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Australian naval vessels—such as the submarine Otway, shown here in Sydney—may well be useful someday in joint operations with the United States. The two nations forged a partnership in World War II, and their navies continue to exercise together with an eye toward the future.
Isolated from Europe and North America by c e sea and from Southeast Asia by their own largel/ uninhabited central and northern regions, tralians received a severe shock following the entry Japan into World War II. The country’s best troop5 were in the Middle East, its airmen were m European theater or training in Canada, and its ships were scattered across the world. For the first time’ Australians were killed on their own soil by an gressor, and they felt rather neglected and alone.
As a result, Australia recalled its servicemen, an the United States dispatched forces to Australia, re
uring
Qnesia
draining and eventually defeating Japan. The work- ln8 relationship which was established between the tWo countries has quietly continued in the ensuing ^9 years. Since 1951, Australia, New Zealand, and che United States have been linked by the ANZUS IIlurual defense pact. It was negotiated by State De- Partrnent consultant John Foster Dulles on behalf of U. S. Government at a time when Australia was concerned with the lack of constraint on Japanese r®armament in the U. S.-proposed peace treaty with at country. The operative articles of the ANZUS reaty are Articles IV and V which read, restively:
“Each party recognizes that an armed attack in fhe Pacific area on any of the parties would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common danger in accordance with its constitutional processes.”
‘For the purpose of Article IV, an armed attack °n any of the parties is deemed to include an armed attack on the metropolitan territory of any °f the parties, or on the island territories under its Jurisdiction in the Pacific or on its armed forces, Public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific.”
1962-1964 confrontation Australia received assurance from the United ates that Article V would be applicable in the Borneo area, outside the Pacific.
Because of the more widely dispersed interests of the United States, it seems more likely that Australia would be drawn into a war which the United States had entered rather than the reverse. However, the phrase, “in accordance with its constitutional processes” means that in effect each country can (and no doubt will) act in its own best interests. In this regard, the ANZUS treaty is similar to other treaties entered into by the United States, but this is not to decry their value, since long-term interests will generally be the same.
Apart from the mutual security pact and other defense links, Australia has an extensive trading association with the United States. (After Japan and the European Economic Community [EEC], the United States is Australia’s best customer; U. S. sales to Australia are almost twice the value of its imports from Australia.) The nations also have a number of cultural connections. Despite this, the majority of U. S. citizens know very little about their ally across the Pacific.
It is not surprising that the United States looms much larger in Australian minds than does Australia in U. S. thinking. Apart from such obvious disparities as population size and military status, the Southwest Pacific seems very remote when viewed
from the central and eastern parts of the United States. Even so, the apparent U. S. preoccupation with Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) disturbs many Australians who regard the U.S.S.R. as a power with the means to cause disruption in any part of the globe—including the . southern hemisphere. There is also concern regarding U. S. ability to meet several simultaneous threats with conventional forces. Such eminent and realistic visitors to Australia as retired Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt do not allay this concern. These factors are
In September 1980, the Australian Government announced approval in principle for the construction of a new aircraft carrier to replace HMAS Melbourne. The current fleet flagship, she was laid down in 1943 and eventually completed and transferred to Australia in 1933. The Melbourne is due to go out of commission in 1983, a schedule which will probably tie in well with the acquisition of a new carrier.
Australia maintains tuo maritime reconnaissance squadrons comprised of U. S.-built P-3B and P-3C Orions.
causing responsible Australians to think carefully about the structure of the country’s defense force.
Present Force Composition: Australia is currently maintaining a small but well-equipped regular army of 32,000 with a citizen-reserve of 23,000; a na'y with 16,500 regular personnel and 1,000 reservists- and an air force of 22,000 whose equipment indu eS 2 strike and reconnaissance squadrons (F-111C air craft), 3 air defense and ground attack squadron5 (Mirage III-O), 2 maritime reconnaissance squadron5 (P-3B and P-3C Orions), 5 transport squadrons (Hef cules C-130H and other aircraft types), 4 helicopte squadrons (UH-1B/D/H Iroquois and Chinooks), and appropriate backup facilities. Two 0 the Mirage fighter squadrons are deployed in Malaysia.
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six frigates all built in Australia. The two gun stroyers will soon be supplemented by three Oliver
dij nt^ World War II, Australia had a narrow in- stfial base but by the end of the war was building yessels of up to destroyer size, a wide range of ^ ^.^uipment, fighters, bombers, along with the tL- Itle tools and precision instruments which made
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The naval forces consist of the 20,000-ton aircraft barrier Melbourne (R-21), built in the United King- °m and commissioned in 1955, operating Skyhawk a,r defense and strike) and Tracker (antisubmarine Warfare [asw]) aircraft, and Sea King ASW helicop- 'ersi s*x Oberon-class submarines built in the United lngdom and about to be fitted for Harpoon mis- Sllts; three guided-missile destroyers (Charles F. arns class); and two gun destroyers (Vendetta class),
Ward Perry-class frigates being built in the United states.
The Navy has a patrol boat force, about to be in- Crtased, mostly engaged in surveillance and interdic- |ll,n duties in northern waters; fleet-support vessels °r underway replenishment purposes; hydrographic oceanographic ships; and various craft for com- lncd Navy-Army landing operations.
The Navy, Army, and Air Force had separate gov- ^oient departments (as in the United States) until 5, when they were integrated into a single De- tfnent of Defence headed by a cabinet minister Ponsible to the parliament for the defense force; tier the minister is a Chief of Defence Force Staff a four-star officer who exercises command of ,e defense force through navy, army, and air force 0f'e^s °f staff; and a secretary, a permanent (civil) lc,al who advises the minister on general policy on the management of defense resources. No at- r P1 was made to unify the forces as in Canada; as a sailors, soldiers, and airmen retain their sepa- tate identities.
haf0^ defense Production: As a growing nation, Aus- ^ la has the problem of simultaneously funding the ntry’s development, meeting the social ex- ptQ at‘ons of an educated Western community, and raiding and maintaining a defense force without tJ78 upon the support available in the past from larger forces of the United Kingdom and the ,^1 ted States. This imposes many strains on a popu- tl0n smaller than that of New York State.
•t currently employs about a quarter of the f°tce, much the same as in the United States.
jjrtense terms the country has a small but efficient Cfaft industry, ordnance factories, and has built in
recent years naval vessels of up to 16,000 tons, and merchant ships of up to 83,000 tons. However, the sophistication of modern weaponry and small production runs make it uneconomical for Australia to produce all of its defense equipment, and it seems likely the present policy of buying high-technology ships and aircraft abroad and building less-sophisticated items locally will continue.
Adequacy of the Present Defense Force: The Australian Government views the present defense force as adequate “in the short term,” i.e., in the absence of a direct threat to the country, and is capable of expansion when necessary. The Navy, although small, is well-balanced and almost certainly the most effective in the region; the Air Force has a “bite” and experience in operating a variety of modern aircraft; and the Army is the largest ever maintained by Australia in peacetime. It is possible, therefore, to accept the present adequacy of the force and any reservations relating to the speed with which expansion could
take place and the availability of equipment. Timely expansion depends largely upon adequate notice of a threat. While Australia is not among the high-spenders | tralia, quite differently situated, should spend more on defense—and how much more it could spen without damaging the country’s development. |
which include the United States, the U.S.S.R., and some Middle Eastern countries, it is by no means a low-spender and belongs to a group including a number of NATO countries which devote about 10% of government spending and 3% of the gross national product to defense. NATO countries, however, are relatively compact and are supported by large “resident” U. S. forces, and it is arguable whether Aus- | The Foreseeable Future: Neither Australia nor any other nation can afford to take its national security for granted, or think it will be unaffected by events taking place elsewhere in the world. It would seem equally clear that there is a need for all the countries whose people share similar ideals, and genuinely be lieve in the freedom of the individual—and they are not all in the West but in the North, South, an |
The Australians—A Breed Apart_______________________________ —-
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With a mainland of 3 million square miles, a ^ i jgr #'*
coastline of more than 12,000 miles, a newly pro- I g ^ •
claimed exclusive economic zone nearly as large as _ ,~~Z———^
the country itself, several island territories, and a
claim of a large slice of Antarctica, Australia’s 14 4 , ^ ^
million people have a lot of land, sea, ice, and .4 M - ;
airspace to think about. .... .. s|
First settled by the British in the late 18th century, Australia’s predominantly Anglo-Saxon community continues to acknowledge Britain’s
monarch as its head of state. However, in no sense m ' " jfck ^j*\
is Australia dependent on the United Kingdom, although there are strong sentimental ties between the two countries. Since Queen Elizabeth can make only occasional short visits to her outlying kingdoms, for practical purposes, Australia’s head of state is the governor-general who is also titular commander in chief of the armed forces. The governor-general is nominated by the Australian Government, and although formally appointed by the hereditary monarch, he is in no way responsible to the British Government and has considerable power in his own right. From the beginning, development in Australia has taken place along the eastern (Pacific) and southeastern seaboards, and even now the greater part of the population lives in this comparatively small area, and in or close to the major cities of | ' " ^ ^ ^ ' ^ U S.^NAVY .JOHN R- Jjffllt In Australia—and nowhere else in the world—have and geography combined to produce two unique specieS’ Koala bear and the Australian cobber. |
Sydney and Melbourne. The population pattern is slowly changing as a result of continuing immigration programs started after World War II which, along with natural increases, have nearly doubled the population since that time. Immigrants have been drawn largely from Europe, and recent attention has been given to settling Asians in the country. Overall, a good balance has been | achieved among the various ethnic groups. Australia is rich in natural resources, inclu ^ such sought-after minerals as aluminum, c0‘ j iron ore, copper, gold, silver, lead, nickel, ^ uranium. Australia is a major exporter of agrlC rural products, an importer, and in every wa^£ trading nation. One would think, therefore, ^ the Australians would be very maritime-const1 |
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die
and
ating as it would loss of control over huge land sea areas vital to the free world.
this
is changing. Since their country bor
de
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ttiost
bP. tUrbulent areas in the world. Australia has Vld
ty -i polled by the long period of peace since
like ' lrnPortant than defense to Australians. Un-
his U.
n°t perceive the U.S.S.R. as a direct threat.
facij?r. chan accommodating vital U. S. military r0h tIeS anc^ making vague references to the dis- 1Ve behavior of the U.S.S.R. elsewhere in the
Ptib| jSUccessive Australian governments have not
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AlkV.'i a° not react w vaSueness- Consequently,
People
ast as well—to work more closely together.
Reference has already been made to the importance 0 the United States to Australia. On the other hand, ustralia, on the periphery of a vast, unstable area, c 0se to the oil routes which link the Middle East w*th Japan, with a long Indian Ocean coastline, and *n natural resources, is of no small significance 0 the United States. Certainly, an Australia dominated by a power hostile to the United States and the O countries would be very unhelpful indeed, intj^t’ 'n fact, it is only during the last few years at Australians have started to truly realize their ependence on the sea.
Militarily5 Australia has traditionally been an \ty ^'or‘ented country. Beginning with the Boer ar <n 1899, Australia has regularly contributed ^ Ps to wars overseas involving the United in^v^0111 an<^ more recently to the U. S. venture c- . letnam. These armies, comprised mostly of pa^tn~s°ldiers, have created legends in various s of the world. In contrast to the Army, the () smaller Navy and Air Force have generally f0rerated as part of the large British and U. S.
bv l an<^’ consequently, have been overshadowed " them.
on the Indian Ocean, Australians are becom- ntore aware of their proximity to some of the
War II. The country’s involvement in t0and Vietnam was comparatively limited, lng only part of the country, cial change and material benefits have been nore impo
does *S ^ counterpart, the average Australian
world
cly identified any potential enemies. But
thc.jrra^lans !lave tended to concentrate more on °Wn affairs than on national security.
-Geoffrey Evans
The most useful contribution Australia can make to the common cause is to strive toward economic and political stability in the region and to cooperate with the security forces of its neighbors, not the least of which is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)—Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines. Because of its small population, Australia’s own armed forces are likely to depend upon sophistication rather than numbers, and the emphasis will be on maritime forces—naval units and the Air Force. Even so, the very large areas involved create problems, and there are limits to the conventional forces Australia can provide; some augmentation will be required from time to time. For example, it would be an advantage to both the United States and Australia if ASW forces in the Indian Ocean were strengthened. This could be done by home porting appropriate U. S. units on Australia’s new West Coast base at Cockburn Sound on the Indian Ocean.
U. S. and Australian forces regularly exercise together, and a small number of U. S. personnel are stationed at North West Cape and other U. S. installations in Australia. Some Australian servicemen train in the United States, and to complete the mix, regional defense force personnel train in Australia. We might look next toward the exchange of complete units, e.g., Australian guided-missile destroyers with similar units from the Third or Seventh Fleets for periods of six month or so. The more exchanges, the better the understanding people will have of one another. The more freely cooperation is extended in peacetime, the less likelihood of it being forced upon us by war.
a Commander Evans joined the Australian Navy during World War II, serving in Australian ships attached to Royal Navy and U. S. Navy commands. He has been a member of the Royal Australian Naval Reserve since 1947. He is also director of his family’s company, Kemol Pty. Ltd. He has been the Federal President of the Navy League of Australia since 1971. He spent a month in North America during 1977 at the invitation of the Navy Leagues of the United States and Canada, visiting 15 cities and naval facilities. He was host to Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt in the State of Victoria during the former CNO’s 1979 visit to Australia.
In 1768, American statesman and author John Dickinson in the song of freedom (The Liberty Song) used the words, “by uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.’’ Dickinson was referring to the U. S. struggle for independence, but 200 years later, the same principle applies on a much wider scale. All the scattered communities, large and small, who call themselves “free” would do well to remember those words in the 1980s.