In a shake-up of Australia's defence force, the army will undergo a major restructure aimed at strengthening its capabilities.
Announcing the changes in Perth on Monday, Defence Minister Stephen Smith said Plan Beersheba would be progressively implemented over the next 10 years and would make the army more efficient.
Under the plan, the first, third and seventh brigades will be restructured to form three new multi-role manoeuvre brigades, while 10 battle group manoeuvre units will also be established.
Mr Smith said the multi-role manoeuvre brigades would enable more effective training in Australia and rapid deployment overseas.
The brigades will include armour, artillery, communication, engineering, infantry and logistic elements, he said.
The Army Reserve will also be integrated with the regular army and will assume a greater focus on operations.
The second battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment will also form the core of the army's contribution to the future amphibious force, which will be capable of conducting humanitarian and disaster relief. Chief of Army Lieutenant General David Morrison welcomed the plan.
"Our modern army is moving into the future with a new perspective and a smarter way of doing business and delivering capability within the resources we have," he said.
Other announcements made on Monday included the next step in the $7.5 billion Project Overlander that will provide the defence force with about 7500 new vehicles over the next 10 years.
It will replace the current fleet of Land Rovers, Unimog, Mack and S-Liner trucks, and their associated trailers and modules.
The minister also announced further measures to better protect troops in Afghanistan against improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The government will purchase four route clearance systems to safely clear roads for troops at a cost of $70 million.
About 200 Bushmaster vehicles will also be upgraded, while the Chinook fleet will be bolstered by two helicopters from the US, following the loss of one aircraft on operations in Afghanistan.
Mr Smith said all the initiatives would set the army up for the future.
"This is a very big day for army, a very big day for defence," he said.
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