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Originally Posted by ozmilman What does everyone know/think about the Australian Military? I know we're small, but personally i don't think we're all that bad. We're definately more equipped for ground operations and national defence, but i don't think we'll be attacking anyone any time soon due to our relatively light air force capability. Navy is in the middle somewhere.
Our ground troops are awesome though, just thoroughly tough stuff. I used to kickbox with an ex-army Physical Training Instructor and he was amazing - pretty much a killing machine.
Rich |
Dear Rich,
I can only go on what I have read. A book is out now called NOT A GOOD DAY TO DIE which is about Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan in 1982. The author talked to a lot of the US Special Ops in Afghanistan and all of them were VERY impressed with Task Force 64 which was the Australian SAS unit that Australia sent to Afghanistan. They were awed at their ability to cover terrain that most would seem impossible and one US general stated they brought special landrovers that could cover terrain beyond belief and were almost indestructable to terrain damange.
But on the minus side I think the RAAF is making a big mistake retiring the F-111 early and thinking the short range AF-18s with air to air refueling can fill the gap. But I understand their reason. Australia is taking on a lot of new military equipment and the budget is probably stretched to the breaking point with Australia supporting the US in Afghanistan and Iraq. Personally, I think the US would have been better to have said "Look we appreciate the offer, but a big help would be if you concentrated on Afghanistan."
Jack E. Hammond