Army’s role: the integrated force’s experts in land combat.
Army’s mission: prepare land power in order to enable the integrated force in competition and conflict.
Army’s adaptation priority: to optimise for littoral manoeuvre with a long-range land and maritime strike capability.
Army’s tasks:
- We are ready to fight wars in the littoral
- We deter and deny threats to Australia
- We enable the projection of military force
- We build partnerships with regional security forces
- We help defend Australia against long-range attacks
- We help maintain stability in Australia’s near region
- We contribute to the global rules-based order
- We support the states and territories in crisis and disasters
How is Army adapting following the 2024 National Defence Strategy and 2023 Defence Strategic Review?
In April 2024, Government released the National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program. Hear more from Chief of Army, LTGEN Simon Stuart about how it affects Army:
The 2024 National Defence Strategy directs Army to optimise for littoral manoeuvre with a long range land and maritime strike capability, as part of the focused, integrated force. Army’s transformation commenced immediately following the release of the 2023 Defence Strategic Review.
In the year following the publication of the Defence Strategic Review, Army:
- reorganised its higher command and control to train as it would fight
- strengthened Forces Command’s ability to generate well-trained soldiers and teams, including the appointment of Commander Forces Command as the Army G7
- re-focused the roles of its combat brigades and begun consolidating them in northern Australia
- focused the 2nd (Australian) Division on Australia’s domestic security and response
- expanded the transformation of its world-class battlefield aviation system
- raised the 10th Brigade in Adelaide to introduce long-range and air-defence missile systems in support of the Integrated Force
The Army’s transformation is supported by acquisition of new long-range strike weapons, air and missile defence systems, battlefield aviation platforms, armoured vehicles and landing craft.
Changes to Army capabilities
The Army is on a pathway to becoming a littoral fighting force that matches future threats and is designed to operate in the unique geography of Australia’s region. This includes the largest re-capitalisation of Army’s equipment in generations.