Abstract Nearly three decades after conducting landings at Rabaul and Gallipoli, the Australian Army undertook its next amphibious operation. 1 Over the next three years, Army mastered amphibious warfare, progressing from a rudimentary battalion-sized landing in October 1942 to a division-level amphibious assault in July 1945. The experience of the 2/12th Battalion – which participated in both of those landings – demonstrates how a shortfall in providing specialist amphibious training for infantry units …

‘Combat units drawn from the conventional brigades and divisions of the IRGC have been fighting on the front lines alongside Syrian and Iraqi militias and Lebanese Hezbollah since October 2015. The units appear to be deploying as cadres – bringing most of their officers… and plugging into Iraqi, Syrian, and Hezbollah militia groups that serve as their foot soldiers.’ 1 Abstract Western powers are not the only nations attempting to influence the balance of power in the Middle East through …

Abstract The aim of this article is to contribute to the understanding of how the war in Afghanistan has become Australia’s longest war despite its strategic irrelevance to Australia or lack of any significant cultural ties. It will do this by examining one small aspect of the war, the technique of securitisation which the United States and Australia employed in their own ways to advance their own goals. Introduction Afghanistan lies in what should be a part of the world that matters little to the United …

Abstract In the lead up to the next Defence White Paper, this article proposes a ‘network’ operating model in response to the Chief of Army’s message to ride the wave of technological development to secure an innovative future for Army. The model is centred on an evolution of the Australian Army’s concept of manoeuvre, increasing the firepower and autonomy of small teams as the Army’s units of action. The model offers a potentially unique approach to force structure and doctrine: the use of partner force …

This is a transcript of the speech presented to the Royal United Services Institute (United Kingdom), Whitehall, London on Friday 8 December 2017. The Honourable Alexander Downer AC, High Commissioner for Australia; Doctor Karin von Hippel, Director-General, RUSI; Major General Ben Bathurst, GOC London District; Professor Malcolm Chalmers, Deputy DG & Research Director, RUSI; Our chair this afternoon, Doctor Peter Roberts, Director Military Sciences, RUSI; Distinguished guests; RUSI members; Ladies and …

Abstract The announcement of a new ‘Information Warfare Division’ 1 within the Australian Defence Force acknowledges the need for cyber-enabled warfare strategies to address the challenges of the information age. Implementing such force modernisation demonstrates a positive, albeit belated, approach to address the disruptive nature information technology is having on the character of modern warfare. This announcement presents an opportunity for Australia’s Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) to maintain …

Abstract This article analyses Australia’s readiness to manage a complex cyber- catastrophe. It contains an analysis of both military and civilian publicly available documentation pertinent to Australia’s cyber capability and disaster resilience. The findings suggest that Australia is ill-prepared to respond adequately to the kind of complex cyber-attack that may trigger cascading consequences. This article seeks to evaluate the scope of Australian documents in the public domain that address cyber-security …

Abstract The mission-oriented performance of digital systems under attack requires an understanding of threat, vulnerabilities and impacts. Australian Army systems are likely to face credible adversaries in the future, capable of attacking digital supply chain systems and degrading the resilience of the overall force. The reality of this future requires capability development efforts now to create a force able to resist cyber-attack on the Defence supply chain and in support of deployed combat forces. The …

‘The problem has never been that the issues relevant to logistics transformation have remained unknown. Rather the problem has been the manner and means by which change is implemented.’ - Lieutenant Colonel David Beaumont Abstract The key to a strong military organisation lies not only in its combat power, but also in its ability to generate logistic and battlefield intelligence, and effectively use it to make timely decisions. In the event of a war, soldiers with different equipment, vehicles, and …

Abstract The Australian Army has lagged behind the best armies in the world when it comes to the uptake of cyber-technology. This paper aims to fill a gap in the discussion on the topic by examining why this is the case, in the context of organisational culture and the dilemmas of emerging technologies throughout history. Militaries, as a subset of organisational cultures, carry a unique set of considerations and attitudes towards innovation, born from the nature of their duties. Where there are no …