ABCA Armies refers to a program aimed at optimizing interoperability between member armies on combined operations. "
ABCA" stands for
America,
Britain,
Canada and
Australia. Current membership consists of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
and
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
.
In 1947, the Armies of the United States, Britain and Canada joined into a standardisation agreement as a means of continuing to capitalize on the close cooperation during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and to improve standardization.
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ABCA Armies refers to a program aimed at optimizing interoperability between member armies on combined operations. "
ABCA" stands for
America,
Britain,
Canada and
Australia. Current membership consists of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
and
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
.
In 1947, the Armies of the United States, Britain and Canada joined into a standardisation agreement as a means of continuing to capitalize on the close cooperation during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and to improve standardization. The group became known as the ABC Armies.
In 1963, Australia joined the organization, and on 10 October 1964, the four member armies signed a new standardization agreement to formally create the current ABCA program. In 1965 New Zealand was granted observer status under Australia's sponsorship. New Zealand became a full member of ABCA in late 2006.
Both the US Marine Corps and the UK
Royal MarinesThe Royal Marines are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service. They are also the United Kingdom's specialists in amphibious warfare, including the operation of landing craft; mountain warfare;...
participate in ABCA through their respective Armies' delegation. As a result, all the land forces of the member nations participate.
Historically, the role of ABCA was limited to issues of tactical and soldier equipment standardization. It appears now that the organization is intent on broadening its horizon to include all issues relevant to how an army equips itself and operates in operations. This places a particular focus on interoperability.
Equivalent organizations for the Navies (AUSCANNZUKUS), the Air Forces (ASIC), the military scientific communities (TTCP) (
The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP)The Technical Cooperation Program is a long standing international organisation concerned with cooperation on defense science and technology matters, including national security and civil defense...
) and the Intelligence communities also exist.
See also
- UK-USA Security Agreement
- The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP)
The Technical Cooperation Program is a long standing international organisation concerned with cooperation on defense science and technology matters, including national security and civil defense...
- Combined Communications Electronics Board
The Combined Communications Electronics Board is a military communications-electronics organisation established between five nations: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom & United States...
External links