Australia's complex defence horizons

Hosted by: Australian Institute of International Affairs in Sydney

The event will start on: Tuesday, 22 March 2011 6:00 PM

And will end on: Tuesday, 22 March 2011 7:30 PM

At The Glover Cottages, Sydney

124 Kent Street , Sydney NSW

02 9247 8504     nsw.branch@aiia.asn.au

Posted by: nsw   

Russell Hill, home of the Australian Defence Department in Canberra is under pressure. The 2009 White Paper, published when Kevin Rudd was prime minister, is thought to be in the process of being redrafted.

Publication of the White Paper led to much discussion as to the extent to which China might become a threat in the years ahead. Entitled Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030, it portrayed a future international security environment beset with uncertainties and having multiple plausible ‘futures’. The government policy response focused on a significant expansion of ADF capability, particularly in the maritime sphere.

Since then many analysts have questioned whether Australia can put together a budget to match government expectations, particularly in the purchasing of new hardware. There are are other issues too. It's clear the Army is stretched , partly as a result of the commitment to Afghanistan, and serious questions are being raised about the Navy. ABC's 730 programme The Navy's Rust Bucket Armada  contained uncomfortable revelations for the defence Minister, Stephen Smith.

ASPi,  the Canberra-based Australian Strategic Policy Institute, is the country's foremost defence and security think tank. It is independent and non-partisan, and was set up by the Howard government to provide ideas on strategic policy choices. Its board members include Kevin Rudd as foreign minister and Stephen Smith. The prime minister and the leader of the opposition also each nominate one board member.

ASPI's latest Strategic Assessment points to an era of quickening strategic change, especially in Asia. The broad contours of a different Asian security environment are increasingly visible.

In what will be the first of several events in Sydney held in conjunction with ASPI, Dr Rod Lyon, one of the authors of the latest Strategic Assessment will discuss the challenges facing defence planners, and the current issues.

Dr Lyon is the program director, strategy and international, at ASPI. Rod was most recently a Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Queensland.

He previously worked in the strategic analysis branch of the Office of National Assessments between 1985 and 1996. As a Fulbright scholar in 2004, he was a visiting research fellow at Georgetown University in Washington DC, researching a project on the future of security partnerships in the post-September 11 environment.

Also joining us will be ASPI's executive director, Major General Peter Abigail, AO. Prior to his retirement as a professional soldier, Peter was deputy chief of Army, responsible for managing the Army and its interaction with otherdefence stakeholders. In his final appointment, as land commander, Australia, he commanded all of the Army's operational forces, full-time and reserves, including those that were committed to operations in East Timor, Bougainville, and Afghanistan.

This is a rare opportunity to meet to of our countries leading defence thinkers, and to engage in discussion on the challenges facing the Department of defence. We expect a full house for this event, so please book now.