The Information/Cyber Domain From ASPI Strategist , a piece from Zac Rogers and Jason Logue, exploring the battle of the narrative and the challenges we face in developing trust in such narratives. This piece builds upon the discussion in this forum over the last two weeks regarding disinformation. As RAND’s discussion of the Russian ‘Firehose of Falsehood’ continues to prove an effective tactic, we must expect its continued employment and its emulation by others. Rather than lament these developments, …

The following interactive scenario is part of an ongoing series written by Dr Charles Knight on the topic of urban warfare. Readers are invited to use this Land Power Forum to propose a concept for an Australian clearance operation on dense urban terrain against determined opposition similar to that encountered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines during the Battle of Marawi .  You might suggest ways of employing existing capabilities, or the introduction of different systems—with the proviso that any …

This blog is part of an ongoing series written by Dr Charles Knight on the topic of urban warfare. Our people must be leaders and integrators who contribute to multi-disciplinary teams, enabling us to thrive in uncertainty, adapt to change and generate solutions. We must leverage emerging technology as a potential source of advantage, integrating new technologies within the joint force…. We must pull the future towards us rather than wait for it; Army must respond proactively by rethinking our contribution …

Emerging Threats and Opportunities (ETOs) is a regular blog series on the Land Power Forum that collects together blogs, podcasts and articles of interest with the goal of creating discussion on the topic of land power. Lessons From ASPI Strategist , a piece from December last year that explores the idea that the US may have learnt a lesson of minimising engagement in the Middle East over the past two decades, and thus, considers what a reduced engagement posture might look like. Coming from Richard Haass, …

The acute difficulties of urban operations epitomised by the struggle in Stalingrad recurred in Mosul, Raqqa and Marawi, exhibiting that the fundamental requirement for slow, systematic and deliberate clearing building-by-building is no easier 70 years later. In fact, the shift is in the other direction—things are now more difficult.  The enduring complications imposed by physical structures are now compounded by the presence of populations and informational factors, rendering the modern urban fight truly …

Emerging Threats and Opportunities (ETOs) is a regular blog series on the Land Power Forum that collects together blogs, podcasts and articles of interest with the goal of creating discussion on the topic of land power. Lessons From the Modern War Institute , and continuing with the trend from last week, a summary of the tactical lessons from the Battle of Marawi, articulated by Lieutenant General Pamonag of the Filipino Army. This is a long talk (approximately 90 minutes in total), which explores a host …

Emerging Threats and Opportunities (ETOs) is a regular blog series on the Land Power Forum that collects together blogs, podcasts and articles of interest with the goal of creating discussion on the topic of land power. Understanding the emerging threats and opportunities presented by the operating environment is an important aspect to organisational adaptation. Akin to the Boyd cycle, or OODA loop, continuous observation of the environment can help the organisation orientate-decide-act, and do so in a …

‘The military that is able to figure it out and… that can weave together the old and new, not just old and new technology but old and new thinking, they will be the ones that win.’ ( Peter Singer ) Inevitable hardening of  military robotics  suggests that development of war munitions won’t be immune to the impact of  mechatronic warfare . Like the almost indestructible  killer robot  immortalised in the popular science-fiction franchise  Terminator , near-future military robots portend to be tenacious and …

Cities can be as vulnerable to the effects of conflict as the communities that live within them. After critical infrastructure serving the residents of Aden city in Yemen was damaged by fighting in August 2019, nearly 200,000 people were left without clean drinking water. It took only 72 hours of fighting with heavy weapons to disrupt this critical service that had endured since the start of the Yemeni conflict in 2015. And Aden is only one example within Yemen. Between January and September 2019, the …

Pat Griffiths is a Communications Officer with the International Committee of the Red Cross Australia Mission. … Pat Griffiths …