Australian Army establishes Littoral Manoeuvre Group

The Australian Army has inducted a Littoral Manoeuvre Group, which is intended to bolster the service's long-range fires and littoral combat capabilities. (Commonwealth of Australia)

The Australian Army has formally recognised a newly established Littoral Manoeuvre Group at a ceremonial parade at Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane, Australia's Department of Defence (DoD) announced on 30 March. According to the DoD, the group will bolster the Australian Army's ability to manoeuvre, deploy, and support land forces across coastal and island regions.

Citing Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, the DoD said in a press release that the new group is part of the Australian Army's plan to develop a “future-ready force designed to operate effectively across the complex geography of the region”.

This requirement was initially outlined in Australia's National Defence Strategy (NDS) 2024, which calls for a broader force structure for the army optimised for littoral manoeuvre to operate in contested coastal environments and to support long-range strike and joint fires.

“[The Littoral Manoeuvre Group] strengthens our ability to hold adversaries at risk, control strategic land positions and deny access through Australia's northern approaches,” Lt Gen Stuart said.

Headquartered in Brisbane, the Littoral Manoeuvre Group is centred on the 1st Landing Craft Battalion. It also combines the army's existing littoral capabilities, which include the 35th Water Transport Squadron and the Littoral Riverine Survey Squadron, under the 17th Sustainment Brigade to streamline command and control.

Two additional landing craft battalions will be based in the Northern Territory and north Queensland alongside combat brigades, expanding army's littoral presence across key locations, the DoD said.

According to Lt Gen Stuart, the DoD will support the new group by accelerating the acquisition of medium and heavy landing craft; upgraded amphibious vessels; and modern facilities.