions recently. “It will be interesting to see in the university study how the ones who completed the 10-week program and continue to surf maintain or improve the mental health benefits compared to those who don’t continue surfing,” he said. So, where to from here? The benefits of surfing as a therapy are being studied by the US Navy in a $1million program. Here in Australia, the benefits on mental health are being studied by Western Sydney University which, in a global first, will also measure how long those benefits might remain or improve for those who continue surfing

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after the initial program compared to those people who do not continue surfing. To do that, however, the Veteran Surf Project and the university research must continue. Rusty says he is incredibly proud of what the Veteran Surf Project has been able to achieve in its first year delivering the program. “However, having exhausted the initial funding allocation from DVA for the pilot program – and delivering substantially more than we initially projected Subscribe free at www.aussiecombat.com

– the search is now on for other funding to continue this groundbreaking work. “There is still so much more to do – and I feel the burden of responsibility to keep this program going. “We can already see lifechanging – indeed life-saving benefits and we need to secure more funding to ensure this amazing program can be an ongoing thing. “While funding, support and interest in veteran mental health may ebb and flow, PTSD in veterans is not going to go away.

“The Veteran Surf Project is now seeking public and/ or corporate backing to cover the $1500 needed to put each veteran through the 10-week program plus six months of follow-up lessons,” Rusty says. “It’s not a huge amount but can make such a huge difference in a veteran’s life – with benefits that flow on to his or her family too.” Tax deductible donations via the registered charity Keith Payne VC Veterans Benefit Group can be made at veteransurfproject.org 101

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CONTACT is dedicated to presenting stories, photos and video that capture the essence of serving-members’ lives, as far as possible in their own words. CONTACT web site is our internet-based headquarters where we publish daily news, info-tainment and other interesting, related items. We also use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube as ’embassies’ where we engage our audience, inviting them back to our headquarters. Two different CONTACT newsletters are free email-based publications that draw attention to recent news and ‘people’ stories. Their intent is to bring readers the best of the previous fortnight in a handy-reference format, linking back to the original story in our headquarters (web site) – and updating developments in older stories. CONTACT Air Land & Sea magazine is a high-quality, full-colour, features-based magazine published four times per year. Initially launched in March 2004 as a traditional paper-based magazine, it switched to digital in 2013. It is now only available on the internet by free subscription. Web: www.contactairlandandsea.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/CONTACTmagazine Email: editor@militarycontact.com Mail: PO Box 3091, Minnamurra, NSW 2533

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202 1 YE A RB O O K

CONTACT Yearbook 2021

Articles inside

Surfin’s Mental

Robot Olympics

Riverfire

RAF Photo Comp

Koolendong

Japs in Darwin

Combined Arms

One Wild Ride

Talisman Sabre

Southern Jackaroo

Evacuation of Kabul

RAA 150

Cope North

RAAF 100

The Big Pictures

Apache

ANZAC Day

Battle Lines

Military Tattoos