“Large Scale Combat Operations are your worst possible scenario in the army. You and your team will be challenged physically, morally, mentally, spiritually – unlike any other context.” 

COL Ben McLennan, CSC and Bar, Commander Combat Training Centre

Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCOs) are operations that occur at Echelons Above Brigade (EAB). The Australian Army has experienced such operations at various times, such as the Western Front of WWI and various theatres in WWII; yet much of Army's more contemporary experience lies outside the LSCO environment, such as counter-insurgency (COIN) or peacekeeping and stabilisation operations. The strategic re-orientation of the DSR and NDS focus training aims to prepare us to work with allies and partners in future large scale conflicts.

For an overview of this theme, see the video below.

Throughout 2024, a number of Cove contributors provided articles on this topic. 

Some articles considered the need for Australia to be ready for LSCOs. COL Kidson’s Cove Talk on Accelerated Preparedness: Scalability Insights for Defence provided some precision for the way that we talk about preparing for large scale combat. Brendan Gilbert made an argument that Australia needs to start laying the groundwork for mobilisation in his article The Importance of Time to Conduct National Mobilisation. Lisa Davidson offered a book review on protracted wars in her article Planning for Protraction: A Historically Informed Approach to Great-power War and Sino-US Competition.

Other articles examined particular varieties or strands of large scale conflict. MAJ Jeremy Barraclough gave a Cove Talk on Information Warfare: Recent History and Irregular Features. The Cove provided a video on Nuclear Warfare as part of a three-part Nuclear series. Army Battle Lab provided an article on Operating in the Contested Electromagnetic Spectrum, as well as an article on Being a Littoral Soldier.

Some articles zeroed in on particular elements involved in LSCOs. Adam Scholes contributed an article on Military Deception and the Australian Army in Large Scale Combat Operations. Considering lessons learned on exercise with relevance to LSCOs, 3rd Brigade provided several articles: one titled Activate your MINDS: Logistic Actions and Insights from the NQLD Warfighter; one titled Joint Fires Interoperability: Lessons Learnt from Australian and Japanese Artillery Integration; and one titled Transforming Artillery Resupply: The Impact of Self-Propelled Howitzers.

Several articles looked to the ongoing large scale conflict in Ukraine, and considered the particular role of Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems (sUAS). Llewelyn Colebourn considered their impact on the maritime domain in Every Ship a Defender: Rethinking Counter-sUAS Operations for the Maritime Domain. Army Battle Lab considered lessons from Ukraine in Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Tips from Ukraine. Also drawing on the case study of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Andrew Dunn-Lobban advocated for an accelerated approach to adopting sUAS technology in Cheap Drones and Mass Precision: The Tactical Relevance of the Australian Army in Modern Combined Arms.