Defence

Strategy Group

Challenges of the present and the future

Defence's latest review of Australia's strategic environment plans for the needs of the present and the possibilities of the future.

By Katherine Power

Prime Minister Howard meets soldiers demonstrating Land 125-type equipment at the launch of the Defence Update 2005 in December.
Photo provided by Public Affairs

Terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and state fragility and failure remain the most immediate strategic challenges for Australia, according to Australia's National Security: A Defence Update 2005, the most recent update of the 2000 White Paper.

The Update also identifies the risk of convergence between these three challenges as a major and continuing threat to international security.

The Update, launched in December 2005 by Prime Minister John Howard and the then Minister for Defence Senator Robert Hill at Victoria Barracks in Sydney, is the second review of Australia's strategic outlook since the 2000 White Paper. It aims to ensure that Defence maintains an appropriate mix of concepts, capabilities and forces to meet new security challenges as they arise and outlines the way Government continues to shape the ADF as a highly capable and flexible military force able to meet a wide range of tasks.

Prime Minister Howard noted that the Update clarifies the principles of the 2000 White Paper and applies them to the circumstances of 2005, rather than representing a major change in policy.

"This update outlines how the Government has shaped the ADF to increase Australia's capacity to meet the heavy demands of recent years, and the measures being taken to ensure the ADF is a force capable of meeting future military challenges," Senator Hill said.

"Defeating the threat of terrorism, countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and supporting regional states in difficulty remain the Government's highest priorities.

"The Update builds on the previously released Defence White Paper and Defence Update 2003 and highlights the longer-term trends associated with the impacts of globalisation and changing relationships between the major powers of our region."

The trends and priorities identified in the Update can be expected to place high demands on the ADF, its preparedness, sustainability and endurance and require a strong focus on versatility and adaptability to unforeseen contingencies.

"The current high demands placed on the ADF in responding to the present threats and meeting other responsibilities are likely to continue, and our military forces can expect to conduct concurrent deployments domestically, regionally and internationally in support of Australia's interests," Senator Hill said.

"This creates the need for high levels of preparedness, sustainability and endurance within our military forces.

"In the years ahead, we might also find ourselves facing challenges that cannot be anticipated or predicted easily. This puts a focus on forces that are versatile, robust, joint and integrated."

Globalisation

Globalisation is a key theme of the Update. The erosion of national boundaries, the increase in asymmetrical threats and the movement of ideas and technologies have eroded the value of defences built on Australia's geographic isolation and traditional military practices.

Some of the key judgements include:

• different levels and rates of economic growth and modernisation will change the relationships between the major powers;
• new and advanced capabilities are entering the region as countries modernise their defence forces;
• United States engagement remains the foundation of Asia Pacific security for the foreseeable future; and
• technology is proliferating, making more potent capabilities more widely available to both state and non-state actors.

Threats will be increasingly interrelated across both national and international environments and across organisational and jurisdictional boundaries. As a result, threats to our neighbours are threats to Australia. This means that the future contribution of the ADF to national security will extend beyond traditional warfighting against traditional adversaries.

"Many parts of our region are still characterised by porous borders, weak governance, inequities in the distribution of resources, problems of law enforcement, insurgencies, drug trafficking and transnational crime," Senator Hill said.

"Fragile and failing states create security challenges for their neighbours, as the insecurity they face can easily move beyond their borders.

"Australia intends to continue to play a leading role in assisting our regional neighbours to deal effectively with these diverse challenges to national and international security."

Strong Relationships on Security

The Update identifies the development of strong security relationships, both regionally and globally, as a key policy response to the strategic environment. While the Australia-US Alliance remains the cornerstone of our national security, the Update recognises that Australia's interest in strategic stability in North Asia is high, particularly in the light of the changing relationships between the United States, China and Japan. The Update also recognises India's emerging power. These four nations and their relationships are likely to define the strategic environment of the Asia-Pacific well into the 21st century.

Our bilateral defence relationship with Japan has been enhanced by the positive experience of working together in the Al Muthanna Province in Iraq, and opportunities for greater security cooperation are expected to increase as Japan continues to take a more active role in regional and global security.

Australia is also interested in enhancing our defence relationship with China, with the aim of increasing mutual understanding on security and defence issues. The Update concludes that China's integration into the global community is in the interests of all countries, however the path of China's modernisation will represent a significant challenge for the Asia Pacific. Competition for strategic influence between China and the United States means that managing the emerging relationship will be important for the future security of the region.

In the nearer region, Australia will continue to work with regional governments to help shape an environment that promotes economic and political wellbeing. In particular, Australia will continue to place a high priority to working with Indonesia on shared security concerns, including terrorism and border security.

The Update also notes that Australia's robust democracy, strong economy and operational effectiveness means that regional states will continue to look to Australia for assistance.

Whole-of-Government Response

Photo provided by Public Affairs

The Update recognises that the threats facing Australia are multidimensional and require a whole-of-government response. It outlines the key contribution of the ADF to domestic security in areas such as counter-terrorism, fisheries and resource protection, counter-proliferation initiatives, bomb disposal and response to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks.

In particular, Parliament is currently considering proposed amendments to the Defence Act which will reinforce Australia's counter-terrorism efforts by strengthening the ADF's powers to help civil authorities during periods of national emergency.

Capability and Resources

As the most potent of the range of instruments Australia employs to promote and support its security interests, Defence capability must allow the ADF to operate as a networked, joint force in increasingly complex and ambiguous environments against adversaries armed with lethal capabilities.

The Government will continue to develop the ADF as a joint, balanced, networked force able to contribute with increasing effectiveness to global, regional and domestic security. The Update recognises that the ADF must have the capability to carry out Australia's particular responsibilities in the region, yet at the same time, must retain the capacity to contribute to coalition operations further afield.

"When it comes to developing military capability we see a dual responsibility. The first is to be able to capably address the threats that are immediate and real . the second is to build a force that is capable in the longer term to meet the unexpected," Senator Hill said.

To ensure that Australia is a credible contributor to global and regional security, the Government has taken capability decisions that increase the ADF's combat weight, mobility and sustainability including:

• hardening and networking the Army to provide it with more mobility and fire support;
• increasing the size of the Army;
• new amphibious ships that will extend the assured reach of the ADF and allow for deployment of larger and heavier forces, as well as providing an additional capability for humanitarian assistance;
• new air warfare destroyers to protect deployed forces;
• new combat systems for the Collins class submarines and heavy torpedoes to provide additional protection;
• enhanced border patrol capability with the new fleet of Armidale patrol boats;
• upgrades to the F/A-18 fleet and the transition of the Joint Strike Fighter;
• better situational awareness and command and control with the airborne early warning and control aircraft;
• increased reach and persistence of air combat capabilities with the new generation air-to-air refuellers; and
• the option of heavy airlift capabilities.

"We can be confident that this Update further prepares the ADF to defend Australia and its interests now and in the future." Senator Hill said at the launch.

Australia's National Security: A Defence Update 2005 can be accessed online at: www.defence.gov.au/update2005/

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