2016 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER

34
CHAPTER ONE: THE GOVERNMENT’S APPROACH TO DEFENCE
SECTION ONE STRATEGY
1.18 The new strategic framework set out in Chapter Three explains why these
three Strategic Defence Interests are of significance for Australia, what
they mean for the roles the Government expects the ADF to undertake
and the shape of the future Defence force structure.
1.19 In line with the Strategic Defence Interests, the Government has
determined that Defence must be better prepared to meet a broader
range of security challenges in the coming years. Defence must be
prepared to: defend our territory, borders and sovereign rights in
our Exclusive Economic Zone; provide domestic counter-terrorism
support when necessary and contribute to domestic disaster relief
and other peacetime national support to the states and territories;
contribute to regional stability and global security; manage the security
consequences for Australia of non-geographic threats in cyberspace
and in space; and undertake humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
operations in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
1.20 Defence must have the capability, agility and potency required to meet
this broad range of contingencies. Australia cannot afford to equip, train
and prepare our military forces solely for the unlikely event of a major
attack on our territory. This would leave Defence much less capable of
addressing the wide range of more likely threats and challenges we face
to 2035. The ADF must have higher levels of preparedness so that it can
quickly and effectively respond to emerging circumstances and be better
able to manage strategic risk.
1.21 The Government’s plans for developing the more capable, agile and
potent set of military capabilities Australia needs for the future are
explained in Chapter Four.
1.22 Chapter Four also deals with the critical supporting capabilities
provided by Australian defence industry, academia and others. The
Government recognises that Australian defence industry and scientific
and technological research and development institutions have a critical