DCN by the dozen
Navy News put a dozen questions to the recently appointed DCN RADM Russ Crane. Here is what he had to say about the state of the Navy.

 

Rise from the cadets

Recently-appointed DCN RADM Russ Crane has had close connections with the seagoing life from an early age. He began with the Sea Cadets in about 1966-67 on the Gold Coast Training Ship Tyalgum. “That was in the days when we were out on the spit where they now have Sea World,” RADM Crane recalled. “It was run by the Navy League and the building is still there. I have been back recently and met with the cadets.”His career has been spent on and offshore, in joint and single service appointments and even one outside Defence. People and people welfare is his passion. Integration, adaptability and flexibility are his watchwords. He has had three seagoing commands, HMAS Curlew, HMAS Derwent and HMAS Success. In his spare time, RADM Crane likes to follow the rugby and go fishing. He played Combined Service rugby in Britain with a UK Defence representative team in the early 1980s.

Volume 49, No. 15, August 24 , 2006

1. What personal characteristics and professional experience do you think will translate well into your new role as DCN?
I have been fortunate to have had a fairly significant cross-section of experience in Navy and Defence, from a junior sailor in my early days as a junior recruit, as an ordinary seaman in HMAS Melbourne in the early 1970s, through to commissioning. I have had diving teams, three seagoing commands, a shore command as the Navy Systems Commander and a number of staff positions, both in joint and single service areas. In my last job I was Director-General of Coast Watch, a position outside Defence in the Customs portfolio. In respect of personal characteristics, I think I keep my feet pretty much on the ground. I prefer to deal with issues in a practical sense.

2. What do you see as some of the key priorities for Navy in the coming years?
There are probably four, and the foremost is operations. There is no doubt in my mind we have to continue to deliver the operational outcomes to Government currently levied on us. At the same time, there is a priority on people – about improving our workforce in terms of total numbers and dealing with increasing our recruiting numbers and retaining our people. From that perspective we are pretty well positioned with new platforms and new capability within the plan that will materialise over the next 5-10 years. We need to continue to work hard and prepare ourselves for the manpower challenges that that will bring to us. I don’t underestimate the challenge here. Future capability is the third priority. Aligned to that is our organisation and this is an area where I particularly want to focus. Another is safety.

3.How important is the Sea Change initiative and why should sailors embrace it?
I think the Sea Change approach is fundamental to our future. I see Sea Change as being the mechanism through which we can achieve the flexibility and change our approach to better meet Navy’s corporate needs but – more importantly – those of our people. That’s the mechanism that will help us to achieve the flexibility we need.

4. In terms of capability, what do you think are the most exciting purchases coming up for the Navy?
When I look at what’s coming down the pipe for Navy and more generally the ADF, there are some really exciting programs; I would love to be starting again. The Air Warfare Destroyer in Navy’s case, the amphibious ships that will be delivered in the next 5-10 years. The joint strike fighter, given its joint capability. Our approaches to – and this might be a bit technical – network centric warfare is a critical issue for us in the way in which we will fight in the future.

5. How do you see Navy sustaining its commitment during this high operational tempo?
This is a particular challenge and again the workforce is fundamental dealing with the operational tempo. I am comfortable that our platforms are built and designed to a standard where they can operate at the high operational tempo. It is on our workforce that we need to focus. I expect that the current high operational tempo will be with us for some time and we need to grasp some of the opportunities that that presents us. I am encouraged by the work on the multi-crewing trial now in place with the Hydrographic Force Element Group (FEG) and more recently the Patrol Boat FEG, we are doing some trials with two of our FFHs that are also encouraging.

6. Retention and recruitment are perennial problems for the Navy so what can be done in these areas to hang on to the right people and recruit future replacements?
Retention is the key and I want look more closely at stabilising the Navy workforce from a retention perspective. A reasonable separation rate is healthy; we need to be careful not to slow it too much although at the moment it is still too high and we do have critical shortages in some branches. The concept of short-term retention bonuses is useful but it is only in the short-term. The key is to deliver a longer-term workforce renewal program. That is all about challenging the fundamentals that we have put in place, concepts of manning and movement of our people; it’s Sea Change again.

7. Do you see the role of Reserves in the Navy expanding in the future?
I am a fan of the Reserve. Returning to the concept of a totally integrated workforce, we have a program with the Reserve where we have embedded our Reserve capability in our workforce.

8. What are some of the issues you are personally interested in pursuing in your time as DCN?
I see my role very much as administrator of the Navy on the CN’s behalf; the XO, if you like. I particularly want to focus on some of the work that has begun on our workforce renewal. I can’t stress enough the importance of that work on our future in preparing Navy properly for the new LHDs and AWDs. Recruiting and retention will occupy much of my time over the next two years, and delivering the strategic level of support to operational commanders.

9. How well do you know the CN and how do you plan to work together on some of the Navy’s issues?
I have worked with CN a number of times during our careers. I think we have an excellent relationship. I know the CN will set the vision and the strategic direction for Navy and I am sure he will argue strongly for the support that we need to meet that strategic direction and vision.

10. Aside from leadership, what other qualities do you think the Naval officer of the future will need to possess?
Navy officers of the future will need to have a good grounding in technical understanding of our new equipment into the future. An ability to be able to learn and adapt will be particularly important. He or she will have an ability to communicate and be able to understand people issues.

11. How do you see the new platforms coming on line impacting on training and career advancement for sailors and officers?
The new platforms coming on line present us with, if you like, another level of technology. Opportunities for career advancement through new approaches, particularly in the Amphibious Group, will be significant.

12. What are the logistics of the multi-threat environments we are likely to encounter?
The amphibious capability in particular will take us to, I suspect, another level of joint operations in working with Army and Air Force. The opportunities for Navy, Army and Air Force working together in a joint task force are significant and are the sorts of things we will need to focus on. .

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