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The Land Power Forum blog is published by the Australian Army Research Centre in order to generate discussion and debate about the future of Army.

It is a forum for informed analysis, commentary, thoughts and ideas. Contributions are welcomed from stakeholders, subject matter experts and those interested in future land warfare.

Articles
Promo image for Death of the Wehrmacht
Book Review - Death of the Wehrmacht
Landpower lessonsLand combatBook review

Dr Al Palazzo rediscovers his copy of Citino's 'Death of the Wehrmacht' and finds it to be an impressive volume with considerable utility to the modern military professional.

Promo image for OP10 Fifth Generation Australian Army
Fifth Generation Army – Leadership and Ethics in 2040
People, Culture and EthicsArmy in MotionLeadership

Will the military modernisation measures that Army takes today prepare our ADF men and women for the leadership and ethical challenges of tomorrow?

In AARC Occasional Paper 10, we stand in the shoes of soldier Smith facing the prospect of their first combat operation in 2024.

Army Quantum Technology Workshop 2021
Army Quantum Technology Workshop 2021
Emerging TechnologiesRobotics & Autonomous SystemsRICO

The Australian Army invites the Australian Quantum Technology community to the Army Quantum Technology Workshop 2021 (AQTW21) within the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP) Summer Meeting in Brisbane on Tuesday, 7 December

Force Design (Spotlight Brief 6/21)
Force DesignSpotlight BriefStrategic Analysis

The content in this article is an extract of Spotlight Brief 6/21

Mr Shawn Tansley from 'Built In Australia 5' explains the uses of the Warfighter Unmanned Ground Vehicle in a combat role during the dismounted combat program, robotics and autonomous systems display at the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, Lavarack Barracks, Townsville.
People, Culture and Ethics (Spotlight Brief 6/21)
Strategic AnalysisSpotlight BriefPeople, Culture and Ethics

The content in this article is an extract of Spotlight Brief 6/21

Economics (Spotlight Brief 6/21)
Spotlight BriefEconomicsStrategic Analysis

The content in this article is an extract of Spotlight Brief 6/21

Strategy (Spotlight Brief 6/21)
Spotlight BriefArmy in MotionStrategic Analysis

The content in this article is an extract of Spotlight Brief 6/21

Our Region (Spotlight Brief 6/21)
Our RegionStrategic AnalysisSpotlight Brief

The content in this article is an extract of Spotlight Brief 6/21

Australian soldiers disembarking a naval ship
2021 Chief of Army History Conference
Land combatLandpower lessonsMilitary history

The 2021 Chief of Army History Conference will be held via Zoom from 0830-1630 10 November 2021. The theme for the Conference is 'Contingencies and Compromises: Mobilising the Australian Army'. It will focus on the Australian Army’s history of mobilising to meet challenges across the globe.

Quantum Technology Challenge 2022 promo image
Army Quantum Technology Challenge 2022
Emerging TechnologiesRobotics & Autonomous SystemsRICO

If you're a quantum company, researcher or defence company, now is the opportunity to respond to the Call for Submissions to invent a solution to the Quantum Technology Challenge (QTC) 22. On 11 Aug 22, the QTC 22 Demonstration Day will be held in conjunction with the Army Innovation Day and the Chief of Army’s Symposium at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Read on to learn more about the QTC22 themes and their respective challenges.

Promo image for OP 9
Special Information Warfare: Evolving Australian and Allied Special Operations Forces to Fight and Win in the Chaos
Cyber/spaceIrregular Warfare

The proliferation of information technologies, the rapid pace of military modernisation and the return to Great Power competition are challenging traditional notions of national security as it applies to Australia and its coalition partners.
The impact of information in modern warfighting is unhinging the asymmetries traditionally afforded to Australian and allied Special Operations Forces (SOF), calling for new ideas, concepts and capabilities.
In this AARC Occasional Paper, Benjamin Johanson proposes Special Information Warfare as a new capability for SOF to fight and win in the chaos.

Promo image - book cover - Lost Opportunity
Book Review - Lost Opportunity
Book reviewMilitary historyLandpower lessons

Brigadier Chris Roberts (Retd) discusses why 'Lost Opportunity: The Battle of the Ardennes, 22 August 1914' by Simon House is an outstanding model of a campaign study.

Promo image for OP 8
The Effectiveness of Influence Activities in Information Warfare
Information WarfarePsychologyPeople, Culture and Ethics

Cassandra Brooker demonstrates how systems thinking offers an effective approach to understanding complex social systems in the iWar. She also discusses the importance of influencing strategies and psychological cognitive theories to the successful analysis of system behaviours.

Promo image - book cover - Reluctant Partner
Book Review - Reluctant Partner
Book reviewMilitary historyLandpower lessons

This is not a military history per se; only four of the book's thirteen chapters are devoted to the French naval and military operations at the Dardanelles.

The rest cover in much more detail the political maneuverings, obfuscation, distrust, duplicity, post-war aims, and attempts to salvage careers amongst the British and the French, and to a lesser extent the post-war desires of the Russians.

Promo image - book cover - The Battle for Shaggy Ridge
Book Review: The Battle for Shaggy Ridge
Book reviewMilitary history

Philip Bradley's new book, 'The Battle for Shaggy Ridge', re-examines Australian and Japanese military operations in Papua New Guinea's Finisterre Range during a four month period from October 1943 to January 1944.

Promo image for Tools to Teammates
From Tools to Teammates
Robotics & Autonomous Systems

In the recently published Occasional Paper ‘From Tools to Teammates: Human-Machine Teaming and the Future of Command and Control in the Australian Army’, the authors explore the compatibility of emerging concepts of human-machine teaming with existing Australian Army culture and practices, drawing on interviews with serving officers and focusing specifically on the implications for military command and control. The paper assesses the risks and opportunities arising from automation for future concepts, doctrine development and organisational change.

An Australian Army soldier from 25/49 Royal Queensland Regiment watches the backburn operations as he awaits clearance and escorts through an active fire zone for delivery and setup of two bouywalls.
Climate Security in the South Pacific: Australia’s Perspective
EnvironmentCivil-Military Relations

Army must continue to prepare for the significant implications of climate change on the future ADF operations. This includes the likely increase in HADR and stability operations in the South Pacific. Riley Bradford discusses why.

An Australian Defence Force MRH-90 helicopter flies over a traditional building in Honiara on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
Joint Warfare in the Near Region: Guadalcanal 1942
Regional politicsMilitary historyAmphibious/joint/interagency

Levon Lambert explores why Australian military operations in Guadalcanal provide enduring lessons about the ongoing challenge of joint warfare in the near region.

An Australian Army’s new Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle conducts a live-fire battle run during exercise Diamond Walk at Shoalwater Bay, Queensland.
Science, Technology and Industry (Spotlight Brief 5/21)
Strategic AnalysisSpotlight BriefIndustry
Australian Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters air lifting M777 Howitzers, Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters, a LCM-8 Landing Craft and Royal Australian Navy LHD Landing Craft carrying M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks, M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers and Australian Light Armoured Vehicles, transit from HMAS's Canberra and Choules during an amphibious beach assault, as part of Exercise Sea Explorer, Cowley Beach, Queensland.
Force Design (Spotlight Brief 5/21)
Strategic AnalysisSpotlight BriefForce Design
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