Townsville will become Australia’s Army capital with hundreds of troops set to be relocated to north Queensland as part of a major defence capability restructure.
Defence Minister Richard Marles will unveil the overhaul on Thursday to prioritise conducting missions in littoral waters close to shorelines in the Pacific amid China’s rapid military expansion.
Under the shake-up, about 800 troops will be moved out of Adelaide with a majority to be based in Townsville and up to 200 in Brisbane and 100 in Darwin.
The staged relocation will transform the Garrison city into the Army’s only heavy combat formation with up to 500 soldiers added to its ranks by 2025.
The changes are in response to key recommendations of the government’s Defence Strategic Review, which found Australia’s current military structure was not fit for the changing strategic circumstances.
In line with the recommendations, two Adelaide-based combat units will be dissolved and a new “order of battle” will be formed across the four cities.
The South Australian city will be rebuilt to the 10th Brigade, a unit dedicated to advanced land-based, long-range missile strike capabilities.
In Brisbane the 7th Brigade will home a motorised combat force, while Darwin’s 1st Brigade will be a light combat formation.
Townsville’s 3rd Brigade will become an armoured combat unit, which will eventually host all of the Army’s tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled howitzers, as well as Apache and Chinook helicopters.
“These changes to Army are about responding to the recommendations of the Defence Strategic Review to maintain peace, security and prosperity in our region,” Mr Marles said in a statement.
“Our Army has always played a vital role in the defence of our nation and will continue to do so as it adapts to the challenges of our times.”
(Sky News)
