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ABCANZ Armies facts for kids

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Countries involved with the ABCANZ program.

The ABCANZ Armies program helps armies from different countries work better together. Its full name is the American, British, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand Armies' Program. This group includes the armies of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It also includes the United States Marine Corps and the Royal Marines.

The program started in 1947. It was created to continue the strong teamwork between the US, UK, and Canada during World War II. Later, Australia joined in 1963. New Zealand became an observer in 1965 and a full member in 2006. Even with New Zealand joining, the program was still often called "ABCA Armies' Program" for a while.

How ABCANZ Started and Grew

The ABCANZ program began in 1947. It was first called the "Plan to Effect Standardization." This plan involved the armies of the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. They wanted to keep working closely together after World War II.

In 1954, this plan was updated. It became known as the "Basic Standardization Concept." This new idea helped make sure their military equipment and training were similar.

New Members Join the Program

Australia officially joined the group in 1963. This led to the creation of the ABCA Program. A new agreement, the "Basic Standardization Agreement 1964," was signed on October 1, 1964.

In 1965, New Zealand joined as an observer. This meant they could watch and learn from the group. New Zealand became a full member of ABCA in early 2006.

Changes After 9/11

At first, ABCANZ focused on making soldier equipment, training, and tactics the same. But after the September 11 attacks in 2001, the program changed. Leaders reviewed how the program worked. They wanted it to be more helpful and faster to react. The goal was to improve how the armies worked together. These changes were finished by June 2004.

Also in 2004, the United States Marine Corps became more involved. A special agreement was made between the Marines and the US Army. This allowed both forces to be represented by one person. Later, the Royal Marines from the UK also joined the program.

Similar Military Groups

There are other groups like ABCANZ for different parts of the military. These groups help different countries' forces work together.

  • Navies: AUSCANNZUKUS helps the navies of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US.
  • Air Forces: The Air and Space Interoperability Council (ASIC) does the same for air forces.
  • Scientists: The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP) helps military scientists share ideas.
  • Intelligence: Groups like UKUSA and Five Eyes focus on sharing intelligence information.

See also

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