In spite of the international condemnation and remedial efforts after the May 1998 Indo-Pakistan nuclear tests, the situation in South Asia has subsequently been an action-reaction of missile race, local war, full-fledged nuclear weapon program and coup d'etat. International arms control regimes such as the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) have been hampered. South Asia as a whole has become a more dangerous place and a range of …

Success on the battlefield depends to a large extent on the timely receipt of accurate information presented in a format that can be digested readily by the commander and staff to allow them to prepare appropriate plans. The receipt of sensor data, information processing and communication of orders all require the provision of suitable tactical communications systems providing high-speed data networks and voice communications. Without communications on the modern battlefield the commander is deaf, dumb and …

This paper investigates two phenomena: first, the conceptual broadening of the term ‘security' and the implications of this broadening for the contemporary meaning of ‘national security'; and, second, the implications of this process for the armed forces of advanced countries, whose tasks have also broadened from their Cold War focus on warfighting.The changing theoretical meaning of security has contributed to the broadening of these tasks. This broadening is, in turn, reflected in the phenomenon of the …

In future land warfare, support for command and control requires the development of a single logical network that provides connectivity between any two points in the battlespace, and between any point in the battlespace and any point in the strategic communications system. This Tactical Communications System must be an organic asset that provides at least the minimum essential voice and data communications requirements to support situational awareness within the deployed force and to allow for the transfer …

This working paper argues that the skills of historical analysis are an essential element of military decision-making. It suggests that military decision-making is shaped by temporal circumstances and that consequently historical awareness must be seen as one of the key attributes of an effective officer. Historical knowledge and methodology have a key role to play in military operations. Not only should the Australian Defence Force (ADF) adopt a more sophisticated approach to the education of its officers …

Land commanders are increasingly dependent on information-age systems comprising communications and information systems, networks and sensors. While these systems have the potential to produce significant changes in the conduct and character of war, their reliance on the electromagnetic spectrum also has the potential to increase their vulnerability to interdiction by electronic-warfare systems. Of all the changes likely to occur as a result of the use of information-age systems, the evolution of today's …

During the 20th century, joint operations—and particularly amphibious operations—have played an important role in the defence of Australia. This paper is a survey of the major joint operations undertaken by Australian Forces in the past one hundred years and aims to examine key factors such as the changing mechanisms for joint operations, doctrine and equipment. The survey begins with the first joint operation that Australian Forces undertook in 1914. The influence of Gallipoli on Australian defence policy …

Strategists today are grappling with asymmetric warfare, collateral effects of past actions and the complexity of military operations in the Information Era, where outcomes may be influenced as much by what people think as by the application of conventional military force. Yet questions over how best to apply military force in this age of instant access to information have been generating debate since before the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, with several recent international military operations …

This working paper proposes a concept for the Australian Army's Groundbased Aerospace Defence (GBAeD) system of 2030. GBAeD 2030 is part of a balanced joint force, and an integral element of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) air-defence system. It will be able to operate autonomously or as part of a coalition force. GBAeD 2030 will be important to achieving the future military roles, and have utility for tasks that do not require force. Regardless of the operational task, GBAeD 2030 contributes to force …

When members of the Australian Defence Force deployed in September 1999 as part of the International Force East Timor (INTERFET), East Timor was an information vacuum. Information networks within East Timor itself were practically non-existent, and the only news service was provided entirely by the international media. This news vacuum presented a unique opportunity for the INTERFET forces and an ideal situation in which the Australian Defence Force could hone its skills in information operations. This …