Calling Navy wordsmiths

The Sea Power Centre Australia, on behalf of Chief of Navy, VADM Chris Ritchie, is inviting members of the RAN at Commander rank and below to enter the 2004 Peter Mitchell Essay Competition.

Entrants can be full-time members or Reservists who have served at least 20 days in the 12 months prior to November 14, 2004.

The competition is open to all members of British Commonwealth navies and is a memorial and legacy of Peter Stuckey Mitchell.

Mitchell was a successful cattle and racehorse breeder who, at his death in 1921, left an estate valued at 215,000 pounds.

The competition provides for an open section with a $750 prize.

All essays are eligible for this prize. There is an officer’s and a sailor’s section, each with a $500 prize.

Entrants are to select from one of five topics for this year’s competition. The topics are:

• Technology and strategy are closely linked, particularly for activities at sea. How will forecast technological possibilities in propulsion, hull forms, sensors or weapons impact on how medium navies operate at sea over the next 30 years?

• Australia is currently operating within a framework of Cold War era alliances such as ANZUS and the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA). Do Australia’s future national security interests lie with continuing these alliances or with emergent regional or supra-regional alliances? How might this impact on RAN capabilities and missions?

• Applying Hill's concept of a medium maritime power, does the RAN have the capacity and capability to meet its enforcement roles as outlined in "Australia's Ocean Policy"? What changes might be required to policy and or capability to allow the RAN to perform successfully as a medium maritime power.

• Discuss the role of mine clearance operations in contemporary expeditionary warfare and postulate how this might be realised in minimum time in a networked, combined and joint campaign in the littoral environment.

• What impact will the changing international ship and port facility security obligations embodied in the International Maritime Shipping and Port Security (ISPS) Code, have on the traditional role of naval forces after July 1, 2004?
  
  Full rules for the competition, together with the entry declaration form, are available on the Sea Power Centre Australia website at www.navy.gov.au/spc or by contacting LCDR Glenn Kerr, on (02) 6127 6505, fax 6127 6519 or email to glenn.kerr@defence.gov.au.

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