Volume 19 Number 1

Foreword

We stand at another inflection point in our Army’s history. In April this year, our government delivered clear direction for our Army in response to the Defence Strategic Review.

The review recognised a pressing need for our ADF to adapt more quickly to the changing character of war to ensure we are best positioned to fulfil our purpose of deterring conflict and protecting Australia’s national interests.

While we must adapt to war’s changing character, we know that war remains an enduringly human endeavour; a contest of wills between people and nations.

Our Army must continually evolve if we are to be truly Future Ready. The challenge for us is to ensure we adapt fast enough to be equal to the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow.

We are now focused on implementing Army’s contribution to the directed outcomes of the Defence Strategic Review. There will be changes to the scale and scope of our capabilities, the sequence and pace of delivery, how we are organised, the way we train, and the resources available to us.

Now is the time to embrace the vast intellectual capital in our Army and leverage your capacity for innovation. The Australian Army Journal is a vehicle through which you can engage in a contest of ideas and professional discourse on the future of our institution, our profession and our fighting force. I encourage you all to contribute your insights and ideas to upcoming editions on the evolution and utility of land power.

We would do well to heed the advice of the author Peter Drucker, who said that the best way to predict the future is to create it ourselves.

LTGEN Simon Stuart, AO DSC

CHIEF OF ARMY