2(AS) Division PME Program Small Uncrewed Air Systems, The Threats They Pose and How To Counter Them SPEAKER :  Dr Carl Rhodes   In the 2024 National Defence Strategy  (NDS) and Integrated Investment Program  (IIP), un-crewed or robotic and autonomous systems are mentioned a total of 57 times. [1] Clearly this is an area of significant interest and concern for the Australian Government. But why are these systems without humans useful and what need do they fill? Additionally, if our adversaries are using …

With the advancement of technology and the accelerated rate of disruptive engagements, militaries are exploring swarm-related capabilities across several lines of effort, spanning from concepts to research and physical trials. In response, this AARC Occasional Paper outlines the current state of swarm and counter-swarm research and technologies through a high-level review of academic, industry and coalition partner efforts. … Swarming and …

  In February 2022, Russian forces streamed into Ukraine under what Russian President Vladimir Putin called a ‘special military operation’ to achieve objectives including ‘denazification, demilitarisation and its neutral status’. The early weeks of the conflict found Russia struggling to achieve its objectives despite many military experts’ predictions that Ukraine would fall quickly. Over two years later, the conflict continues, and uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) have made significant contributions to the …

A Comparative Analysis of Amphibious Operations in the Pacific and European Theatres of the Second World War    Within Occasional Paper Number 23 , author Richard Bushby compares WW2 Allied amphibious operations in the European and Mediterranean theatres with those conducted in the central Pacific theatre. The article further examines the relationship between amphibious techniques and broader concepts of strategy and operational art. … Occasional Paper 23 release - From The …

2(AS) Division PME Program   Do you lead, or are you part of an organisation which has been asked to rapidly scale in response to contingencies? Then this topic is important for you.  In response to the release of the National Defence Strategy (NDS), a seminar was hosted by 2(AS) Division on the topic of accelerated preparedness, titled Scalability Insights for Defence . We have published an Occasional Paper of the same title . The seminar and paper share pioneering research – so stand on the knowledge …

‘Army’s approach to accelerated preparedness’ The scale, scope, concurrency and intensity of conceived future conflicts will require land force mobilisation. The allocation of resources to, across and between operations will vary as the strategic context and direction changes, and for which Army will need to be prepared. When the Government released the Defence Strategic Review 2023 , it called for ‘tangible enhancement to our warfighting capability and to self-reliance in National Defence’ through …

The biggest event in Australia for the Defence industry, Land Forces 2022 was held in October 2022 in Brisbane.  The expo featured  810 exhibitors and had a strong multinational flavour, including 159 delegates from 30 nations.  Over three days, there were a total of 20,000 attendees at the event.  For Army members, Land Forces represented not only an excellent opportunity to see what future platforms may become available, but also to get a better understanding of emerging technologies that industry is …

A Wargame Experiment Arguably the biggest challenge for law-and-ethics-abiding military forces engaged in urban warfare is their current reliance on standoff firepower to reduce their own casualties while allowing progress against adversaries who are concealed and protected. As is the case in operations conducted on rural terrain, this tactic is essential to overcome defensive urban advantages . However, it is less palatable or even counterproductive in cities because of the associated civilian suffering . …

As the Australian Army contemplates the transformation of land power, one area that is worthy of focused effort is the development of a deep battle concept. [1] Currently, Army lacks a unified concept for how it intends to employ its incoming deep-ranging platforms to achieve advantage in depth. To remedy this, Army must expand its concept of land power to include methods of credibly competing in areas of the battlespace beyond the influence of its close combat formations. To create a deep battle concept, …

Close Air Support with Unmanned Combat Aerial Systems “ Strategy sometimes matters a lot. ” John Mearsheimer Introduction The 2020 Defence Strategic Update (DSU), the most recent articulation of Australian military strategy, describes the objectives to shape, deter and respond as the centrepiece of the Australian defence strategy. [1]   The strategic situation has worsened since the DSU’s release with war in Ukraine, and increasing Chinese belligerence, increasing the requirement for a credible ability to …