Abstract Over the past decade, interest in human enhancement has waxed and waned. The initial surge of interest and funding, driven by the US Army’s desire for a ‘Future Force Warrior’ has partly given way to the challenges of meeting operational demands abroad. However the ethical opportunities provided by soldier enhancement demand that investigation of its possibilities continue. Benefits include enhanced decision-making, improved force capability, reduced force size and lower casualty rates. These …

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/Australian_Army_Journal.asp East Asian Multilateralism: Prospects for Regional Stability , Kent E Calder and Francis Fukuyama (eds), The John Hopkins University Press, ISBN 9780801088496, 281 pp. (Distributed in Australia by Footprint Books)   Military Ethics , …

China’s Rise and the Balance of Influence in Asia By: William W Keller and Thomas G Rawski (eds.),  University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, 2007, 284 pp. America and China: Asia-Pacific Rim Hegemony in the Twenty-First Century,  By: Randall Doyle,  Lexington Books, Plymouth, 2007, 199 pp. ‘China’s rise’ is an increasingly prevalent term used by academics, politicians, political commentators and economists alike to describe China’s rapid emergence in recent decades as an economic, political and military …

Abstract This article examines the enlistment of indigenous people into the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War. Despite official prohibitions, the author estimates that close to a thousand Indigenous men eventually enlisted. The author demonstrates how their attempts were made easier as racial prejudices gave way in the face of the authorities’ purely pragmatic concern with replacing the AIF’s appalling losses of 1916 and 1917. Three of these Indigenous enlistees—the Blackman …

Abstract This article examines Israel’s capacity for deterrence. Unlike classical deterrence, where the use of force constitutes failure, the differing cost-benefit calculus of irregular enemies means that Israel must occasionally exercise its military power to demonstrate that it retains the will to act when not existentially threatened. While Israel’s ability to deter conventional and nuclear attacks from its state-based neighbours remains strong, the author finds that its capability to deter non-state …

Abstract This article examines the use and effectiveness of retention bonuses in the Australian Army. These bonuses have been implemented at considerable expense despite the absence of a solid basis of empirical research regarding either their effectiveness or the potentially unintended consequences that can arise from their payment. The author examines each of these issues in turn and concludes that retention bonuses, despite their questionable logic and rationale, are still useful as a temporary measure …

Abstract Infantry have long aspired to the ideal of ‘one shot, one kill’ in marksmanship training, but this article proves that, especially in complex terrain, infantry are better served by employing the ‘volume of fire’ approach to psychologically dominate the enemy. Only then can the significant challenges of poor visibility and fleeting engagement opportunities be successfully overcome and manoeuvre restored to the light infantryman. In the matter-of-fact terms of Australian Army doctrine the role of …

Abstract Simply being aware of cultural ‘dos and don’ts’ is insufficient to ensure truly gainful cooperation with a host populace, especially when the Army is waging counterinsurgency campaigns in complex, urban battlespaces. Taking cultural awareness ‘to the next level’ is the subject of this article, which details lessons from the Army’s arguably expert force regarding this topic: the Regional Force Surveillance Units (RFSUs). The authors examine the major aspects of the RFSUs community engagement …

Abstract The Australian Army is a fighting force that depends upon the combined arms approach to generate operational effectiveness. This approach works only when each part of the team can contribute appropriate effects in the face of opposition. The author argues that the Australian Army’s combat engineers are incapable of providing mobility assurance in the face of opposition because of shortcomings with their equipment. The author demonstrates the negative effect this will have on future operational …

Abstract This article discusses Human Intelligence (HUMINT) as a potential solution to the problem of gathering intelligence on highly agile and adaptive threat networks in complex environments. The article examines why HUMINT is effective in supporting the new forms of small team, semi-autonomous operations proposed by the Australian Army in the future as well as the cultural and historical qualities of its soldiers. The author proposes the adoption of a HUMINT-centric approach to land force operations …