I have followed Albert Palazzo’s work with interest over the years. In his most recent Occasional Paper, Planning to Not Lose: The Australian Army's New Philosophy of War , Palazzo lays out the controversial argument that the best outcome of a future conflict for Australia, is not to lose and not losing must be the basis of Australia’s new military philosophy. In this regard, the following observation particularly caught my attention: Despite the discomfort this proposal may occasion among some of the …

Shaping the Canadian Corps 1914-1918 By Kenneth Radley Helion , Warwick, 2018, 424pp 9781912174737 - Paperback Reviewed by BRIG Chris Roberts AM, CSC (Retd.)   Following on from his excellent study of the 1st Canadian Division during the Great War ( We Lead, Others Follow ) Kenneth Radley’s Get Tough, Stay Tough: Shaping the Canadian Corps 1914-1918 considers the Canadian performance on the Western Front through a slightly different lens.  In his first book, Radley analysed why the 1st Canadian Division …

By KW Mitchinson Helion , Solihull, 2017, 290pp, c 20 b/w photos, 8pp colour maps 9781911512547 - Hardback Reviewed by BRIG Chris Roberts AM, CSC (Retd.)   In this comprehensive and very informative account, Mitchinson delivers a pragmatic and balanced study of a solid, yet unremarkable 48th (South Midland) Division that had its origins in the creation of the Territorial Force (TF) in 1908. Mitchinson has written extensively on the TF, and this book meets his previous high standards of research, based …

The content in this article is an extract of  Spotlight Brief 6/21 . Defence Innovation and the 4th Industrial Revolution in Russia Journal of Strategic Studies – Dec 2020 Katarzyna Zysk’s article grapples with two key questions. Firstly, what strategies has Russia adopted in order to pursue breakthrough technologies and stimulate defence innovation? Secondly, what ramifications will Russia’s technological advancements have for strategic competition? Russia has systematically focussed on new potentially …

Introduction Tomorrow’s protracted battles will occur in complex terrain where casualties are maximised and engagements drawn out for as long as possible. This Land Power Forum Post describes the concept of protracted battle in the context of supporting military theory and its effects on land power. It will demonstrate why battles are becoming longer and larger fights occur in complex terrain. These protracted battles are the domain of semi-national forces who behave with a mix of characteristics, …

The Battle of Minden, 1759, and its Place in the Seven Years War By Ewan Carmichael Helion , Warwick, 2021, 265pp 9780733637292 - Paperback 9780733637308 - eBook Reviewed by BRIG Chris Roberts AM, CSC (Retd.) The Battle of Minden is noted for the extraordinary performance of a single British infantry brigade, a feat still celebrated by six successor infantry regiments and two Royal Artillery batteries of the British Army. In recounting this remarkable battle, and its place in the Seven Years War …

Rethinking Army’s Organisation The Defence Strategic Update (DSU) of 2020 highlighted that “[m]ajor power competition, coercion and military modernisation are increasing the potential for and consequences of miscalculation” [i] . Competition between great powers has always risked state on state conflict and the DSU reminds us of this. Since Federation, Australia’s defence thinking has been heavily influenced by competition and conflict between states. Australia’s commitment to both World Wars shaped Army’s …

To Deter and Respond to Invasion ‘In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity’ Sun Tzu Introduction Modern history depicts some decisive military trends. Among these, counter-insurgency wars are inherently unpopular, demonstrably costly and, for the most part, unsuccessful. If this is the case, it follows that Australia’s Defence policy must include layers of defence that guarantee sovereignty and that capitalise on the asymmetric advantage traditionally experienced by insurgent forces. Specifically, …

In April, the AARC launched a ‘ Short Thoughts Competition ’. The purpose was to encourage authors to communicate ideas about land power to Army’s senior leadership and a wide range of readers, and in the process help to inform and shape Army’s future, under the theme of ‘Transforming Land Power’.  The number and quality of responses reflected positively on the authors’ willingness to take on the challenge of helping to shape Army’s future.  Contributors ranged from current serving to retired ADF members, …

Land Power and the Future Littoral Environment The future operations for which Australian land power will be required will almost certainly fall within the Indo-Pacific region. Thus, the future of land power will be in the littoral environment. This will require an Army ready to conduct dispersed operations across a number of coastlines and islands, acting independently or in concert. Above all, this will require integration into the joint environment, working with sea and air power as part of a holistic …