Page 121 - Australian Defence Magazine Sep-Oct 2022

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
LAND WARFARE RFSG 121
Since NORFORCE, 51FNQR and Pilbara Regiment were consolidated under the umbrella of RFSG in 2018, they have continued to contribute in the manner of their forefathers, in their tactics, training and area of operations.
Together, they monitor the remote landmass and water- ways of Australia’s north and north-west, drawing on the traditional knowledge and language of their large numbers of Indigenous Army Reserve soldiers to create a globally unique military capability.
The RFSG works tactically with the Australian Border Force, Maritime Border Command, Department officiaries and a range of other joint enablers on efforts to counter
threats to national security. For example, the Group has al- most continually contributed land and littoral based forces to Operation Resolute since 2018, deploying into the Tor- res Strait, across the NT and around into WA as far south as the Abrolhos islands, to prevent illegal arrivals and il- legal fishing of Australia’s resources.
Meanwhile, the RFSG continues to be a permanent part of the fabric of the North, with a permanent presence across the vast stretch of northern Australia and its com- munities. NORFORCE’s area of operations covers 1.8 mil- lion square kilometres – one of the largest areas of any military unit in the world today.