Australian Army Occasional Paper No. 8 Rapid, globalised power shifts, technological advances, and increasingly interconnected, ungoverned communications networks have resulted in the rise of asymmetric grey zone threats. The lines are now blurred between political, civil, and military information environments. The rise of influence activities is the new ‘sharp power’ in information warfare (the iWar). Western democracies are already at war in the information domain and are being out-communicated by their …

The Quantum Technology Challenge 2022 (QTC22) has been released (see Call for Submissions 22266). Its Demonstration Day has been scheduled for 11 August 2022 and will be held in conjunction with the Army Innovation Day and the Chief of Army’s Symposium at the Adelaide Convention Centre.  The Challenge themes are: Locating electromagnetic emitters in the battlespace: Can quantum sensors detect, locate and identify electromagnetic emitters with greater precision, range and bandwidth, whilst reducing (or at …

Contingencies and Compromises: Mobilisation and The Australian Army Virtual Conference via Zoom – 0830 to 1630 Wednesday 10 November 2021 The theme of the 2021 Chief of Army History Conference is ‘Contingencies and Compromises: Mobilising the Australian Army’. The Conference will focus on the Australian Army’s history of mobilising to meet challenges across the globe. Presenters will explore the challenges of mobilising land forces throughout history to meet different security threats and the successes, …

The content in this article is an extract of  Spotlight Brief 6/21 . Toward a Trusted Autonomous Systems Offset Strategy: Examining the Options for Australia as Middle Power Australian Army Research Centre – Apr 2021 Austin Wyatt and Jai Galliott’s work presents an examination, grounded in theory, of the feasibility of the Army adopting a Trusted Autonomous System as part of an offset strategy. For Australia, the core purpose of an offset strategy is to generate an asymmetry of capability. By maintaining …

The Complete Story of the French Participation in the Dardanelles Expedition of 1915 By George H. Cassar Helion, Warwick, 2019. 238 pp Reviewed by Brigadier Chris Roberts AM, CSC (Rtd) Innumerous volumes and articles have been written about the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign by historians, journalists, and others in Great Britain, Australia, and to a lesser extent New Zealand. Over a century after the last British troops were withdrawn from Cape Helles in January 1916, countless reams are still being written …

The Battle of the Ardennes 22 August 1914 By Simon J House Helion, Solihull, 2017. 252pp. Reviewed by Brigadier Chris Roberts AM, CSC (Retd) This outstanding book delivers on several fronts and is a model of a campaign study. With a clear and easy to read style, Simon House presents an analysis of a crucial but rarely studied series of encounter battles in the opening campaign on the Western Front. He covers what occurred from both the German and French sides, discusses why and how events transpired, and …

Abstract Rapid, globalised power shifts, technological advances, and increasingly interconnected, ungoverned communications networks have resulted in the rise of asymmetric grey zone threats. The lines are now blurred between political, civil, and military information environments. The rise of influence activities is the new ‘sharp power’ in information warfare (the iWar). Western democracies are already at war in the information domain and are being out-communicated by their adversaries. Building on the …

The world looks over the shoulders of corporals and holds them accountable for every time they and their soldiers pull the trigger, as well as for their behaviour towards those they encounter. Their tactical decisions and personal conduct may have significance that reaches far beyond their individual actions. Corporals must be able to operate in troubles cities, among traumatised and displaced people, while being provoked and attacked by a range of unarmed and armed groups. Their reactions can have …

Human-Machine Teaming and the Future of Command and Control in the Australian Army Abstract In 2018, the Australian Army launched its Robotic and Autonomous Systems Strategy to capitalise on the military opportunities presented by the much-anticipated ‘fourth industrial revolution’ in artificial intelligence and machine learning software. The key to realising this potential lies in the effective integration of soldiers and autonomous systems, known as human-machine teaming. Through human-machine teaming, …

The extraordinary story of the Australian campaign against the Japanese in New Guinea's Finisterre mountains in 1943-44 By Phillip Bradley Allen & Unwin, 2021, 328 Reviewed by LTCOL Katherine Old Named after Captain Robert ‘Shaggy Bob’ Clampett of the 2/27th Battalion, Shaggy Ridge is the location of one of the less renowned battles of the Australian military campaigns in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Shaggy Ridge is a commanding feature within the Finisterre mountains.  In 1943 it was the site of a main …