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PME needs to produce strategists able to draw sufficient conclusions from insufficient resources.  One tool used to develop such leaders is the  staff ride . The Australian Army has limited experience with staff rides, conducting its  first staff ride of the modern era in 2017 . In our view, this nascent staff ride programme can do more, not just to explorie past battlefields but to include potential battlespaces that represent the Future Operating Environment. Historical analysis of past battlefields asks …

In addition to reaffirming the acquisition of two new replenishment vessels by the early 2020s, the  2016 Defence White Paper  had a surprising inclusion – “a third high-capacity replenishment ship or an additional logistics support ship similar to HMAS Choules in the late 2020s”. Less of a surprise was the programing of the replacement of HMAS Choules, as “the benefits of this type of vessel in extending the reach of the ADF and enhancing our capacity to deploy larger and better-equipped forces”, are well …

Part 1  in this series looked at the benefits provided by a third replenishment ship, and identified significant advantages to achieving the objectives stated in the  2016 Defence White Paper . The option for this ship to be “an additional logistic support ship similar to HMAS Choules in the late 2020s” in addition to replacing Choules on first review would appear an unlikely option. Important questions should be answered about how Army will be transported and supported for the increased regional …

It is readily acknowledged, even assumed, that safeguarding national sovereignty is imperative to national security and Defence. The  2016 Defence White Paper  states that, “our most basic Strategic Defence Interest” is a “secure, resilient” nation, “where Australia exercises full sovereignty over its territories and borders.” Yet, what does the government mean when they say “full sovereignty”? Is it merely about territorial integrity? Or is it about autonomy and the projection of regional and …

Part 3 – Logistic Support Ships Part 1  in this series identified the critical role that replenishment ships have in supporting the fleet, but highlighted their limitations in supporting the land force ashore.  Part 2  described the tension between a more heavily protected land force, and the capacity of current and future sea lift capabilities. Instead of a third replenishment ship and a Choules replacement, an alternative is a pair of a new class of multi-role ships that offer both sea-lift and …

3D printing technology could possibly alleviate some of the issues with stockpiling supplies - Matthew Ng writes. As the Australian Army procures increasingly complex capabilities in developing a 21st century land force, the ability to maintain Army’s platforms and ensure operational readiness will pose new and unprecedented challenges for Army’s logisticians. Maintenance of combat platforms can be complex and highly unpredictable in peacetime, especially with fiscal pressures, not to mention those …

Contemporary Western armies are capable of operating in urban areas but few field capabilities for urban combat. This is perplexing. Fighting amongst populations and structures presents well-documented, distinct military and political challenges. Demographic, social and rapid technical changes are increasing both the likelihood of urban combat and the severity of these challenges.  The most pressing challenge is perhaps unprecedented geo-political sensitivity to suffering own and inflicting civilian …

 “Riding from the Past into the Future” The recent  ‘Riding the Future Battlefield’  post on the Land Power Forum by Mr Wayne Shipp and Dr Jason Mazanov raised some excellent ideas for the potential study of future conflict and use of simulation to enhance Army’s understanding of the Future Operating Environment (FOE). However, in their enthusiasm to make their case, I fear the authors have been far too dismissive of the staff ride, an effective and proven Professional Military Education (PME) activity. …

If economics drives politics, then it will also drive conflict. An economic imperative for defence – Dr Nitin Gupta If economics drives politics, then it will also drive conflict. ‘Economics drives politics’ – this adage has validated itself over centuries. But an even more apt adage for the 21st century will be, ‘Economics drives conflict’. This is because the foundational drivers of conflicts and security challenges are increasingly economic in nature, and effectively dealing with them will require a …

In order to influence where religious feelings are strong, a deep understanding of the faiths is necessary, Dr Marigold Black writes. In the future, no American ambassador should be assigned to a country where religious feelings are strong unless he or she has a deep understanding of the faiths commonly practiced there … The State Department should hire or train a core of specialists in religion to be deployed both in Washington and in key embassies overseas. — Madeline Albright, 2006 (This article has …