The Australian Army has activated its second main battle tank (MBT) squadron and consolidated its heavy armour capabilities in Townsville, the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) said in a 1 May statement.
According to the DoD, the formal establishment of D Squadron within the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2 CAV) is a significant milestone for the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, representing the first time in the corps’ history that a regiment has two tank and cavalry squadrons positioned in the same location.
“This places us as one of the first pieces on the chess board in the 3rd Brigade’s armoured realisation,” said Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Josh Higgins.
“We now have 36 of the world’s best tanks, complementing the combat reconnaissance vehicle capability we have,” added Lt Col Higgins. “The other squadrons in the unit represent the eyes and ears, and now finally we have the talons of the bird of prey.”
The DoD noted that D Squadron will undertake further progression training throughout 2025 in preparation for its eventual assignment within the Australian Army’s armoured amphibious brigade.
The Australian Army’s new M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams MBTs feature newly manufactured turrets with refurbished hulls. This newer variant is approximately 66 tonnes when configured for combat, around five tonnes heavier than the service’s previous M1A1 AIM MBTs
The M1A2 SEPv3 also features the Kongsberg CROWS-Low Profile weapon station, offering its tank crews improved situational awareness as well as the ability to fire a machine gun from under armoured protection. The MBTs are also understood to be provisioned for the future installation of an active protection system (APS).
Australia is procuring up to 75 M1A2 SEPv3 tanks under the LAND 907 programme. This renamed programme combines LAND 907 Phase 2 (MBTs) and LAND 8160 Phase 1 for M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles (ABV), 17 M1074 Joint Assault Bridges, as well as six additional M88A2 armoured recovery vehicles.
by Jr Ng
