von Chief of Army, Lieutenant General David Morrison, AO recently announced Plan BEERSHEBA, a restructure of the Australian Army to enhance its effectiveness and efficiency.
Plan BEERSHEBA is the second phase of Adaptive Army, and will focus on the restructure of 1st, 3rd and 7th Brigades to form new Multi-role Manoeuvre Brigades that are alike in structure.
These Brigades will enable sustained operations within a new 36-month Force Generation Cycle, which in turn will ensure Army transitions to a force structure that is ready to respond to the full spectrum of possible operational commitments. Each one will include infantry, armour, artillery, engineer, logistic and communication elements.
Army Reserves will realign to be more integrated with the regular Army with two Reserve Brigades supporting each Multi-role Manoeuvre Brigade. This will see the Reserve assume an even greater focus on stability operations such as East Timor and the Solomon Islands.
Plan BEERSHEBA also introduces ADF’s new amphibious capabilities such as the new Landing Helicopter Docks (LHD) ships which represent a fundamental shift in how Army will deploy land forces and conduct operations in response to the full spectrum of conflict scenarios in the future.
Lieutenant General Morrison said, “the Army’s Deployable Joint Force Headquarters will foster and develop an amphibious culture across Army, but it will take some time to master. The important point is that the Army is committed to developing this aspect of its operations.”
To reinforce Army’s commitment, the Chief of Army has designated the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR) to form the core of Army’s contribution to a future amphibious force as this developmental work is done.
“2RAR will work on a day to day basis with Navy and Air Force on the LHDs and other amphibious platforms to further develop this joint capability.”
In his inaugural year as Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Morrison expressed his confidence in Plan BEERSHEBA to deliver an Army that is robust, relevant and capable for the tasks directed by Government.
“Our modern Army is moving into the future with a new perspective and a smarter way of doing business and delivering capability within the resources we have,” Lieutenant General Morrison said.
“Plan BEERSHEBA will ensure that Army can continue to contribute forces to operations including Afghanistan, until the mission is complete, and will successfully transition to a force that maintains high levels of readiness to react to the range of Australia’s Defence needs as they arise.
“On operations and at home, it means we will derive the full value from our Army.”
Press release
Ministerial Support and Public Affairs,
Department of Defence,
Canberra, Australia