Defence

The official magazine

July 2005

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In the news

18 July

The Federal Government will invest $25 million in an expansion of the Australian Aerospace helicopter production facility in Brisbane which is currently producing the new 'Tiger' Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter.

Defence Minister Robert Hill made the announcement today coinciding with the delivery and acceptance of the first Australian-made Tiger Helicopter by the Australian Defence Force giving a major boost to Army's capability.

14 July

Australia will leave a lasting legacy in southern Iraq with the Howard Government approving $2.3 million worth of community projects to be coordinated by a working group within the Al Muthanna Task Group (AMTG).

Defence Minister Robert Hill said a range of community projects are now underway as part of the Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) program.

13 July

A Special Forces Task Group made up of approximately 150 personnel will deploy to Afghanistan for up to one year as part of Australia's increased commitment to the fight against terrorism.

The Prime Minister made the announcement today following a decision of the National Security Committee of Cabinet.

Defence Minister Robert Hill said the highly trained soldiers will be employed in a variety of roles similar to those performed during 2001 and will work closely with our Coalition partners.

13 July

Two missiles have been successfully fired from an F-111 aircraft during testing at Woomera in South Australia.

"The firings are the first for an AGM-142E missile in the region and form a key milestone in the test and evaluation program that will lead to acceptance of the missile into service," Senator Hill said.

"The F-111/AGM-142E combination will ensure that the Air Force maintains an effective precision, long-range strike capability until the arrival of the upgraded F/A-18 and new longer range weapons.

6 July

The Defence Housing Authority is moving to make the relocation process for Defence personnel and their families smoother.

"Many Defence personnel will soon receive their new posting orders and though not always enjoyable, relocating is an important and necessary aspect of being part of the Australian Defence Force," Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Teresa Gambaro said.

To help make the process easier for members, DHA will be sending a letter with a tear off card to people who have received their posting orders.

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In the know

Don't miss out on the latest news, events and publications! Here are some of the most recent:

• A three-day conference for Local Site Administrators (LSAs) of the Standard Defence Supply System (SDSS) was held in Brisbane in early June. Approximately 150 LSAs from Australia and overseas attended the conference, with presentations from a range of subject matter experts, facilitated workshops amd a keynote dinner address by Group Captain David Pasfield, Commanding Officer HQ Combat Support Group. The event was hosted by the Supply Chain Systems Program Office in DMO. Presentations and workshop details from this year's conference are available at intranet.defence.gov.au/dmoweb/Sites/scspo/
• The Travel Improvement Project (TRIP) is pleased to announce, following an extensive consultation process, the implementation of the new travel model and the Defence Travel Card (DTC) for all domestic business travel from 01 July 2005. Defence travel reform has been underway since October 2003 following endorsement by the Defence Committee. Implementation of the DTC began in June 2004, initially targeting the Senior Leadership Group (SLG) and personnel on short-term duty overseas travel. It was expanded in November 2004, allowing all Defence personnel to access a DTC for domestic business travel. During this time the use of the DTC has grown steadily, and Defence now has one of the largest card programs in Australia. Further information on travel reforms is available on the Defence travel web site at http://intranet.defence.gov.au/travel or from the TRIP support line on (02) 6266 3718.
• The aim of the Royal United Services Institute of Australia (RUSI) is to encourage the discussion of national security and defence matters and to improve public awareness and understanding of such matters. A transcript of Major General Jim Molan's recent USI address in Canberra on "War in the 21st Century" is available from http://defweb.cbr.defence.gov.au/rusi/state/act.htm

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Spell it out

This month, we focus on some acronyms that are commonly found in a range of formal and informal Defence correspondence, but may not be universally understood.

ADDP

Australian Defence Doctrine Publication series

ADFP

Australian Defence Force Publication series

AFP

Australian Federal Police

APS

Australian Public Service or Auxiliary Power Supply

CLEB

Commonwealth Law Enforcement Board

DC

Defence Committee or Dangerous Cargo or Defence Cooperation or Depth Charge or Direct Current

DHA

Defence Housing Authority or Directorate of Honours and Awards

FRA

Force Research Area or Fighter Replenishment Area

NSC

National Surveillance Centre or National Security Committee of Cabinet or National Security Classification

PM&C

Prime Minister & Cabinet

SCNS

Secretaries Committee on National Security

To make the battle with acronyms a little easier, the Australian Defence Glossary (Defence Language Management System) is available on the Defence intranet at http://dlms.dcb.defence.gov.au/. DSTO also has an acronym database that is accessible at http://web-vic.dsto.defence.gov.au/dsto/directories/acronyms/.

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