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Effective realisation of national power in support of Australia’s national interests requires all Aviators to have a clear understanding of their c

Defence Strategic Review: Air Force Reserve Workforce Targeted Reengagement

Shane Ivimey
Australian Defence Force

The Australian government has made very clear that, to defend the nation, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) must be an integrated force. This article contends that such a goal remains an unrealised ambition.

This article began as a response to Daniel Cook’s recent article on ‘Turning the Tap Off – Stopping the Flow of Pointless Jobs in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)’ (Cook, 2023); as such, it will address some of the points raised in that article within the context a broader trend towards what I term ‘military populism’.

For several decades, the relationship between Australia and India seemed limited to Commonwealth, cricket and curry.

In terms of National Power in the past, the majority of modern “Grey-Zone” activities centred on clear Diplomatic, Information, non-lethal Military and Economic actions. What is concerning are the blurred lines developing between these instruments, where often State actions do not meet perceived intent creating confusion in the rules-based global order.

Technology usually follows a certain progression – first the device gets more features before it reduces in size. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) fill this description perfectly, and we have yet to come up with an adequate defence for them.

Evolution of Air Bases - Darwin Revisted

David Miller
Australian Defence Force