By
Louise Butcher
Achieving
the Navy’s objectives under the Defence Capability Review (DCR)
is something that CN VADM Ritchie regards as his “own personal
territory”.
Speaking at the Defence Watch Seminar at the National Press Club,
VADM Ritchie said that the DCR had forced Navy to make some hard
decisions and that the implications arising out of these decisions
were significant.
VADM Ritchie said that despite other areas of Defence being involved
in the fruition of the DCR objectives, he has a strong attachment
to seeing the objectives through whilst he fills the role of CN.
“Achieving the Defence Capability Review from a Navy point of
view is for me probably the most critical matter confronting the
RAN at the moment and clearly something that I regard as my own
personal territory,” VADM Ritchie said.
“For the great majority of my 40 years of service the Navy has
been a peacetime Navy.
When I joined in the mid-60s we went through six or seven years
with a particular part of Navy serving in Vietnam but then [afterwards],
we really didn’t do too many things that were operational.
VADM Ritchie said that the Navy’s experiences and the increase
in operational tempo in recent years had led to growth in the
Navy’s three core roles: war fighting, constabulary duties and
diplomacy.
“Navy’s capability is indeed focused more towards the offshore,
surveillance, patrol and interdiction tasks that are an everyday
part of our constabulary role,” he said “There is also a recognition
that security on the high seas will become an issue.
The continuing threats of WMD and missile proliferation also have
a destabilising influence in many areas of the world.”
The proposals in the DCR will provide an enduring framework for
equipping Navy with the most appropriate and effective capabilities
for the future, no matter what strategic issues arise.
“The DCR did highlight two discernible deficiencies in the Navy’s
and indeed the ADF’s force structure – these being the lack of
a robust amphibious force which can lift, lodge, sustain, withdraw
and protect an Army force, and the lack of maritime air defence,”
VADM Ritchie said.
The biggest acquisition for Navy based on the proposals in the
DCR is the two helicoptercapable amphibious ships of over 20,000
tonnes, replacing HMAS Tobruk and one of the LPAs.
Other major force structure changes contained in the DCR include
the acquisition of three new Air Warfare Destroyers, the upgrade
of four FFGs with SM-2 and the retirement of the two oldest FFGs
after the last ANZAC Class Frigate comes on line.
In addition, two coastal minehunters will be laid up and HMAS
Westralia replaced.
