Defence
Introduction
Australia has adopted regional and global military ties to ensure the defence of its territory and its strategic interests linked to international peace and stability. Defence ties are shaped by challenges seen to be facing Australia such as economic globalisation, with the increase in cross-border linkages and global population movement. Its ties include regional and global relationships that draw on historical alliances and treaty agreements, joint military activities and training with overseas military personnel. These also include membership of the United Nations (UN) and regional security links such as the Australia-United States ANZUS Treaty. Australia's main defence relationship is with regional powers such as China, Japan and Indonesia and with powers that are both regional and global such as the United States which is its main strategic ally despite being 12 000 kilometres away. An example of Australia's global military involvement is its alliance with the US and UK and other countries in the 'coalition of the willing' in the recent occupation of Iraq. Strong historical, political and trade links with Europe have also significantly shaped Australia's strategic alliances.
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Defence policies
The Australian government's defence priorities are in the defence of Australia's borders and strategic interests linked to regional and international peace and stability. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) comprising army, naval and air forces, received a budget allocation of $16.35 billion for 2004-05 with defence force activity the highest since the Vietnam War. This was a response to Australia's perception of its strategic environment being more complex because of the increasing non-military nature of defence issues such as terrorism. The five central objectives of Australia's defence policy are:
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Ensuring the defence of Australian territory and its immediate approaches
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Fostering the security of Australia's immediate region
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Working with South-East Asian countries to maintain regional security
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Supporting strategic stability in the wider Asia-Pacific region
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Supporting the international community to uphold global security
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These objectives are reflected in Australia's longstanding bilateral defence and security links and expanding bilateral, regional and multilateral security links on a global scale. These links are demonstrated by Australia's involvement in ANZUS, United Nations operations and disarmament and arms treaties, joint overseas military training, and the deployment of defence personnel in global operations to East Timor, Bougainville, Afghanistan, the Solomon Islands and the Persian Gulf, including Iraq. They are also demonstrated in its overseas military training activities and specialised programmes with the United States, Canada, Singapore, New Zealand, Britain and Papua New Guinea, with exchanges of army officer trainees with British and American training bases. Defence policies have recently converged strongly with those of the United States, not just in Australia's cooperative military action in Iraq and Afghanistan but in response to the issues of counter-terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and regional and international stability. Such policies have resulted in the deployment of troops to distant trouble spots and protection from missile attacks.
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Defence forces, 2005 June [Source: Brown, Bob, International Relations and Defence (2006)]:
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Army |
25 356 |
|
Air force |
13 368 |
|
Navy |
13 089 |
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Total |
51 813 |
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Reserves |
19 275 |
Historical alliances: the Australia-United States ANZUS Treaty
Australia's earliest military ties were in its colonial aid of Britain in the Boer War in South Africa and both World Wars. Since the Second World War and involvement in the Pacific Campaign against Japan, Australia has had closer military ties with the United States with the establishment of several large military bases in the Asia-Pacific region. In the post-WWII period, emphasis has been placed on this alliance with the signing of formal treaty agreements such as the ANZUS Pact (1952), and in ongoing military involvement in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, both Gulf Wars, and in Somalia. ANZUS is now a bilateral security pact that aims at regional security through peaceful means while maintaining a defence capacity in the event of armed attack. Australian and US defence forces engage in joint training exercises on a regular basis. Support is given for US deployments in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions through access to Australian ports and airfields, as well as providing maintenance and other support facilities. These facilities contribute to regional and international peace and stability.
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Defence force global operations
The global deployment of Australia's defence forces over the past century has been extensive. Australian troops have contributed to several major military operations, including:
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efforts to rehabilitate Iraq through stabilisation and recovery operations in its transition to self-government
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maritime patrol and aircraft operations in the Persian Gulf to support both the rehabilitation operation in Iraq and the Coalition operation against terrorism
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the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and military liaisons with coalition forces in Afghanistan and with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and the emerging Afghan Army
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the NATO-led, UN mandated Yugoslavia Security Force (SFOR) and Kosovo Force (KFOR) and its peacekeeping efforts with British units in Bosnia and Croatia
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supervision of the truce agreed at the conclusion of the first Arab/Israeli War through the UN Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) in Israel, Syria and Lebanon
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the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai and its supervision of the Camp David Accords of 1978 and the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty of 1979
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the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) and its supervision of a temporary security zone between the two countries
Australia has also served in international peacekeeping and humanitarian projects in Bougainville, Cambodia, Indonesia, Iran, Namibia, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, Somalia and Zimbabwe.
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United Nations operations and arms treaties
Australia's defence forces have contributed to international peacekeeping by acting as multinational peacekeepers and observers with the UN. Australia was one of the first countries to join the UN in 1945 and played an important role in drafting the UN Charter. Australia has since become the twelfth largest financial contributor to the UN and its disarmament, development and humanitarian efforts. An example of Australia's contributions is East Timor where it deployed a multinational force through the UN Mission in Support of East Timor (UNMISET) consisting of more than 5000 Australian and 4500 overseas troops.
Australia has also served in peacekeeping and humanitarian projects in Afghanistan, Bougainville, Cambodia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Namibia, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, Somalia and Zimbabwe. See image 1
Disarmament and arms treaties
Australia is involved in international disarmament forums which include the UN Conference on Disarmament, UN General Assembly's First Committee and the UN Disarmament Commission. Other forums include the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) which provides regional and global nuclear safeguards, and a Comprehensive (Nuclear) Test Ban Treaty which is yet to be ratified but which Australia seeks to take a leading role in and address the security implications of nuclear testing in India, Pakistan and North Korea. Australia is further involved in the attempted global banning of anti-personnel landmines, in its signing of the Ottawa Convention to prohibit the use, stockpiling and production of mines, and its involvement in the clearance of these through international landmine clearance programs in Cambodia.
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