The Navy Vol_73_No_4 Oct 2011 - Navy League of Australia

STATEMENT OF POLICYFor the maintenance of the Maritime wellbeing of the nation.The strategic background to Australia’s security has changed in recent decades and in some respects become more uncertain. The Leaguebelieves it is essential that Australia develops the capability to defend itself, paying particular attention to maritime defence. Australia is, ofgeographical necessity, a maritime nation whose prosperity strength and safety depend to a great extent on the security of the surroundingocean and island areas, and on seaborne trade.The Navy League:• Believes Australia can be defended against attack by other thana super or major maritime power and that the prime requirementof our defence is an evident ability to control the sea and airspace around us and to contribute to defending essential linesof sea and air communication to our allies.• Supports the ANZUS Treaty and future reintegration of NewZealand as a full partner.• Urges close relationships with regional powers and particularlywith the nearer ASEAN countries, PNG and South Pacific IslandStates.• Advocates the acquisition of the most modern armaments,surveillance systems and sensors to ensure that the AustralianDefence Force (ADF) maintains some technological advantagesover forces in our general area.• Advocates a significant deterrent element in the ADF capable ofpowerful retaliation at considerable distances from Australia.• Believes the ADF must be capable of protecting essentialshipping both coastally and at considerable distances fromAustralia.• Endorses the control of Coastal Surveillance by the defence forceand the development of the capability for patrol and surveillanceof the ocean areas all around the Australian coast and islandterritories, including the Southern Ocean.• Advocates measures to foster a build-up of Australian-ownedshipping to support the ADF and to ensure the carriage ofessential cargoes to and from Australia in time of conflict.As to the RAN, the League, while noting the important peacetimenaval tasks including border protection, flag-showing/diplomacy,disaster relief, maritime rescue, hydrography and aid to thecivil power:• Supports the concept of a Navy capable of effective action inwar off both East and West coasts simultaneously and advocatesa gradual build up of the Fleet and its afloat support ships toensure that, in conjunction with the RAAF, this can be achievedagainst any force which could be deployed in our general area.• Believes that the level of both the offensive and defensivecapability of the RAN should be increased and welcomes theGovernment’s decisions to acquire 12 new Future Submarines;to continue building the 3 Air Warfare Destroyers (AWDs) and thetwo landing ships (LHDs); and to acquire 8 new Future Frigates,a large Strategic Sealift Ship, 20 Offshore Combatant Vessels,24 Naval Combatant Helicopters, and 6 Heavy Landing Craft.• Noting the deterrent value and the huge operationaladvantages of nuclear-powered submarines in most threatsituations, recommends that the future force includenuclear-powered vessels.• Noting the considerable increase in foreign maritime power nowtaking place in our general area, advocates increasing the orderfor Air Warfare Destroyers to at least 4 vessels.• Welcomes the decisions to increase the strength and capabilitiesof the Army and Air Force and to greatly improve the weaponry,and the intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyberspace,and electronic warfare capabilities of the ADF.• Advocates that a proportion of the projected new F35 fightersfor the ADF be of the short-takeoff and vertical-landing (STOVL)version to enable operation from small airfields and suitableships in order to support overseas deployments where accessto secure major airfields may not be available.• Advocates that all warships be equipped with some form ofdefence against missiles.• Supports the development of Australia’s defence industry,including strong research and design organisations capableof constructing and maintaining all needed types of warshipsand support vessels and advocates a continuous navalship-building programme.• Advocates the retention in a Reserve Fleet of Naval vessels ofpotential value in defence emergency.• Supports a strong Naval Reserve to help crew vessels andaircraft and for specialised tasks in time of defence emergency.• Supports a strong Australian Navy Cadets organisation.• Advocates improving conditions of service to overcome therepeating problem of recruiting and retaining naval personnel.The League:• Calls for a bipartisan political approach to national defencewith a commitment to a steady long-term build-up in ournational defence capability including the required industrialinfrastructure.• While recognising budgetary constraints, believes that, givenleadership by successive governments, Australia can defenditself in the longer term within acceptable financial, economicand manpower parameters.32 THE NAVY VOL. 73 NO. 4