For military organisations, the aftermath of a war represents an opportunity to rest and refit, to think about the lessons so painfully learned and to preserve those of enduring value in education, training and doctrine. Arguably of even more importance, it is a time to reflect on and ask basic questions about the character of war: what has changed, what has remained the same, and what opportunities and challenges are suggested for the future evolution of the wars that are yet to come. Albert Palazzo’s …

For contemporary, Western military organisations doctrine serves as the basis of their members' intellectual unity and underpins their ability to identify and incorporate change. Doctrine is held in such high regard by military professionals that one senior officer termed it 'the heart of the army.' While widely accepted now, doctrine did not appear until the mid-nineteenth century. Its origins lie in the Prussian Army, whose brilliant theorist Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke employed it with devastating …

With the release of Force 2030, the 2009 Defence White Paper, the Australian Government has clearly set the ADF onto the path of a maritime strategy. With this development, Australia has joined many great states—from the Athenians to the Americans—who have pursued maritime strategies to their benefit. While the ADF does have a history of pursuing maritime strategy that arguably dates back to the landings at Gallipoli, most of its recent strategic thought has dealt with the requirements of Continental …

Dr Albert Palazzo is the Director of War Studies at the Australian Army Research Centre. In his seminar: ‘From Dependency to Delusion: Time for a New Beginning for Australian Security?’ he puts forward his arguments for Australia to take the major role for its security and not be reliant on a ‘big brother’ as has been the case since Federation. In order to achieve this, Australia would not only need to bear the cost, it would need to change the way it engages within its region and change the structure of …

Periodically the US military is host to a robust, heated, and sometimes painful debate on the future character of war. By contrast, the most striking thing about debate within the Australian Army is its near total absence. The Army, it appears, is unable or unwilling to debate openly about either its own future or the future of war. For an organisation that prides itself on its professionalism, this is a damning conclusion. This LWSC Working Paper asks the question why this the case? In doing so, it …

The purpose of the concept series is to explore ideas about warfare, particularly those ideas that may improve how the ADF goes about it. The concept series therefore supports the functions of force design and force development. Each volume in the series will address a single bounded problem. by Colonel Chris Smith and Dr Albert Palazzo. The Australian Government intends to acquire land-based strike capabilities in the 2020s. While these sorts of capabilities are not new to many of the armies of the world, …

Australia is in the midst of what some have described as an Amphibious Renaissance. Not since the Second World War has the Royal Australian Navy had an amphibious capability of the scale provided by the new Canberra class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) vessels: HMA Ships  Canberra and Adelaide. The Australian Army too is improving its amphibious clout, most evidently by its re-roling of 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR) from a line infantry unit to a specialist pre-landing force. …

Contemporary Security Challenges Seminar A joint initiative between the Australian Army Research Centre and Charles Stuart University The US Army and Marine Corps have begun the transition to a new concept of war fighting which has important implications for Australia. Multi-Domain Battle is an attempt to gain advantage over adversaries by simultaneously leveraging the potential of all the domains of war. With this concept, the land forces of the United States plan to defeat a rising China and turn back a …

The recently released Chief of Army’s statement,  Army in Motion , is a critically important document for the Army’s future, even if it appears neither remarkable nor awe-inspiring at a first glance. In its mundanity, however, it is exactly what Army needs to do. As a statement of intent for the entire force to embrace,  Army in Motion  is highly relevant for the future of land power in Australia. I for one am all in. As General Angus Campbell has observed, Australia is facing a  more disruptive future , …

Introduction On May 8, 1864, Ulysses S Grant’s Union soldiers clashed with the Confederate troops of Robert E Lee at the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse on the road to Richmond. For the next two weeks the two sides fought it out as Union soldiers braved the fire swept ground that separated the two armies to close with the Rebels. Thousands fell in the attempt. A few weeks later, the process repeated itself at the even bloodier Battle of Cold Harbor. Today’s commanders face a challenge similar to that …