Abstract The decision by the Australian Government to purchase the M1A1 Abrams main battle tank, although widely misunderstood by analysts and media alike, complements exactly the Australian Defence Force’s concept of combined-arms teams in complex environments. Much of the poorly informed commentary about the decision drew inspiration from myths about the role and utility of armour in the Australian context. Here, the author dispels those myths with a careful study of the importance of the firepower, …

Abstract The author examines some of the profound drivers of Australian defence and strategic logic by seeking the divide between imagination and reality. The nature of strategic debates in Australia has recently been vigorous, with the decades-old orthodoxy being contested in light of new and emergent threats such as terrorism. The imagination of the nation, of the people, and of the Department of Defence all shape threat perception; the author argues that this has led to over-estimating the dangers …

Abstract This paper sets the scene for the 2006 Chief of Army’s Exercise on mission command and the importance of systems thinking. The paper describes a US perspective and outlines various key developmental positions over the past twenty years within the US Army. Today’s Army must create adaptable doctrine, force structures and equipment through its institutions and encourage all elements to adapt as necessary to changing mission needs. The Army and its soldiers must learn and adapt much more rapidly …

Abstract Counterterrorist operations are a visible sign of government efforts to ensure the safety and security of their citizens. Yet, when a nation hasn’t suffered direct attack and its general population may not feel itself at war, such operations can be easily misunderstood and may generate significant backlash, especially in the all-pervasive media. This article explores the challenges of counterterrorist operations and offers some insights and suggestions to mitigating the risks. The 9/11 terrorist …

Abstract This article is based on an address to the Australian Defence Force Academy by Robert Pape, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. In his address, Dr Pape presents the results of his comprehensive demographic research into the phenomenon of suicide terrorism. Many of his research findings challenge key assumptions and prevailing conventional wisdom on the origins of suicide bombers and their strategic goals. In particular, Pape concludes that Islamic fundamentalism does not …

Abstract This article, based on a speech given to the United Services Institute of the ACT, explores the evolution of special forces and challenges many of the public misconceptions about what makes special forces and special operations ‘special’. The author then examines the operational record of special forces and details his philosophy behind the employment of these unique warriors. Introduction The world of special operations exerts a growing fascination over many within and outside the realm of …

Listed below is a selection from the review copies that have arrived at the Australian Army Journal . Reviews for many of these books can be found online in the relevant edition of the Australian Army Journal at: http://www.defence.gov.au/army/lwsc/Publications/journal/journal.htm 34 Days: Israel, Hezbollah and the War in Lebanon , Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 9780230604001, 287 pp.   A Good War , Patrick Bishop, Hodder & Stoughton, ISBN 978034095171, 392 pp. (Distributed in …

TO THE EDITORS We were surprised and disappointed that Brigadier David Buring, in his review of Greg Lockhart’s The Minefield – An Australian Tragedy in Vietnam , misunderstands the book’s central point. The book addresses the question that has angered and intrigued Vietnam veterans since the war: ‘How could Brigadier Graham, an intelligent, capable and experienced army officer, make what is probably the greatest Australian military blunder since World War Two?’ Brigadier Graham was the Commander, 1st …

While it is flattering that a former officer of Brigadier David Buring’s seniority has written a six-page review of my book, it is remarkable that he has overlooked the first requirement of book review writing: to understand the work under review. Buring’s misreading of The Minefield begins in his first sentence where he states that the book is ‘on the Australian Army’s mine warfare experience in Vietnam’. The subject is, rather, the minefield Brigadier Stuart Graham ordered First Australian Task Force …

The interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq have highlighted the difficulties in building a sustainable peace and a conceptual and institutional ‘gap’ in the UK’s peacebuilding capabilities. Consequently, both operations have witnessed the introduction of new approaches to managing stability operations. Whilst these are unlikely to resolve the broader strategic challenges, they represent a range of useful developments in the delivery of a ‘stabilisation’ effect. The core ideas are the focus on …