A purely academic study of war by itself is today unrewarding. It is important that the future Commander or Staff Officer should understand the inter-action of political, geographic, economic and military factors in the various parts of the world and that our military studies be set in these realistic settings. - Major-General M AH Butler CB, CBE, DSO, MC (Commandant, Staff College, Camberly) 1 March 1967 Introduction On 8 March 1966 the Prime Minister of Australia announced that an Australian task force …

Abstract The purpose of this article is to explain some of the various types of incentives that can be awarded within sustainment contracts and that will benefit both the contractor and the client—in this case, the Australian Defence Force (ADF). This article describes a variety of financial and non-financial incentives including those currently employed by the ADF in its Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contracts. Introduction A number of Australian Defence Force (ADF) outsourced logistics contracts have …

Abstract Until the early 1990s Chinese participation in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations was rather insignificant. Since the mid-1990s, however, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has steadily increased its commitment to UN missions and moved from a position of marginality to become one of the main contributors to such missions. China’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations and its growing engagement with the UN in general has become an important component of the PRC’s diplomacy and its …

Abstract The debate about the importance of the United States, and whether it is the leader in a unipolar global order, continues to provoke leading thinkers in the world of International Relations. This article explores some of the intellectual positions that have led to current thinking about the United States and its place in an asymmetrical world. There are few things to stir the intellectual emotions during our time as the United States role in the world. There is wide disagreement about the merit and …

Abstract This article outlines the current Australian Army Aviation (AAAvn) General Service Officer (GSO) career profile and discusses proposed modifications to career requirements that the author recommends for the AAAvn GSO to function effectively in the combined arms environment. Introduction The introduction of the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance helicopter (ARH) considerably expands the role of Australian Army Aviation (AAAvn) and increases the complexities and professional challenges confronting officers …

Abstract This article examines the need for a National Security Strategy in Australia. The author looks at what is meant by the term, discusses what a National Security Strategy should achieve, and outlines how such a strategy should come about in Australia. The debate over the need for, and shape of, a National Security Strategy (NSS) is analogous to the debate over an Australian Republic. The post-mortem conducted by the Australian Republican Movement after the 1999 referendum indicated that ‘the …

Abstract As the Australian Army continues to deploy troops to operations across the globe, questions are being asked both within and outside the Army as to why certain forces are being deployed. This article explores the role of the Royal Australian Infantry, and suggests changes that would increase options for its deployment. Armies do not win wars by means of a few bodies of super-soldiers but by the average quality of their standard units... The level of initiative, individual training, and weapon skill …

Abstract This provocative article questions the use of the Infantry Corps in the current high-tempo period of deployments, asking if the Infantry is being used to its full potential. The author claims to represent the views of frustrated Royal Australian Infantry members who feel that they are not being employed to their full potential in current operations. Situation The Royal Australian Regiment has been conducting operations continuously since the intervention into East Timor in 1999. These operations …

Abstract With this account of his time in Afghanistan, the author describes some of the challenges of ‘contested nation-building’ in that country. This article explores the difficulties of developing civilian capacity while also participating in a counterinsurgency campaign. The author contends that Coalition military forces in Afghanistan must remain responsive to the needs and directions of the fledgling national government while developing the infrastructure required for law and order. Peace will come …

Abstract While a tactical defeat for the Communists, the Tet Offensive is acknowledged as the turning point of the Vietnam War that ultimately led to the fall of South Vietnam. Forty years on, this article examines why the Tet Offensive was such an important event, and reassesses its legacy, especially as it relates to the use of military force today. January marked the fortieth anniversary of the 1968 Tet Offensive. This event proved to be the turning point of the Vietnam War and its effects were …