Steyr A4

[Opening Batsman]

The Steyr A4 (http://www.adi-limited.com/download.asp?file=pdfs/steyr_a4.pdf)

Anybody have any of the latest scoop on them?
Any thoughts on it?
Anybody know when they will start rolling in?

[PrincessRAR]

Mate, its part fo the new land warrior project.

The first battalions to receive it will obviously be the infantry battlions, and probably 2/14 or 3/4 as well as recon 3 brigade (have to be I'd asume).

1RAR as the online battalion, on their recent deployment to the solomons took abit of the land warior project with them (radio comms and knee pads etc)

As for the styer itself - it shouldnt be to long (by the end of the year definately, maybe even a few for 5/7 before they deploy..

It isnt anything special - just a picitinny rail at the front to put the GLA on the front or a front foregrip for CQB (just updating the rifle becuase of the situations we are finding ourselves in these days ie iraq), and a shortened barrel (we have carbines in serivce at the moment anyway).
Personally I like the pistol grip on them at the moment with the full finger coverage - but obviously with the GLA they have to remove it. I have seen pictures of the new F88 with a front foregrip and it still has the full pistol grip.

[Opening Batsman]

Righto, thanks for the info. :)
Is it compatible with the bayonet?

[PrincessRAR]

Bah who needs em.
The buck is useless - I've bent one and broken another and thats just me!
The wire cutter on them is crap and the thumb break works its way loose then you have to front up with $300.

Better to have your own fighting knife - but who'd want to be in the situation to use one. Take some balls Ill tell you that much. To look a man in the eye as you drive a blade into his chest and rip upwards. Sends shivers up your spine!

Just last year I had a guy in my sights doing overwatch in iraq - and I had to look at him sort of side-ways he was so ****ing close..

[ShotOver]

Bah who needs em.
The buck is useless - I've bent one and broken another and thats just me!
The wire cutter on them is crap and the thumb break works its way loose then you have to front up with $300.

Better to have your own fighting knife - but who'd want to be in the situation to use one. Take some balls Ill tell you that much. To look a man in the eye as you drive a blade into his chest and rip upwards. Sends shivers up your spine!
Just last year I had a guy in my sights doing overwatch in iraq - and I had to look at him sort of side-ways he was so f*** close..

If you had added the word "Aarrrrr!" to the end of that sentence, i could of sworn you were a pirate.

[garoco]

There was a news special filmed at ADI Lithgow when the Chief made the first public showing of the new Steyr A4. I've got one or two small screen grabs of the event. Also Army News have ran I think atleast or maybe two stories on it.

[<Gypsum Fantastic>]

Bah who needs em.
The buck is useless - I've bent one and broken another and thats just me!
The wire cutter on them is crap and the thumb break works its way loose then you have to front up with $300.

Better to have your own fighting knife - but who'd want to be in the situation to use one. Take some balls Ill tell you that much. To look a man in the eye as you drive a blade into his chest and rip upwards. Sends shivers up your spine!
Just last year I had a guy in my sights doing overwatch in iraq - and I had to look at him sort of side-ways he was so f*** close..

If you had added the word "Aarrrrr!" to the end of that sentence, i could of sworn you were a pirate.

rofl

[BiZ]

Talking to some boys out from Singleton yesterday the word out there for the Inf boys is that the M4 will be brought in within the next 2 years....around the time 3RAR move and loose para status.

Gotta love rumours eh? ;)

[digrar]

I heard that B squadron 3/4 Cav are getting Bushmaster along with the 7 Brigdade reserve units and the adgies.

[PrincessRAR]

Talking to some boys out from Singleton yesterday the word out there for the Inf boys is that the M4 will be brought in within the next 2 years....around the time 3RAR move and loose para status.

Gotta love rumours eh? ;)

the M4!?!?! for the whole infantry - that is pure bull**** unless you typoed and meant A4...

There is no way they will equip regs with M4's, only SF mate.

and the 3RAR gig is still up in the air, no full vote of confidence yet, although asif it wont happen.

A few scenarios though - 6RAR move out to amerbly and get para qualed, 1 or 2 get it as the have the runway at the front of lavarack (the area is so built up now though compared to when i was a grunt there).
4RAR keep and it and no one else get para..probably not!

[PrincessRAR]

I heard that B squadron 3/4 Cav are getting Bushmaster along with the 7 Brigdade reserve units and the adgies.

25/49th RQR, 9RQR is light infantry, 25 is motorised (currntly using the 6bee).

and if 3/4 are I feel for them....

And adgies - who cares ;) No i take that back not all of them are bad! Just most..

[digrar]

I also heard all the Gres Inf Battalions are losing their Support Companies as a cost cutting exercise. Nice way to keep the numbers up in chocks. :(

[mountainbear]

I've read in the French magazine RAIDS about the Advanced Individual Combat Weapon program and I just found this whit GOOGLE:
http://www.tenix.com/PDFLibrary/150.pdf
Isn’t it supposed to be the Australian future warrior weapon?
In the RAIDS article it is said that the program is quite advanced and that the first prototype could be ready in 12 months, the article is from June 2004, so what’s the current statue of this program?
And why not use the Steyr AUG A3? It seems to have the same modular capacities as the ADI F88 A4.
http://www.steyr-mannlicher.com/index.php?id=492

[Opening Batsman]

http://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/editions/1116/topstories/story05.htm

[BiZ]

Talking to some boys out from Singleton yesterday the word out there for the Inf boys is that the M4 will be brought in within the next 2 years....around the time 3RAR move and loose para status.

Gotta love rumours eh? ;)

the M4!?!?! for the whole infantry - that is pure bull**** unless you typoed and meant A4...

There is no way they will equip regs with M4's, only SF mate.

and the 3RAR gig is still up in the air, no full vote of confidence yet, although asif it wont happen.

A few scenarios though - 6RAR move out to amerbly and get para qualed, 1 or 2 get it as the have the runway at the front of lavarack (the area is so built up now though compared to when i was a grunt there).
4RAR keep and it and no one else get para..probably not!

As I said, rumours out at Singleton. As for 4RAR(Cdo) being the only "infantry" para qualified unit, my money would be on that bet. Think of the $ that would be saved.......and that my friends is what it's all about. I'd also put money on 4RAR getting 3RARs area for expansion and it not be replaced with another unit.

[PrincessRAR]

I also heard all the Gres Inf Battalions are losing their Support Companies as a cost cutting exercise. Nice way to keep the numbers up in chocks. :(

Yeah, all that will be left is DFSW and Recon, mortars will be dissolved into DFSW, and guys from mortars - assault pioneers and sig will come and join the boys back in normal coys which will give them more experiance (orginally people were in a normal rifle coy till they were qualed then they sent them all off to spt.!

And BiZ you are quite correct about that - budget cutting is the name of them game (unfortunately im seeing none of the benefits ;)

The to the mate that was going on about the AUG A3, the ADf bought a certain amount of styers originally so they could have the pattern and then make them in house (ADI - another dumb idea AKA australian defence industries). That is why the M4 has not been brought in (we spent to much on teh styer) and that is why the A4 is being made (made here in Australia with Australian modifications). That is also why in timor there were a few old M16/203's floating around (mainly in recon and sniper teams). We never bought the patent for the M16 and that is why we dont have it for the M4 -IDIOTS!!

[mountainbear]

Ok thanks Auzzzie and the other mate, but no one can give me info on the situation of the AICW.

[PrincessRAR]

Mate, all you need to know is it will happen haha!

Me personally I dont care, I'm quite happy with SR98's and the AW50F ;)

out!

[digrar]

I heard that B squadron 3/4 Cav are getting Bushmaster along with the 7 Brigdade reserve units and the adgies.

25/49th RQR, 9RQR is light infantry, 25 is motorised (currntly using the 6bee).

and if 3/4 are I feel for them....

And adgies - who cares ;) No i take that back not all of them are bad! Just most..

I hear that 7 Bde is not going to be motorised. 25/49 RQR will drop to an un-intergrated light scales chocko Inf Bn that will also loose its Support Company, in line with ALL GRES Inf Bns.

I also hear that along with B Sqn 3/4 Cav regt possibly 1/15, 12/16, 10LH and those other GRES Cav units might get bushmaster at a rate of 6 per Sqn as semi armd taxi sqns.

And I hear that another M113 mounted Infantry battalion is on the cards to pad out the Armoured brigade (maybe with APCs harvested from the cav units getting bushmaster?????).
With 3RAR maybe loosing the para role, they might be the second Mech battalion, as they were originally intended to be the second Mech Battalion when they moved to Holsworthy.

Can anyone come up with a furphie to beat that?

[PrincessRAR]

Do a backflip on what you said and youll be thinking like an officer and a politician haha!

7bde is a shambles - noone knows whats going on - I love the base though! Its a dream here, cruisiest base Ive ever been to, up north at lavarck its hell..

[PrincessRAR]

I heard that B squadron 3/4 Cav are getting Bushmaster along with the 7 Brigdade reserve units and the adgies.

25/49th RQR, 9RQR is light infantry, 25 is motorised (currntly using the 6bee).

and if 3/4 are I feel for them....

And adgies - who cares ;) No i take that back not all of them are bad! Just most..

I hear that 7 Bde is not going to be motorised. 25/49 RQR will drop to an un-intergrated light scales chocko Inf Bn that will also loose its Support Company, in line with ALL GRES Inf Bns.



Nope scratch that - they are still going to be motorized even if they dont get the bushie as they are still equiped with 6x's. And it will still be intergrated - itd better be or 20 others are out of a job!! Full time staff are only at Charlie and Admin. It is true about Spt though, although they will keep recon and dfsw

[digrar]

I'm hearing a few conflicting stories. But if the no motorised battalion story is true I'll be pretty happy. I never liked the doctrine, it was dangerous.
People not knowing what is going on in 7 Bde is business as usual. The place had three name changes while I was there, went from Reg/ready reserve to Reg/ Reserve Intergrated, to gap filling for Timor deployments. But you're in Brizvegas so it doesn't really matter what's going on. :P

[PrincessRAR]

I'm hearing a few conflicting stories. But if the no motorised battalion story is true I'll be pretty happy. I never liked the doctrine, it was dangerous.
People not knowing what is going on in 7 Bde is business as usual. The place had three name changes while I was there, went from Reg/ready reserve to Reg/ Reserve Intergrated, to gap filling for Timor deployments. But you're in Brizvegas so it doesn't really matter what's going on. :P

Not wrong, I was born here in brissie - and although for 10 years I have put it as no1 preference I have never received it (dont put your no1 preference as no1 preference all you potential recruits its all lies!) but its good to be back with family Ill tell you that!

An yeah 7bde has had a few changed alright..