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12-14-2005, 12:42 PM
http://network.news.com.au/images/logos/news_print_logo.gif Defence to be rejigged
By Max Blenkin
14-12-2005
From: AAP
THE federal Government will release its latest strategic defence review tomorrow, explaining what perils it sees in an increasingly uncertain world and what tasks it will expect of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
The first significant review of Australia's strategic outlook since the 2003 Defence Update to the 2000 Defence White Paper will be accompanied by a long-awaited plan for hardening and networking of the Australian army.
Defence Minister Robert Hill will launch both plans at Sydney's Victoria Barracks.
With the war on terror the key current challenge, the Defence Update plan is tipped to spell out a whole-of-government approach to responding to terrorism, of which the ADF is just one player.
More Australian troops have been abroad on various operations in the past few years than at any time since the Vietnam conflict.
The Defence Update is set to confirm this expeditionary role and spell out the strategic justification for forthcoming major equipment acquisitions.
They include amphibious landing ships and air warfare destroyers and possibly an enhanced long-range strategic air lift capability for the RAAF.
Details of the plan for upgrading of the army were disclosed last month and include a proposed 2500 increase in numbers with the force restructured into nine flexible and fully equipped battle groups capable of rapid deployment.
A key issue is where the money will come from.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) last month warned crunch time was approaching for the Government to decide whether to expand defence funding to meet growing costs of operations, equipment and personnel.
ASPI program manager Aldo Borgu said the Government needed to sort out what it wanted the ADF to be able to do and whether that would include large and extended deployments to faraway coalition operations.
"If that is the case, are they willing to pay for it rather than strip away existing capabilities?" he said.
"Hardening and networking the army is going to cost more than is currently allocated. The question is do you give them more money or cut existing capabilities and programs to fund it?"
Mr Borgu said the war on terror was regarded as a strategic priority but the ADF's role in that had never been spelled out. "The real challenge for this document is to advance beyond rhetoric and really map out all these issues for the ADF," he said.
By Max Blenkin
14-12-2005
From: AAP
THE federal Government will release its latest strategic defence review tomorrow, explaining what perils it sees in an increasingly uncertain world and what tasks it will expect of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
The first significant review of Australia's strategic outlook since the 2003 Defence Update to the 2000 Defence White Paper will be accompanied by a long-awaited plan for hardening and networking of the Australian army.
Defence Minister Robert Hill will launch both plans at Sydney's Victoria Barracks.
With the war on terror the key current challenge, the Defence Update plan is tipped to spell out a whole-of-government approach to responding to terrorism, of which the ADF is just one player.
More Australian troops have been abroad on various operations in the past few years than at any time since the Vietnam conflict.
The Defence Update is set to confirm this expeditionary role and spell out the strategic justification for forthcoming major equipment acquisitions.
They include amphibious landing ships and air warfare destroyers and possibly an enhanced long-range strategic air lift capability for the RAAF.
Details of the plan for upgrading of the army were disclosed last month and include a proposed 2500 increase in numbers with the force restructured into nine flexible and fully equipped battle groups capable of rapid deployment.
A key issue is where the money will come from.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) last month warned crunch time was approaching for the Government to decide whether to expand defence funding to meet growing costs of operations, equipment and personnel.
ASPI program manager Aldo Borgu said the Government needed to sort out what it wanted the ADF to be able to do and whether that would include large and extended deployments to faraway coalition operations.
"If that is the case, are they willing to pay for it rather than strip away existing capabilities?" he said.
"Hardening and networking the army is going to cost more than is currently allocated. The question is do you give them more money or cut existing capabilities and programs to fund it?"
Mr Borgu said the war on terror was regarded as a strategic priority but the ADF's role in that had never been spelled out. "The real challenge for this document is to advance beyond rhetoric and really map out all these issues for the ADF," he said.