Why Australia's military capacity has declined.
Hello all.
Pre-Tange Re-organization of Australian defence in 1974, hardware acquisition planning was managed pretty efficiently within the relatively armed forces departments with small public service components embedded and the military were properly under political control with individual service ministerial representation. Now, the military is subjected to public service domination and hardware acquisition is managed under a separate ministry. DMO and DSTO have undue political clout and their relationship with large multinational arms conglomerates seems pretty murky.
The main thrust of defence policy is support of low productivity largely foreign-parented defence industries which are siphoning money out of the country. Both major political parties are supporting long-range unrealistic and unaffordable increases in defence spending to benefit such industry which is really uneconomic job creation. It does not seem to matter that unproven costly acquisitions, with multiple associated capability gaps, are actually diminishing defence preparedness and there seems a continual shrugging of shoulders at all levels re acquisition and operating costs. We are only now seeing the tip of a very big iceberg regarding flawed costly equipment acquisitions aiming toward a mythical Force 2030 structure and there may have to be a big reality check sometime soon.
Australia has often been suckered into becoming a launch customer for unproven hardware lured by offset orders for industry. The nation would be much better prepared militarily if it were a lagging customer after upgrade programs for new hardware have become established evolving from operating experience worldwide. Similarly, it seems smarter to put some existing hardware through approved factory upgrade programs overseas, even if they might be lacking in some capabilities considered essential by our defence dreamers. There are a plethora of modular upgrade systems created these days certified for adaptation to a wide array of military hardware so low risk enhancements (minimal R&D) are achievable either locally or offshore.
Australian political and military leaders are being neglectful of their responsibilities to maintain continuous adequate and credible military preparedness and unless there is radical change in defence organisation and culture, the present unjustifiable and unaffordable waste of much taxpayer funding will just continue.
Last edited by Bushranger 71; 6th Feb 2011 at 23:01.