Would the Formation of a Combat Maneuver Corps Support the Transformation of the Australian Army as Envisaged in the Hardened and Networked Army Conce

One of the greatest impediments to the hardening and networking of the Australian Army has been entrenched Corps-based tribalism. The focus on Corps superiority has led to a mind-set that does not readily accept the necessity for a combined arms and joint approach to future warfare. Two traditional rivals, the Royal Australian Armored Corps (RAAC) and the Royal Australian Infantry Corps (RAINF) have complementary maneuver capabilities, but, at an intellectual level, they have always been separated by institutional mistrust. Under the precepts of Hardening and Networking the Army (Leahy 2004, 27), the Australian Army aims to produce a more lethal, better protected and fully integrated Army. The complementary capabilities of the RAAC and RAINF could be further enhanced by their integration into a single Combat Maneuver Corps to support the Hardening and Networking of the Army concept. A Combat Maneuver Corps would facilitate the development of truly combined arms units that are organized and trained in garrison as they would be employed on operations.