An Australian infantry battalion had a mortar platoon with four Ordnance ML 3-inch mortars, capable of throwing a round . Battalions also had access to the Vickers medium machine gun. The Vickers, while water cooled, was of similar weight and capability to the Juki employed by the Japanese. When Australian forces deployed forward, neither of these weapons were carried. It was considered that they were too heavy to be carried and that they could not be effectively employed in jungle terrain.