Fed: Well deserved break for Aussie soldiers

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2004
Fed: Well deserved break for Aussie soldiers

By Max Blenkin, Defence Correspondent

CANBERRA, Feb 10 AAP - Many of Australia's soldiers can look forward to a well-deserved
break as the nation winds back the number of overseas operations in coming months.

Army chief Lieutenant General Peter Leahy said today relief was in sight from the high
tempo of recent missions which have included deployments to East Timor, Afghanistan, the
Solomons and Iraq.

He said the last of the combat troops should be home from East Timor by mid-year and
the drawdown in the Solomons had begun.

General Leahy said the commander of special forces had reported that his troops were
now fully rested, reconstituted and ready to go again following operations in Afghanistan
and Iraq.

But some soldiers remained in Iraq operating under highly dangerous conditions and
they were likely to remain for some time.

"When I look at the overall sum of our operations I see a gradual reduction in the
numbers deployed," he told a conference in Canberra today.

"These drawdowns are welcome as they offer some respite to our people who have been
engaged very heavily in sustaining simultaneous operations in a number of theatres.

"Lately I have been saying to army get home, get a rest and get back to basics. Many
of our forces have been able to do this."

At the peak of recent operations, Australia had 5,000 personnel in East Timor. There
are currently some 1,500 in various deployments and postings throughout the world.

General Leahy said the army was now in a process of re-equipping under the defence
capability plan which will provide new helicopters, weapons and tanks.

He said the army was now considering how it could organise to make the best use of
the new armoured vehicles.

General Leahy warned that the Australian Defence Force faced a new, diffused and lethal
threat environment in which the ADF's most likely enemy would be the type of insurgent
and jihadists now harrying coalition forces in Iraq.

"They and their ilk are the most likely adversary in most credible scenarios the ADF
will face in the next decade," he said.

General Leahy defended the decision to buy new tanks, rejecting suggestions that the
ADF was planning for high intensity operations or aspired to engage in sweeping manoeuvre
warfare.

He said a decision on the type of new tank was expected soon.

General Leahy said the changing nature of the battlefield and the proliferation of
anti-armour weapons had highlighted shortcomings in the elderly Leopard tanks.

"It would be irresponsible to the point of immorality to risk the lives of Australian
soldiers by exposing them to this threat in the complex and ambiguous environment which
will now prevail on the battlefield without adequate protection," he said.

AAP mb/sb/jv/jlw

KEYWORD: ARMY

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