THE NAVY SlfiO - Navy League of Australia

NAVAL MATTERS
An ADF for UH Operations?
By AW.
Crazebrook
Periodically, we hear it argued that the Australian Defence Force should include units and/or equipment
specifically to enable or improve Australia's ability to contribute to United Nations peace keeping
and military relief operations
S
imilarly, it is suggested that the need
for regional defence cooperation
Nations military operation), the ADF sent
FFGs and DDGs sup|>orted by underway
absorl>ed an imprudently large portion of
the Australian Army's frontline strength.
should influence the choice of
replenishment ships, medical personnel, With TOBRUK involved full-time and
capabilities of the Australian Defence
clearance diving units and support IERVIS BAY a large part ol her time,
Force.
personnel. After active military Somalia absorbed lor some months the
operations were completed, other whole ol the RAN s oceangoing Army
Both these arguments are strenuoysly
personnel (including civiliansl were sent. sup|Mirt capability. The Somalia support
opposed bv the Department ol Delence.
The ADF has contributed to and activity placed a heavy burden on the
the Australian Detent»• Forces
RAAF s CI.K) squadrons.
senior command and staff
The desirability ol Australia
officers and bv mans defence
playing its part in United Nations
academics.
peacekeeping and associated
Their argument is that the
military activities is not in
ADF's primary strategic role is
question. However, regional
to defend Australia and its
defence cooperation has been
area of direct militar\ interest
becoming an increasingly
against all forms and levels ol
important part of Australia's
military attack. That is. the
national defence strategy.
ADF exists to defend
continental Australia, our
With the growing power of
offshore territories and
China and the reduced United
resources and the trade routes
around and close to Australia.
States defence capability, the
next few years will see regional
defence cooperation Ixnome an
As strategy should
essential and quantitatively
determine the equipment,
k significant aspect of Australia's
organisation and training ol
national defenc e strategy.
any defence force, so the*
So far. this has not influenced
ADF's primary strategic role
Australia's force structure. In
determines its equipment
maritime terms, the capabilities
organisation and training.
required of our ships, submarines
This is what happens today,
and aircraft for the defence of
with the possible exception
Australia's area of direct military
that commonality of
interest happen to provide
equipment (with its logistic
capabilities appropriate to
support benefits when
regional defenc e cooperation.
operating with United States
forces) may influence the
choice of equipment tvpes (as
distinct from capabilities).
„ Our regional partners provide
similar and/or complementary
c apabilities which, together with
our own. improve the
The force capabilities
capabilities of all parties. There is
required for operations with
the further, and very important,
the United Nations and
advantage of regional powers
regional defence cooperation
(including Australia) improving
can differ significantly.
their ability to operate together
The United Nations have a
diversity of requirements,
HMAS TOBRUK
tactically.
ranging from peacekeeping,
Thus RAN submarines,
through conventional operations by
military units to protect UN forces on
relief operations to relief or medical aid.
continues to participate in a number of
other United Nations operations.
In other words. Australia plays a very
essential to any case to Australia's
substantial role in United Nations
activities involving military units. We
undertake more than our share by
Thus, to Somalia for famine relief and
protection of personnel engaged on that
work, the ADF sent an Army battalion
group supported by the RAN's ships
HMAS TOBRUK and IERVIS BAY. RAN
Sea King helicopters and RAAF transport
aircraft. To Rwanda, the ADF sent
medical personnel. To Cambodio, the
ADF sent a wide variety of largely
specialist personnel and units from all
three services. To the Arabian Gulf (an
international but not strictly United
sending units whic h are available from
an ADF structured for its current strategic
role. We can do this without adding
capabilities specifically for United
Nations operations.
The limiting factor is not types of
capability but numbers. Many of
Australia's most competent defence
observers say the Somalia commitment
national defence, provide anti-submarine
training for regional powers which do not
yet operate their own submarines. The
anti-air warfare c apabilities of our DDGs
and FFGs can provide training for the
high performance combat aircraft in
regional air forces.
On the other hand, there are types of
naval capability which are not required
by the RAN for the defence of Australia's
area of direct military interest but from an
opportunity to operate with which the
RAN can benefit. Our current force
structure enables us to do this without
adding types of capability tor (he sole
purpose of improving regional defence
cooperation.
Thus the RAN needs no missile armed
fast attack craft for the defence of
Australia's area of direct military interest.
The Royal Malaysian. Royal Thai.
Singaporean and Indonesian navies have
all operated this type of craft for some
years. They provide the RAN with the
opportunity to exercise defensive tactics
against these vessels.
All regional navies have and need a
greater amphibious capability than the
ADF. This illustrates another opportunity
for the ADF to benefit from regional
defence cooperation.
Until the new Huon class coastal
mine hunters are completed, the ADF is
behind regional navies in important
aspects of mine counter measures. In
recent years, there have been extended
periods when the RAN has had no MCM
capability and regional powers have had
numerically limited but technologically
advanced MCM forces.
With the dependence of Australia's
economy on international maritime trade
through south east Asian waters, mine
c ounter measures may well become an
area of prime importance in regional
defence cooperation. With the Huon
NAVAL MATTERS
class coastal minehunters. supported by
the Australian Auxiliary Mine Sweeping
System (AMASS) for fitting in fishing
vessels and the Bay class inshore
minehunters. the RAN will be able to
play its part.
However, it is questionable whether
current plans provide us with numerically
sufficient MCM forces in the longer term.
The MCM numerical problem
highlights a problem the ADF is likely to
face increasingly over the next decade.
While we will have good forces, we
may well not have enough forces.
Somalia was the first instance of this.
After meeting the current very
conservative national force readiness
requirements, all we could afford to send
to Somalia was one battalion group.
Even that contribution was limited to a
few months.
Contributions to the United Nations
are not essential to the defence of
Australia's area of direct military interest.
If we lack the forces to send, or they arcrequired
for other activities, the United
Nations will have to look elsewhere.
Regional defence cooperation is
another matter. We are a long way from a
regional defensive alliance of the NATO
type. However, il is very much in
Australia's interests that regional powers'
self defence capabilities are optimised
and we ourselves need the training and
other benefits that arise from joint
defence activities.
Australia's concern must be ADF
members (both personnel, equipment,
support capability and reserves of
ammunition and spare parts) and
maintaining high technological
capability.
Much has been achieved in recent
years. However, the |)ercentage of gross
domestic product allocated to defence is
tailing. The defence budget itself, in real
dollar terms, is falling. In spite of
recognition in the 1987 Defence White
Paper of the need for more surface
combatants, no progress has been
achieved. We had eleven destroyers and
frigates then. That is all we have now.
The Australian Army is in a similar
position. There are fewer troops than
there were. New equipment programmes
are coming forward but in low numbers.
Although they are not yet in this
position, the RAAF needs new aircraft
over the next few years to maintain
existing capabilities and add a new (AEW
& C) capability.
The time is fast approaching for an
essential and significant increase in the
Australian defence budget.
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4 The Navy, My-September 1995
The Navy, Mv-Septrmbef 1WS 5