Formation, 1948 The origins of the Royal Australian Regiment lie in the decision made by the Australian government to raise a force for
occupation duties in Japan at the end of the Second World War. The
34th Australian Infantry Brigade was raised in October 1945 from
Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) personnel then serving in the South West Pacific Area, with the three battalions of the brigade designated as the 65th, 66th and 67th Australian Infantry Battalions of the AIF. The 65th Battalion was formed from volunteers from the
7th Division and the
2/40th Battalion. The 66th Battalion received volunteers from the
9th Division and
1st Australian Corps troops. The 67th Battalion was formed from the
3rd,
6th, and
11th Divisions. After concentrating on the island of
Morotai, the 34th Brigade moved to Japan and joined the
British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) in February 1946. The 34th Brigade became the basis of the post-war Regular Army in 1947, and when the decision was taken in 1948 to withdraw two of the battalions to Australia, attention turned to the status and designation of these units. Brigadier
Ronald Hopkins, commander of the brigade, was concerned that despite the unit prestige and regimental spirit developed since October 1945, it would be undesirable to have the
regular units the highest numbered, without
battle honours or
colours, and with precedence after
Militia units. Consideration was given to whether the battalions might be designated as separate regiments. For example, the 65th Battalion might have become the 1st Infantry Battalion, City of Sydney's Own Regiment under one proposal or the 1st Battalion, King George VI's Australian Rifle Regiment under another. Instead, the decision was taken to number the units sequentially as part of one large regiment and so on 23 November 1948 the 65th, 66th and 67th Battalions became the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Australian Regiment. An application was made for a royal title, which was granted on 10 March 1949. The Royal Australian Regiment thus came into being as Australia's first regiment of regular infantry. Since formation the battalions of the regiment have competed against each other in an annual military skills competition known as the
Gloucester Cup.
Early years: Japan and Australia, 1948–1950 The formation of the regiment following the end of the Second World War was fundamentally important to the post-war Australian Army, forming a key component of the first "permanent, professional army, available in peace and war for any task the government might direct". Prior to this time the Australian Army had been substantially a part-time militia with a permanent cadre. A major influence in the raising of the regiment was Australia's desire to secure a prominent role in the occupation of Japan and the eventual peace settlement. After some delays the 65th, 66th and 67th Battalions arrived in Japan's Hiroshima Prefecture in February 1946. Subsequent employment "involved activities designed to reinforce upon the Japanese the lesson of their defeat", in addition to guard duty, patrolling and training. In December 1948 the Australian component of the BCOF was reduced from a brigade to one understrength battalion, with the 1st and 2nd Battalions returning to Australia, while the 3rd Battalion remained in Japan. On return to Australia the 34th Brigade became the 1st Brigade. The 1st Battalion was subsequently based in
Ingleburn, New South Wales, and the 2nd Battalion at
Puckapunyal, Victoria. Both units were significantly understrength as many men discharged on returning to Australia, while others elected to remain in Japan with the 3rd Battalion.
Alan Morrison, a former member of the regiment, later recalled that for the two battalions that returned to Australia "...the first eighteen months of the regiment's existence were harrowing times". Many men discharged due to frustration and discontent, while the battalions were not strong enough to undertake meaningful training activities and their barracks were in a state of disrepair. Yet from this experience came the core "...of dedicated soldiers destined to be the non-commissioned officers of the regiment in the Korean War and the outstanding warrant officers and sergeants of the battalions that served in Malaya and in the early part of the Vietnam campaign". The regiment has provided units and individuals for virtually all Australian Army deployments and operations since its formation. The first period of sustained operational service began with the regiment's first deployment in Korea in 1950 and continued until the withdrawal of combat units from Vietnam in 1972. These 22 years were arguably the most significant for the regiment with between one and three battalions involved in combat operations in South-East Asia at any one time. A second lengthy period of operational service commenced with the intervention in East Timor in 1999, which became the first of many commitments for the regiment that have continued to the present day. Approximately 85,000 personnel have served in the RAR during this time,
Korean War, 1950–1953 The
Korean War was the first major test of the regiment. Following preparations in Japan, 3 RAR arrived in
Pusan on 28 September 1950 and was attached to the
27th British Commonwealth Brigade. The initial invasion of South Korea by the North Korean People's Army (NKPA) had been broken by General
Douglas MacArthur's amphibious landing at
Inchon, and so, in what was a complicated war of manoeuvre, 3 RAR was involved in the pursuit of the NKPA back
across the 38th parallel. On 21 October 1950, 3 RAR took part in the
Battle of Yongyu in an apple orchard north of Pyongyang, the first large-scale engagement fought by a battalion of the regiment. The farthest north 3 RAR would advance into North Korea was the Pakchon–Chongju area following the
Battle of Chongju, and it was near here that Lieutenant Colonel
Charlie Green, the battalion's commanding officer, was mortally wounded on 30 October 1950. By November 1950, following the
Chinese intervention, 3 RAR was withdrawing south along with the rest of the allied
Eighth Army, fighting the
Battle of Pakchon. However, following a
UN counteroffensive a defensive line was established about north of
Seoul and it was here in April 1951 that 3 RAR, along with the 2nd Battalion,
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and supporting UN forces, fought a successful defensive action at the
Battle of Kapyong. This battle proved to be the climactic point of the regiment's first year in Korea. By June 1951, 3 RAR moved to a position on the
Imjin River under the command of the
US I Corps and it was here that the battalion would spend the next two years of the war. The major action fought by the regiment in the second half of 1951 was the
Battle of Maryang San, where 3 RAR, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
Frank Hassett, assaulted Hill 317 on 5 October 1951. Known as
Operation Commando, Hill 317 was captured after five days of hard fighting. Following this action the war was defined by fixed defences of trenches, bunkers and wire, constant patrolling, and numerous clashes. In April 1952, 3 RAR was joined by 1 RAR and command of the
28th British Commonwealth Brigade, of which they were now a part, passed to an Australian officer as a result. Meanwhile, the expansion of the commitment in Korea to two battalions resulted in the establishment of a regimental depot at Ingleburn in 1952 to train and hold infantrymen for service in Korea. In April 1953, 1 RAR was replaced by 2 RAR on a system of unit rotation. During this changeover a parade was held to mark the first occasion that all battalions of the regiment had been on parade together. 1 RAR served a year in Korea, 2 RAR for four months before the armistice, while 3 RAR served throughout the war, earning itself the nickname of "Old Faithful". The last major action of the war for the regiment was the
Battle of the Samichon River fought by 2 RAR over 24–26 July 1953, repulsing a number of major Chinese assaults just hours before the
Armistice Agreement was signed. Following the armistice both sides withdrew and a
demilitarised zone was created. The period that followed proved uneventful, yet the UN forces were required to maintain combat readiness and the ability to react quickly in case the North Koreans violated the ceasefire. In April 1954, 2 RAR returned to Australia and was replaced by 1 RAR which remained in South Korea until March 1956. 3 RAR finally returned to Australia in September 1954 after four years of continuous service in Korea and five years before that in Japan. Total Army casualties in Korea included 293 killed, 1,210 wounded and 23 captured, the majority being infantrymen of the Royal Australian Regiment. The fighting in Korea provided the regiment with valuable combat experience, establishing a foundation for its further development and marking the emergence of the Australian Regular Army. The Korean War remains the only large-scale, conventional war that the regiment has fought. During this time the Army developed the capability to maintain two battalions on major operations at the same time.
Malaya and Borneo, 1955–1966 In April 1955 the Australian government had committed army, navy and air force elements to the
Far East Strategic Reserve to assist in the defence of Malaya from internal and external security threats. While British Commonwealth forces had been operating against the communist terrorists since 1948, the battalions of the regiment came relatively late to the
Malayan Emergency, and when 2 RAR arrived in theatre in October 1955 to join the
28th British Commonwealth Brigade, the war had been running for over seven years. 2 RAR was replaced by 3 RAR in 1957, which was in turn replaced by 1 RAR in 1959. During the Emergency the three battalions were involved in 45 contacts, killing 17 guerrillas for the loss of seven men killed in action. According to
Jim Molan the attention to detail required of five years of infantry soldiering in Malaya exposed the regiment to jungle warfare skills developed by the
British Army during its most successful counterinsurgency war. This experience later informed the development of its own doctrine, with the Malayan Emergency making a significant contribution to the professionalism of the regiment. Meanwhile, the regimental depot—which had been renamed 4 RAR soon after formation—was subsequently incorporated into the School of Infantry and renamed Depot Company, Royal Australian Regiment in 1960. Despite the end of the State of Emergency in Malaya, 1 RAR was employed on anti-terrorist operations along the Thai border in late 1960. 1 RAR was replaced in Malaya by 2 RAR in 1961, with the battalion involved in training and counter-terrorist operations. It was subsequently employed on operations along the Thai border for three months in mid-1962, and again in May and June 1963, being involved in a number of minor contacts. 2 RAR handed over to 3 RAR in August, and returned to Australia. 3 RAR was also committed to operations along the Thai border in early 1964. Between 1963 and 1966, Indonesia pursued a policy of
Konfrontasi, or Confrontation, with Malaysia. 3 RAR, which was based at
Camp Terendak in Malacca on mainland Malaysia, was subsequently used with British and New Zealand forces to mop up two small
airborne and seaborne landings near
Labis and
Pontian in September and October 1964. On 13 February 1965, 3 RAR was warned for service in
Sarawak on the island of
Borneo, commencing in March. 3 RAR completed a four-month tour mounting numerous security patrols in its area of operations, including a number of sensitive cross-border patrols into the Indonesian regency of Sarawak as a part of
Operation Claret, which resulted in actions at
Sungei Koemba,
Kindau and
Babang, between late May and July. Operations on the Sarawak border "were a severe test of the skill, discipline and professionalism of the infantry, involving long periods in the jungle or in the company bases." Out of the 30 Claret operations conducted by 3 RAR, 12 were reconnaissance patrols, while the remainder were ambushes or fighting patrols, four of which resulted in contact with Indonesian forces. 4 RAR, having been reformed as a battalion the previous year, assumed responsibility from 3 RAR at Camp Terendak in October 1965. Deploying forward to Borneo in April 1966, it remained there until September and like its predecessor, conducted a demanding routine of internal security and cross-border patrols.
Expansion of the regiment, 1960s The early 1960s were a period of strategic uncertainty and increasing commitments in South East Asia. Consequently, the Australian government re-introduced
selective conscription in late-1964 and directed a significant increase in the strength of the Army. Yet unlike during the 1950s when National Servicemen bolstered the strength of CMF, under the new scheme they would serve for two years in the Regular Army instead. This substantial period of service for the regiment in Australia, Malaysia, and Vietnam saw the government direct the expansion of the regiment from four to nine battalions. By September 1965 the regiment consisted of seven battalions; by July 1966, eight; and by November 1967, nine. 4 RAR was formed in February 1964; 1 RAR abandoned the
Pentropic Establishment (1,300 personnel) to revert to the Tropical Establishment (800 personnel), allowing 5 RAR to form in March 1965; 6 RAR was formed from a cadre drawn from 2 RAR in June 1965; 3 RAR assisted the formation of 7 RAR in September 1965; 8 RAR formed in August 1966; and 9 RAR was raised in November 1967.
Vietnam War, 1962–1972 , Saigon. Although individual members of the regiment had served as advisors with the
Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) since 1962, it was not until April 1965 that the government announced that a battalion would be deployed to
South Vietnam. Between June 1965 and March 1972 the units of the regiment would conduct sixteen rotations in South Vietnam, with the first seven battalions completing two 12-month tours, while 8 and 9 RAR would each serve one. Consequently, following a period of hurried training and administration 1 RAR joined the
US 173rd Airborne Brigade at
Bien Hoa Air Base northeast of
Saigon in June 1965. After initially defending the airbase, 1 RAR steadily increased the scope of its patrols. For example, in January 1966, 1 RAR assaulted a large
Vietcong (VC) headquarters complex in the
Ho Bo Woods as a part of
Operation Crimp; which the Americans hailed as the first strategic intelligence victory of the war. The battalion subsequently completed a 12-month-tour attached to US forces, during which it developed new tactics and techniques that later became standard for Australian battalions and supporting arms and services that would subsequently operate in Vietnam. In March 1966, Prime Minister
Harold Holt announced that Australia would increase its commitment to South Vietnam. In May 1966 the newly raised 5 and 6 RAR arrived in theatre as a part of the
1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) in
Phuoc Tuy Province, establishing a base at
Nui Dat. After two months of constant patrolling by both battalions, 6 RAR was engaged in the action that would become a defining part of Australia's involvement in the war; the
Battle of Long Tan. Fought on 18 August 1966, 108 men from D Company, 6 RAR fought a ferocious meeting engagement with the VC
275th Regiment, possibly reinforced by at least one
North Vietnamese
People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) battalion, and
D445 Battalion (between 1,500 and 2,500 personnel). After fighting for two and a half hours, D Company was surrounded on three sides. However, with the assistance of strong artillery support they were able to hold their position until the timely arrival of a relief force of infantry and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) finally forced the VC to break. In the words of the official historian, Ian McNeill, "D Company had achieved a stunning victory". In 1967, 2 and 7 RAR assumed responsibility in Phuoc Tuy from their predecessors and continued the extensive patrolling, and cordon and searches characteristic of this conflict. In August 1967, 7 RAR fought elements of the VC
3rd Battalion, 274th Regiment in the
Battle of Suoi Chau Pha, where extensive artillery support again proved decisive. A third infantry battalion arrived in December 1967 as part of a significant expansion of 1 ATF. By the time of the
Tet Offensive in 1968, 1 and 3 RAR were serving in theatre. During actions at Fire Support Base (FSB) Coral by 1 RAR and at FSB Balmoral by 3 RAR in May and June 1968, later known as the
Battle of Coral–Balmoral, these two battalions of the regiment would fight battles with conventional attributes not seen since Kapyong. In June 1969, an infantry company from 5 RAR, then on its second tour, and supported by a troop of tanks and another of APCs fought a significant
combined arms action against a battalion-sized force of PAVN regulars and VC local force troops during the
Battle of Binh Ba. Following Binh Ba, the remainder of the regiment's service would be characterised largely by the policies of "
Pacification" and "
Vietnamization", with an emphasis on ambushing and patrolling to protect the local population and training South Vietnamese troops to increasingly replace US and allied forces. The withdrawal of Australian forces from South Vietnam began in November 1970 when 8 RAR completed its tour of duty and was not replaced. Where possible, the Australians still sought to bring VC units to battle, such as during Operation North Ward, where V Company, 4 RAR/NZ fought elements of the Chau Duc and Ba Long guerrilla units in August and September 1971. On 18 August 1971, Prime Minister
William McMahon announced that 1 ATF would cease operations in October, with the last combat elements of the regiment (D Company, 4 RAR) returning to Australia in February 1972. The regiment sustained losses of 325 killed and over 2,000 wounded in South Vietnam.
Peacetime service, 1973–1998 With the withdrawal of the battalion serving in Singapore as part of the Far East Strategic Reserve, 1973 finally saw all units of the regiment stationed in Australia for the first time. Thus began a period of peace-time soldiering of a sort not before seen in the regiment. The end of National Service significantly diminished the strength of the Army, and at this time the government directed that the number of battalions in the regiment be reduced to six, which was achieved by linking 2 and 4 RAR, 5 and 7 RAR, and 8 and 9 RAR. The strength of units and resources were also reduced, with a shift in strategic and tactical concepts from forward defence to
defence of continental Australia. Regardless, from September 1973 the battalions of the regiment provided a company on three monthly rotations to
Rifle Company Butterworth in Malaysia as part of the
Five Power Defence Arrangements. Meanwhile, the 10th Independent Rifle Company, Royal Australian Regiment (10 IRC) was raised on 23 May 1974 to provide an
opposing force for units training at the
Jungle Training Centre at
Canungra. The 1980s saw the introduction of battalion specialisations—light, parachute, mechanised and motorised—in the regiment and the formation of a ready deployment force. The later concept was first tested during
Operation Morris Dance, the contingency mounted in response to the
1987 Fiji coup. 5/7 RAR subsequently developed as a mechanised battalion equipped with
M113 armoured personnel carriers, while 3 RAR re-roled as a parachute battalion. In 1988, during the
Australian Bicentennial celebrations, a contingent drawn from the battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Salter of 1 RAR, supported by an Australian Army Band, was deployed as part of the bicentennial celebrations to
mount public duties at
Buckingham Palace Windsor Castle,
St James's Palace and the
Tower of London, the first Australian troops to do so since the coronation of
Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. In 1991, the two Brisbane-based battalions—6 RAR and 8/9 RAR—then part of the
6th Brigade, became
Ready Reserve battalions. Following trials of the concept 6 RAR reequipped as a motorised battalion in 1992, while 8/9 RAR commenced is conversion in 1996. Each battalion was initially issued modified 6x6
Land Rover Perenties until a purpose-built
infantry mobility vehicle could be acquired. Although individual members of the regiment served on deployment in such locations as the Sinai, the Balkans, Western Sahara and Bougainville, it was not until 1993 that the regiment conducted another formed-body deployment. On 15 December 1992 the government announced that 1 RAR would deploy as a part of the US-led and UN-sanctioned Operation Restore Hope in
Somalia. The Australian commitment, known as
Operation Solace, saw 1 RAR deployed for 17 weeks to a Humanitarian Relief Sector (HRS) centred on the township of
Baidoa. In the course of four months over 8,311 tonnes of humanitarian aid was delivered. 1 RAR also protected Baidoa airfield, provided security in the township, conducted in-depth patrolling of the HRS, as well as escorting aid convoys within it. 1 RAR was never seriously challenged by the Somali bandits, although there were a number of contacts which resulted in casualties on both sides. One Australian was accidentally killed during the deployment. In May 1993, a detachment from 12 Platoon, D Company, 2/4 RAR was deployed to Cambodia to provide security to the Australian contribution to the
United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia. Operating from
Battambang airport in north-west Cambodia in support of the Army Aviation Group, they conducted static defensive tasks, patrolling and provided a ready reaction force. They joined another detachment of personnel from 5/7 RAR's Support Company, which had been deployed to undertake communications tasks as part of the
Force Communications Unit. The deployment came to an end in November 1993. In 1994, the raising of a fifth battalion was approved, with 2/4 RAR de-linked the following year, and 4 RAR returning to the order of battle in its own right. Between August 1994 and August 1995, two companies of the regiment, initially A Company, 2/4 RAR and then B Company, 2 RAR, served with the Australian contingent of the
United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR). From 20 to 23 April 1995, a 50-member detachment, including infantrymen from 5 Platoon, B Company, 2 RAR were forced to witness the
Kibeho massacre of around 4,000
Hutu refugees at the Kibeho camp by members of the
Rwandan Patriotic Army. Vastly outnumbered and frustrated by a mandate that did not allow them to engage the perpetrators, the infantrymen were forced into a passive role during the massacre. Throughout the incident, however, they worked under fire attempting to assist wounded refugees. Meanwhile, 8/9 RAR was disbanded in 1997 after the discontinuation of the Ready Reserve scheme.
East Timor 1999–2003 East Timor's ballot in favour of independence after 24 years of Indonesian occupation on 30 August 1999 resulted in a wave of violence by militia groups and pro-integration factions within the Indonesian military. 2 RAR and 3 were subsequently deployed from 20 September 1999 as part of the UN-sanctioned
International Force for East Timor (INTERFET), charged with restoring peace and overseeing the Indonesian departure. 5/7 RAR joined them in October 1999 once Dili had been stabilised. Despite minor clashes, including a contact at Motaain on the Indonesian border on 10 October 1999, control was quickly established and INTERFET handed over to the
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) in February 2000. At this time, 5/7 RAR become the first battalion of the regiment to serve under UN command since the Korean War. From 1999 to 2004, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5/7, and 6 RAR rotated through East Timor (with all bar 4 RAR deploying twice), giving the regiment a wealth of operational experience. One soldier was accidentally killed during these operations, while several more were wounded.
Timor Leste 2006–2010 Two years after being withdrawn, the deteriorating situation in the East Timor, now known as
Timor Leste—again saw units of the regiment deployed to conduct stabilisation and security operations, this time under
Operation Astute. In response to the initial crisis, 3 RAR was deployed along with special forces from 4 RAR and the
Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) in May 2006. It was replaced in early September by a combined Australian and New Zealand battle group based on 6 RAR, designated the
ANZAC Battle Group. Subsequent rotations included elements of 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8/9 RAR in the years that followed. 8/9 RAR handed over to Army Reserve Task Groups and, after a phased drawdown, the last
Australian Defence Force (ADF) elements were withdrawn in 2013.
Solomon Islands Events in East Timor largely overshadowed developments in
Solomon Islands, where elements of the regiment also served periodically from 2003 onwards with the initial response being provided by 2 RAR. One member of the regiment died during operations in the Solomon Islands. The Regiment subsequently handed over to 2 Div units who saw the mission through to the end.
Iraq The regiment had only a minor role in the
2003 invasion of Iraq, providing a force element of about 40 Commandos from 4 RAR to support the Special Forces Task Group, which was based on an SASR Squadron. Following the invasion, the deteriorating security situation in
Baghdad saw the deployment of a combined arms
Security Detachment (SECDET), charged with protecting the Australian embassy and its personnel. Over a dozen companies of the regiment provided force elements to the various rotations. In February 2005 Prime Minister
John Howard committed a battle group to southern Iraq to partially replace a Dutch unit that had been operating in the Governorate of Al Muthanna. The regiment's contribution to the first battle group, initially known as the
Al Muthanna Task Group, was a rifle company, although the second and third rotations were led by 5/7 RAR and 2 RAR respectively. When Provincial Iraqi Control was declared in Al Muthanna in July 2006, AMTG 3, led by 2 RAR, was renamed the
Overwatch Battle Group (West) (OBG(W)). The fifth battle group to serve in Iraq was based on 5 RAR, by which time OBG(W) was operating in both the Al Muthanna and Dhi Qar Governorates as a part of the British Multi-National Division South East (MND(SE)). (AMTG 1, OBG(W) 2 and OBG(W) 4 were all based on cavalry regiment headquarters). During this time elements of the regiment conducted counterinsurgency operations until withdrawn in mid-2008. Casualties in Iraq included one member of the regiment who was accidentally killed. The task force was withdrawn in late 2013 following the handover of the province to Afghan forces, although a small force protection element remains as part of the ongoing but reduced Australian training and advisory mission. Twelve members of the regiment have been killed in Afghanistan.
Special Operations The Special Air Service Regiment owes its heritage to the RAR. Originally formed as the 1st SAS Company in 1957, in 1960 it became an independent company of the RAR and was tasked with providing the army's special operations capability. The SASR became a regiment in its own right on 20 August 1964, severing the link with the RAR at this time. Re-raised as a commando battalion from 1997, 4 RAR (Commando) served in East Timor as a conventional light-role battalion in 2001, before focusing on the development of its special operations capability. In this role the battalion was designed to be a flexible, self-contained force element able to deploy at short notice to undertake offensive operations in support of Australia's national interests. Once full operational capability was reached, elements of 4 RAR (Commando) would serve in Timor Leste, Iraq and
Afghanistan, as well as providing a domestic counter terrorism capability as part of
Tactical assault group (East). In 2009, 4 RAR (Commando) was renamed the
2nd Commando Regiment, and as such is no longer part of the RAR. Rather than being formally disbanded, 4 RAR remained on the Army's
order of battle with its colours and traditions maintained and protected, ready to be re-raised in the future if required. Under the new scheme 3 RAR relinquished the parachute role, becoming a light infantry battalion. It subsequently relocated to Townsville in 2012. 8/9 RAR reformed as a motorised battalion at Enoggera on 31 October 2007 in the last element of the Enhanced Land Force, and was equipped with
Bushmaster PMVs. It subsequently served on operations in Timor Leste and Afghanistan. With the establishment of the Armoured Cavalry Regiments, 5 and 7 RAR gave up their M113 armoured personnel carriers and re-roled as light infantry. Meanwhile, the motorised battalions also re-roled as light infantry with a transport squadron being established in each Combat Service Support Battalion equipped with Bushmaster PMVs to provide protected mobility. 2 RAR was selected to specialise in
amphibious warfare. In 2017, further changes to the Beersheba Combat Brigade construct were announced known as the "workforce alignment" of Plan Beersheba with the PMVs and M113s again planned to go back to the infantry battalions, with each brigade to include one motorised infantry battalion and one mechanised infantry battalion. Under this plan in 1st Brigade 5 RAR will receive PMVs and 7 RAR will be equipped with M113s, in 3rd Brigade PMVs will go to 1 RAR and M113s to 3 RAR, while in the 7th Brigade 8/9 RAR will receive PMVs and 6 RAR will get M113s. 2 RAR will continue to specialise in amphibious operations. In 2023, a new defence review saw the implementation of a new structure to the army's combat forces, which saw the Royal Australian Regiment reduced by one battalion through the 5th and 7th Battalions once again being merged to form the single 5/7 RAR, based in Darwin as part of 1st Brigade. ==Theatre and battle honours==