The Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) is the senior arms corps within the Australian Army and is the comprised of Regular Army and Army Reserve regiments equipped with armoured vehicles in the Australian Army. The corps was formed in 1941 as the Australian Armoured Corps, before being given the Royal prefix in 1948. The Royal Australian Armoured Corps traces its lineage back to the Australian Light Horse regiments and in many cases to state militia prior to Federation. Today, many of the current regiments follow the traditions of their Light Horse predecessors.

Since 1945, the Royal Australian Armoured Corps has deployed soldiers and vehicles and was involved in the following conflicts/peacekeeping roles:

• Japan (British Commonwealth Occupation Force) : 1946-1949

• South Vietnam : 1965-1971

• Somalia : 1993

• Rwanda : 1994

• East Timor : 1999 - Present

• Iraq : 2003 - Present

• Afghanistan : 2006

The RAAC has an approximate current strength of about 250 officers and 1000 other ranks and has units around Australia.  

Current units

• Regular Army

  • 1st Armoured Regiment - Armoured

  • 2nd Cavalry Regiment - Reconnaissance

  • B Squadron, 3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment - Armoured Personnel Carrier

  • 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry) - Reconnaissance

• Army Reserve

  • 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers - Reconnaissance

  • A Squadron, 3rd/9th South Australia Mounted Rifles - Light cavalry

  • 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse - Reconnaissance

  • A Squadron, 10th Light Horse Regiment - Light cavalry

  • 12th/16th Hunter River Lancers - Light Armoured

Equipment

The RAAC is primarily equipped with three types of vehicle:

• M1A1 Abrams - the Abrams is Australia's main battle tank (MBT), and equips 1st Armoured Regiment. It replaced the Leopard 1 MBT in 2006.

• ASLAV - the ASLAV is a variant of the LAV II vehicle designed specifically for the Australian Army, and is used in the armoured reconnaissance role with 2nd Cavalry Regiment and 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment.

• M113A1 - the M113 is an armoured personnel carrier that serves in both the light armoured and armoured reconnaissance roles with 3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st/15th Royal NSW Lancers, 3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles), 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse, 10th Light Horse and 12th/16th Hunter River Lancers.

• Landrover - Re-equipped Land Rover 6x6 LRPV used in the Light Cavalry/Reconnaissance role of the Reserve forces.

• Bushmaster – the Bushmaster IMV is an Australian-built wheeled armoured vehicle that is used in the Infantry Mobility role with B Squadron, 3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment as well as the Cavalry role with the 12th/16th Hunter River Lancers.

In addition, some units of the RAAC with be equipped with the new Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle in the near future. The 1st Armoured Regiment will be re-equipped with M1A1 Abrams tanks in early 2007. The School of Armour received its first M1A1 Abrams tanks in September 2006.

Leopard MBT of the 1st Armoured Regiment conducting a live fire.

(R Kennard - 1st Armoured Regiment Association)