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“And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth…” JRR Tolkein The early 2000s saw a marked increase in the expeditionary employment of UK amphibious forces. For the UK, like the fellowship of the ring, ‘some things that should have not been forgotten were lost’. Chief among these was experience of doing expeditionary and amphibious logistics. Supporting expeditionary operations at strategic distance from the home base is challenging and Australia’s …

What are the forces shaping the operating environment since 9/11? In an era of constant competition, can it be argued that the character of war is ever changing? What challenges do those two questions pose for contemporary military forces and other national security providers? Colonel Ian Langford’s presentation offers some thought provoking insights on this complex issue. … Emerging Security Challenges in a Post-9/11 Operating …

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will drive major changes in the character of war. It is creating a family of small, smart, and cheap weapons that will provide even small states with capabilities that until recently were the preserve of major powers. These developments will require major changes in operational concepts, as well as service organisations, training, and equipment. … The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Changing Character of …

Studies examining mental disorder and terrorist involvement have a convoluted history. Early studies were correctly debunked on methodological grounds, but the existing consensus, that mental disorder never plays a role in terrorism, is likely to be false when we consider the complexity and diversity of the problem. Instead, there are likely to be a range of mental disorders across the arc of terrorist involvement. This work addresses the current discord in the understanding of the potential role of …

Dr Emily Corner  is a Lecturer of Criminology at the ANU, and previously a researcher at UCL, working on projects examining lone and group-based terrorism, radicalisation, mass murderers, and fixated individuals. Her doctoral research focused on examining mental disorders and terrorist behaviour, and won the 2016 Terrorism Research Initiative’s Best Thesis Award. … Emily …

Moving from Gender Analysis to Risk Analysis of Failing to Consider Gender Source: The RUSI Journal The Australian Defence Force is a world leader in integrating the aims of UNSCR 1325, with it being a critical part of training and operations. Despite some success, we must continue to build on and improve the gender planning considerations within our planning processes. Because in wars fought within and ultimately for the support of civilian populations, the gender dimension is a vital one. The article …

Envisioning a new command & control (C2) architecture for all-domain operations Source: MITRE - Feb 21 It is a universal truism that legacy systems are challenged in the effective command and control of joint forces due to impediments between domains, echelons, classifications, and allies. This article investigates the needs of a future, joint command and control system and uses two operational vignettes against a threat with advantages in geography, initiative, and force generation to discuss these needs. …

Australian Army Research Centre Spotlight Briefs provide a periodically released curated overview of issues relevant to Australian Landpower. Spotlight Briefs derive solely from available open source material. Inclusion of material in a Spotlight Brief does not imply or reflect Australian Army, Australian Defence Force or Australian Commonwealth Government policy. The below is a focus on the ‘Strategy’ section of Spotlight Brief 1/21 , which can be viewed fully here . Influencing Adversary States Source: …

Cyber Capabilities and Multi-Domain Operations in Future High-Intensity Warfare in 2030 Source: NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence – Dec 20 Western militaries have spent decades attempting integration of maritime, land and air domains, yet still run into misunderstandings and issues that undermine our ability to operate as a joint force. Despite rapidly growing demand to operate beyond the physical domains, cyber suffers similarly, exacerbated by its newness and opacity to those not …

Improving supply chain resilience through preparedness Source: Security Challenges – Oct 20 Increasingly discussed prior to 2020, COVID-19 brought Australia’s vulnerability to trade disruption into stark reality. Until recently, there has been little from a Departmental (any Department) or overall Government side that has sought to understand our supply chain vulnerabilities and potential mitigation. The disruption of supply chains due to the pandemic has highlighted how these failures exacerbate security …