Portal:Military history of Australia/Units/September 22

The Pilbara Regiment is a regiment of the Australian Army. It is an infantry unit, but has a significantly different role than a standard infantry formation. It is a Regional Force Surveillance Unit (RFSU), and as its name suggests, surveillance is its primary role. It was raised on 26 January 1982, as the 5th Independent Rifle Company, The Pilbara Regiment. The company was redesignated as a full regiment in 1985, continuing its original role as an RFSU. The regiment's official mission is: "To provide the Australian Army with information by conducting surveillance operations to contribute to an effective ADF surveillance network in the North West of Australia (Pilbara Region)". The regiment has responsibility for an area of 1.3 million km² from Port Hedland to Carnarvon in Western Australia, and from the coast to the border with the Northern Territory; this is around 1/6 of the total land area of Australia.