Speech

SENATOR THE HON ROBERT HILL
Minister for Defence
Leader of the Government in the Senate

 

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

 

We are all modernising our Defence forces.

 

The forces that we inherited were essentially conventional in nature. Despite this change in global situation, modernization processes remain essentially conventional.

 

This question of modernization is more complex than it once was.

 

We all still build capability in terms of deterring or defeating a conventional threat.

 

But the world has changed rapidly – in fact the real threat is more likely to be unconventional. And that threat can only be effectively countered by a collective response and with different types of capability.

 

Increasingly we need to deploy our forces to confront opponents who are unfamiliar to us. These opponents include transnational terrorists, people smugglers, criminals who traffic in drugs and weapons, poachers of marine resources, environmental bandits, pirates and the like.

 

Of course, the highest risk is terrorism.

 

None of us remain unaffected by the increased tempo of transnational terrorist activity in our region. Terrorist cells, and support networks remain active throughout the region.

Our forces need therefore to be able to respond to an enemy who wages war unrestricted by any of the restraints on the actions of states.

 

As we have seen in the global terrorist conflict, terrorists will resort to asymmetric forms of attack, using mass-effect terrorism or destabilisation techniques that frustrate conventional military responses.

 

Our force modernisation processes need to take into account the need to anticipate and, if necessary, pre-empt those attacks that may be launched against us.

 

To do this we need to continually upgrade our intelligence capabilities, build our counter terrorism capabilities, be able to mount precision strike operations at short notice and be able to respond to chemical, biological or radiological threats.

 

We also need to recognise the need for interagency responses – military, civilian, police, customs - and we need to appreciate that co-operation is the key. We need to train and exercise together to meet these common threats, just as much as conventional threats.

The Australian Defence Force will undertake an expanded program of counter-terrorist training and exercises with regional partners.

 

We are currently debating with our colleagues the value in extending Five Power Defence Arrangement exercises, from those addressing conventional threat, to include terrorist threats.

 

We have exercises planned with Thailand later this year that will test the crisis response mechanisms of the Thai and Australian Governments to a simulated terrorist incident, involving a hostage recovery scenario.

 

In September, we will be conducting exercises here in Singapore, with the aim of exchanging information and techniques related to the resolution of terrorist incidents where explosives, chemical, biological or radiological materials are used.

In another initiative, Australia is hosting the first ever meeting of Special Forces commanders from the region a little later this month.

 

This will be an opportunity for those at the sharp end of regional counter-terrorist forces to meet, compare notes and share their professional perspectives.

 

The meeting will contribute to improved regional cooperation on counter-terrorism through the development of mutual understanding and personal contacts.

 

We can defeat terrorism, but it requires a new emphasis in modernisation and greatly enhanced co-operation.

 

Whilst the current focus might be on unconventional threat, regional cooperation is also crucial to defeating conventional threats and complements force modernisation efforts in the Asia-Pacific.

 

This process is a natural accompaniment of growing economies, the need to replace obsolescent military equipment and in some instances shift in focus from military forces optimised for dealing with internal threats towards building more conventional military capabilities.

 

In the case of Australia as some of you will be aware, Australia’s efforts to create a force for the information age - one that can make an effective contribution to regional security.

 

We are driven by an appreciation of the fact that our forces need to be flexible, lethal, deployable and sustainable.

 

But we also recognise that as the security of our region is essential to our own security we need to be capable of operating alongside, similar and dissimilar regional forces.

As the states in the region experience a convergence in their interests, we are making every effort to increase the level of interoperability between the ADF and prospective coalition parties.

 

But new capabilities can also represent a risk.

 

Thus we in Australia are also interested in ballistic missile defence because we believe that it can be a disincentive and deterrent to the proliferation of long range ballistic missiles.

We have a common interest in limiting the proliferation of strategic ballistic missiles in the Asia Pacific.

 

The international response to this menace must be a layered one involving diplomatic and legal measures, the interdiction of the illegal export of this technology and the creation of practical counter-missile capabilities.

 

And again, the response will be more effective with co-operation between regional states.

This is a defensive measure which in the long term we believe will discourage the development and proliferation of these systems by rendering them ineffective or at least less effective.

 

Similarly we have a joint interest in deterring the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

 

Thus we see a new cooperation in such ventures as the Proliferation Security Initiative – to deter or defeat the illegal transfer of weapons of mass destruction or their precursers.

Since Australia hosted the first PSI-related exercise in the Coral Sea last year, the PSI has gathered momentum and a meeting held only this last week received invitations from 80 countries.

 

Maritime exercises are particularly important in this region and it is pleasing to see not only the increasing interest of regional states but also the growing exercise program within the region.

 

Lastly, we can all help each other in nation building through peacemaking and peacekeeping and other security support.

 

There are many precedents. Going back 10 years we remember the first great post-Cold War peace operation in Cambodia. That operation involved the forces of some 45 countries in various ways, many from within the region.

 

More recently we have seen successful regional multinational operations in East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Bougainville.

 

In the wake of the Bali bombing, the impact of which was felt around the world, the countries of this region also came together to assist the survivors and to bring the offenders to justice.

 

What I am saying is that cooperation is not just desirable, it significantly enhances our capabilities.

 

Given the rapid changes in force structure and technology that we are experiencing it is important to retain the lessons that we are constantly learning.

 

As we learned in East Timor, and have relearnt since, complex multinational peacemaking and peacekeeping operations can only succeed where all forces involved understand each other and can effectively work together. Not only are we focusing on updating our own doctrine for peace operations, but we have placed considerable effort to gain a greater understanding of doctrine and capabilities of likely coalition colleagues.

 

Technological advances, particularly in military capabilities, can be a double-edged sword.

However, the good news is that we are experiencing a convergence of our common interests.

 

Our deliberations this weekend are an important part of the process of ensuring that technological advances complement progress in international understanding.

 

We face common threats and we need to develop common capabilities. Fora such as the Shangri-La Dialogue are providing us with new opportunities to improve cooperation and understanding.

 

We need to follow up, by ensuring that our defence and security forces cooperate to maximise the results that we are able achieve on joint, combined and inter-agency operations.

 

The challenge of force modernisation today is not just to address potential conventional threats, but to develop combined capabilities to defeat a common unconventional enemy. And only by working together will we achieve that goal.