The Navy Vol_73_No_3 Jul 2011 - Navy League of Australia

NAVY LEAGUE 2010 ESSAY COMPETITION
Professional category
3RD
PLACE
Tell it to the Labs
Australia’s Key Role in the Global Maritime
Partnership: Challenges and Opportunities
By Captain George Galdorisi (USN-Retired), Dr. Stephanie Hszieh (United States Navy Space
and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific) and Dr. Darren Sutton (Maritime Operations
Division, Defence Science and Technology Organization)
Australia occupies a strategically important position in the Pacific Rim
– the most vibrant area on the globe – and is a vital member of a
number of regional and international bodies charged with protecting
and preserving freedom of the seas. As a mid-level maritime power,
Australia is dependent on the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to protect
and preserve freedom on the high seas, often in concert with other
like-minded navies.
The RAN bears a special responsibility for carrying out this mandate.
One important characteristic of Australia as well as of many other
Pacific Rim nations are their vast coastlines, and the specific
challenges and opportunities those coasts create. For naval forces
and maritime communities at large, this geographic reality creates
mutual imperatives to operate together at the regional – and often
larger – level in a robust Global Maritime Partnership (GMP). This is
because none of the challenges confronting the dozens of nations of
the Pacific Rim can be addressed adequately by one government – or
one navy – alone, and no single Pacific Rim nation can fully embrace
the tremendous opportunities afforded by the proximity of the world’s
greatest ocean.
Australia’s Navy is “out in front” in recognising these imperatives.
For example, in his March 2009 U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings
article, “The Commanders Respond,” Australia’s then Chief of Navy,
Vice Admiral R.H. Crane, noted, “Australia’s continued reliance on the
maritime environment will dominate our thinking.” He also outlined
the major future acquisitions the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) will
make in air-warfare destroyers and amphibious assault ships, which
will help safeguard Australia’s maritime interests. 1
Later that year, in his remarks at the 19th Biennial International
Seapower Symposium in Newport, Rhode Island, the U.S. Navy Chief
of Naval Operations, Admiral Gary Roughead, echoed this reliance
on the maritime environment. In addressing the mutual interests in
these unique challenges and opportunities to the delegates of the
100+ nations represented at the September 2009 event, he noted:
At this largest gathering of naval leaders in history, we here today
represent our countries’ efforts not only to defend our respective
maritime interests and our shores, but also to secure the global
maritime commons at a time of great challenge. The stakes are
massive: our activities – individually and in partnership – are vital to
the future generations. 2
THE IMPORTANCE OF NAVIES WORKING
TOGETHER TO PROTECT THE GLOBAL COMMONS
The Royal Australian Navy has an enviable record of cooperation with
like-minded navies that extend back to its formation. This tradition
of cooperation and coordination has enabled the RAN to operate with
other navies nearly seamlessly for a century including two world-wide
conflagrations where the RAN demonstrated – often in cooperation
Regular exercises allow navies to practise their ability
to communicate at sea and thus operate together.
Here the Armidale class patrol boat (closest to camera)
HMAS MAITLAND and the Anzac class frigate (far right)
HMAS TOOWOOMBA operate with the Singaporean
corvette VENGEANCE and the Japanese destroyer
SAMIDARE off Darwin. (RAN)
THE NAVY VOL. 73 NO. 3 23