Dr Jack Watling Senior Research Fellow, Land Warfare, Royal United Services Institute Dr Watling provides a powerful assessment on the profession of arms and delves into the human elements of war and contemporary battlefields. He states he will cover four things: Firstly, address what is the relationship between technology and professionalism. Secondly, suggest some aspects of the human face of battle which are changing and which we need to confront and be prepared for. Thirdly, address what that means for …

Dr Albert Palazzo is the Director of War Studies at the Australian Army Research Centre. In his seminar: ‘From Dependency to Delusion: Time for a New Beginning for Australian Security?’ he puts forward his arguments for Australia to take the major role for its security and not be reliant on a ‘big brother’ as has been the case since Federation. In order to achieve this, Australia would not only need to bear the cost, it would need to change the way it engages within its region and change the structure of …

Contemporary Security Challenges Seminar A joint initiative between the Australian Army Research Centre and Charles Stuart University The US Army and Marine Corps have begun the transition to a new concept of war fighting which has important implications for Australia. Multi-Domain Battle is an attempt to gain advantage over adversaries by simultaneously leveraging the potential of all the domains of war. With this concept, the land forces of the United States plan to defeat a rising China and turn back a …

The Worst of Both Worlds - On the Nature and Character of Urban Littoral Combat …

Matt Brown is a journalist from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation who has wide experience in covering conflicts especially in the Middle East. In this presentation he relates some of his experiences in his journalistic role of bringing  news out of these conflict zones and how social media is changing how reporting is being undertaken. … Airstrikes and Twitter - Matt Brown - …

Lieutenant Colonel Melanie Lenaghan has been at the forefront of operational roles in information operations and advising on the impact of war on women and children to ADF and coalition senior leaders during recent conflicts. This thought-provoking presentation on the impact of war on women and children, in particular in Iraq, provides valuable insight into how military operations impact on non-combatants and combatants alike in ways that are often not obvious to planners. … A Woman's Place is in the …

WAR! – What is it Good For? Professor Ian Morris’s book, “War! What is it good for?” looks at the long term history of how the rise of stronger governments with more force at their disposal have driven down rates of violent death, with some discussion of why people use violence in the first place. This oration contributes to Army’s contest of ideas and will provide attendees with an opportunity to learn about the history of conflict, and gain a unique perspective on the evolution of violence and some …

In a surprise reversal of positions, the United States appears set to pursue a more revisionist foreign policy over the coming years, while China has signalled its intension to pursue regionalist and globalist economic and security policies. Dr Lockyer will examine what these changes in US foreign policy will mean for regional dynamics, stability and security and discuss how Australia’s defence strategy should respond to these shifts in US foreign policy. … Australian Defence Strategy in the Age of Trump …

This seminar explores: The impact of contemporary and emerging media technologies on the decision making processes within Government, particularly in the National Security arena.  Insight into the challenges for political and policy discourse arising from the unrelenting pressures at the intersection of the 24hr News Cycle and New Media.  The nuances and dilemmas of providing frank and fearless advice in a soundbite-driven and post-truth environment. Professor Irvine draws on decades of senior leadership …

This seminar explores: A 12 Vulnerabilities Construct as a way to comprehend the urban challenge; Australian Army ‘fitness for purpose’ against a range of historical urban cases; the puzzle of missing urban capability as an opportunity; and eight exploratory ‘capability constructs’  … The Urban …