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Overview

Strategic military objectives can be achieved through various means without resorting to direct military conflict, including deterrence, diplomacy, economic pressure, and information warfare.

Deterrence is the use of the military and other elements of national power to discourage or restrain a potential adversary from taking unwanted actions. It involves having in place measures and responses that change a potential adversary’s risk assessment and therefore decision-making calculus.

ADF air power can also contribute to national objectives outside of a campaign or operation. ADF air power shapes the operational environment through targeted Service activities and further contributes to deterrence through its demonstrated preparedness.

Key Terms

Strategic Objective

A desired end state for military operations which is communicated from the strategic to the operational level and forms the basis for operational planning.

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2024 National Defence Strategy

The National Defence Strategy states that ‘to deter actions against Australia’s interests’ we must be able to demonstrate ‘our capability and resolve to respond to and withstand attacks on Australian territory.’
The Strategy of Denial aims to deter conflict, prevent a potential adversary from succeeding in coercing Australia, support regional security and prosperity, and uphold a favourable regional strategic balance.

ADF-I-3 ADF Air Power

By maintaining a capable and credible force at an appropriate posture, Air Force, in conjunction with the other Services, achieves a measure of deterrence without having to apply force. This effect is created through the combination of carefully selected and well-maintained systems that meet security demands, and the level of training provided to personnel in operations, exercises and training institutions. Participation in exercises with the forces of other nations enables Air Force to enhance its operational capabilities whilst demonstrating its ability to deploy and apply force wherever and whenever necessary to secure national interests.

Winning Without Fighting: Chinese and Russian Political Warfare Campaigns and How the West Can Prevail

Volumes 1 & 2: Winning Without Fighting: Chinese and Russian Political Warfare Campaigns and How the West Can Prevail assesses the role of political warfare in Chinese and Russian strategy. The report goes beyond diagnosing the challenge to offer a range of potential allied counter-strategies and proposes a new conceptual approach to such thinking.