The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, conduct trench training at TFTA

Australian soldiers are relearning the art of trench warfare, in a move that no one could have seen coming. Here’s why it’s returned.

The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, conducting a trench training exercise at the Townsville Field Training Area. June 9, 2025.

Until the Ukrainian conflict, many thought trench warfare was a relic of the past however lessons from the European battlefield have proven otherwise.

But now, Australian soldiers are returning to the old ways of combat.

In the three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, militaries worldwide have drawn key tactical insights from the conflict.

Chief among them is the resurgence of trench warfare, alongside the widespread integration of drone technology.

Through Exercise Kudu — Australia’s contribution to Operation Interflex, the British-led multinational training initiative — members of the Australian Army’s 3rd Brigade are gaining valuable, real-world insights.

These experiences are now being brought back to Australian soil and being used to rewrite the book on our trench and drone tactics.

A contingent from the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), is currently in the United Kingdom, where they are training battle-hardened Ukrainian soldiers in section- and platoon-level leadership.

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Major Pat Hoare, Officer Commanding Combat Team Bravo, said Exercise Kudu allows Australian soldiers to contribute meaningfully to the war effort without directly engaging in combat.

“Fortunately because we have got guys over there and at well-established routine and operational rotations, we’re bringing that knowledge back and implementing those sorts of lessons here as well,” he said.

A string of live fire exercises kicked off at Townsville Field Training Area on Monday, with the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment given the task of pioneering new trench tactics.

Lance corporal Luke Franettovich said this was the first time in his seven year career in which he had taken part in dedicated trench warfare training such as this.

“With all the footage coming out of Ukraine with trench warfare becoming more and more prevalent, I think the (ADF) are sort of trying to adapt it back using newer (CQB) tactics with older trench clearance tactics from older wars and trying to come to a middle ground that works for both sides,” he said.

The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, conducting a trench training exercise at the Townsville Field Training Area. June 9, 2025.

Last week, soldiers from the 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment (3CER) began constructing the trench systems used in the exercise, employing a mix of excavators and hand tools.

Corporal Oscar Dodd, a section commander with 3CER, said trench construction — and demolition — are essential engineering skills that directly improve a soldier’s chance of survival on the battlefield.

Later this week, combat teams will take part in another live-fire scenario, this time on a larger scale, with support from tanks and artillery units as they practice how they can manoeuvre effectively together to defeat the enemy.

Originally published as The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, conduct trench training at TFTA