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Close combat is Army’s strength and its foundational principle, but recent operations show how it can be turned into a weakness if we fail to acknowledge how adversaries use robot-enabled warfare. In helping Army and the Australian Defence Force grapple with the potential of robotics and automation, I have been struck by a recurring 'blind spot': a reluctance to see improvised explosive devices as robots. On the surface, there are apparent differences between (say)  an artillery shell rigged up with a …

The Australian Army is not just facing an uncertain future operational environment, it is also in the midst of a fundamental rethink about its role in national security, its structure and how it operates on a day-to-day basis. With a Defence white paper due shortly, structural changes resulting from Plan Beersheba now taking effect, and the imminent application of First Principles Review recommendations, the newly published edition of the  Australian Army Journal  has a series of articles that have utility …

The Army Futures Team identifies emerging threats and opportunities in technology, encouraging and promoting professional discussion and debate about their potential implications for future land warfare. This month, we consider developments in emerging technologies (emtech) in our near region. Read on to learn more about some of the key regional agencies in emtech, how to identify the best place to build renewable energy infrastructure and antimalarial treatments. Stay tuned for our scan of home-grown …

The recently released  Defence White Paper  (DWP) captured a marked shift in the Australian Defence Force’s attitude toward International Engagement. This shift called for an increase in the number of Defence members with language qualifications, an increased tempo of engagement, and a re-alignment of those with whom Defence should engage. This direction carries significant weight - to meaningfully develop language skills, cultural awareness and regional familiarity requires at least a twelve-month …

How long will it be until Russia invades the Baltic States? Or Poland? Or indeed even attempts to capture all of Western Europe? Regular reports in western corporate media and comments by a sizable number of politicians, senior military officers and influential commentators would suggest that the Russians are coming and soon. Some examples include comments by the former UK Prime Minister David Cameron stating  that  ‘Europe must remain united in the face of the threat from Russia’ and the US Deputy …

The continued success of the Australian Army Blog is good news – especially since our  adversaries   have been blogging for years. And while we in the West are guilty of dismissing  enriched media  as the domain of cyber geeks and Twilight fans, our opponents have quite literally been developing ‘killerapps’.   It is perfectly understandable that Western militaries dismiss enriched media, after all, its use in calling people to action has rarely amounted to more than “ slactivism ”. Over 1.3 million …

In an address to the National Press Club in October 2006, the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) at the time, Mick Keelty, mentioned that the increasing demand for police to participate in increasingly complex and robust international peace-keeping operations had led the AFP, notably its International Deployment Group (IDG), to grapple with the notion of it operating as a ‘pseudo-gendarmerie force’. As Australia’s defence community and concerned academics have sought to sift for lessons …

Simplicity is a principle of war. The ongoing pursuit of ‘synchronised effects’ is causing staffs, staff processes and staff systems to grow ever more complicated contrary to the simplicity principle. The resulting demand on commanders and principal staff officers is overwhelming and operations tempo is notably sluggish. The common observation that staffs do not ‘integrate effects’ well is a symptom of this problem; but it is a symptom of the pursuit of the wrong idea rather than staff inadequacy. The …

Combat Service Support (CSS) assets by their very nature, are vulnerable in the battlespace. They are often slow, cumbersome and leave a large signature; making it tedious and resource intensive for commanders to protect. In manoeuvre warfare, they are a tempting target, a gap between hard services which can cause disproportionate damage when attrited. A classic dilemma for the commander is allocating correct combat weight to protect CSS assets whilst still achieving mission aims. The Australian Defence …

Army is making significant progress to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness, particularly illness linked to operational service. If this encourages even a small number of ill personnel to obtain support and treatment early to reduce their risk of chronic pathology, it is an immensely positive change. Army’s enhanced mental health strategies are a significant improvement and demonstrate the emphasis Army is placing on looking after the welfare of veterans. Highlighting only chronic illness amongst …