Brereton war crimes report fallout: what now for Australia's elite special forces?

One squadron will effectively be disbanded but there is likely to be a broader restructure of the whole SAS regiment

The Brereton report has already profoundly impacted the shape of the Special Air Service in a way that foreshadows existential questions for a regiment long regarded as the best of the best.

Addressing the damning findings of alleged special forces war crimes in Afghanistan, the defence force chief, General Angus Campbell, announced the SAS’s 2nd Squadron had been “struck off the army order of battle”.

Related: Australia's special forces problem: why the SAS is facing a crisis

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