Robots are no longer new on the battlefield, and neither are drones after their widespread use in nearly every major conflict fought by a modern Army in recent times. The ethics, responsibilities and vulnerabilities of military robots are still being debated in academic, industry and government circles whilst robots have added to the capabilities of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and, occasionally delivered weapon effects as required. But the most understated potential for drones …

Any meaningful discussion of future land warfare should include enhancing combat effectiveness by integrating technology with the soldier.  While such discussions usually involve the  exciting ethical dilemmas presented by the ‘super soldier’ , the complementary discussion about the practicalities of how Army is to get from the present to the ‘super soldier’ receives less attention.  The  Future Land Warfare Report 2014  indicates Army’s willingness to consider technology being ‘ in ’ the soldier (e.g. …

Without changing our patterns of thought, we will not be able to solve the problems we created with our current pattern of thought.  Albert Einstein. The Australian Army is working to embrace a digital culture, but slow action is compromising future combat performance. Decisions made now will be realised on a vastly different future battlefield. To compete, Army must cognitively commit to gaining the technological edge by developing digital fluency in everyday decisions. Digital fluency is the objective of …

Human performance technologies continue to advance at an exponential rate.  A core part of this advancement is the integration of technology ‘in’ (e.g. substances and cybernetic implants) rather than ‘on’ the soldier (e.g. exoskeletons and tactical ballistic helmets).  Both Army and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) are missing forward leaning policy instruments that guide, inform and shape the transition of today’s diggers into the ‘super soldiers’ of tomorrow.  Given Army stands to benefit most from …

Mass When employing force “the best strategy is always to be very strong; first in general, and then at the decisive point.” [1]  “Strength” is constrained by resources, demographics and will; in turn these  factors respond to the perceived importance of the objective that the force seeks to obtain. [2]  Because militaries and governments seek empirical measures, “strength” is measured often in numbers of soldiers, units and fighting vehicles. Measuring force in this way ignores other components of …

Since opening its doors in 1986, the  Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA)  remains an important way for Australians to start their career as an Army officer.  ADFA has been the subject of debate over much of its history, with strong views about whether ADFA is ‘fit for purpose’.  Much of this debate occurs without a strong sense of the original purpose for ADFA, how it has changed, or how that purpose may evolve in the future.  According to a UNSW history of ADFA, led by highly regarded historian  …

In a world of increasing resource constraints and complex human and environmental challenges, technology is increasingly seen as the only driver of modernisation. Echoing industries’ cry for  STEM skills  to shape the cognitive foundation of Australia in the 21 st  century, Army is calling for a STEM revolution in its workforce. But STEM is not the panacea for future capability challenges. Limiting options to the pursuit of STEM at the cost of cognitive diversity can make Army vulnerable to the same future …

The  Future Land Warfare Report 2014  (FLWR) raises the prospect of the Australian Army establishing a combat advantage by putting technology  in  rather than  on  the soldier by fusing ‘biology with technology’ (para. 32).  Putting biomedical implants or artificial intelligence into soldiers’ bodies represents the final step in human-machine teaming.  To date, Army has been reluctant to explore invasive technology put  in  the soldier, instead preferring non-invasive technologies put  on  the soldier.  …

Despite all the hysteria and investment in ‘kit’, the soldier remains the single most important and factor in the projection of land power.   LWD1  puts the case far more eloquently, arguing technology is merely complementary to the decisive dimension, the human.  More bluntly, where technology is necessary but not sufficient for land power – soldiers are. If soldiers are the most critical element in the projection of land power then their optimisation is the most important investment Army can make in …

The 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper (FPWP) presents a strategic assessment of the international environment in which Australia will seek to protect and promotes its national interest. The Paper expects a whole-of-government synchronisation of policies and programs to deliver the best outcome for Australia. FPWP has implications for Defence which is a critical and integral component of foreign policy. The FPWP has implications for Army as an integral part of Australian Defence Force (ADF). An appreciation …