PRESENTATIONS / INTERvIEWS /REPORTS
Liquid Fuel Security Conference 2020
Presentation to Liquid Fuel Security Conference in October 2020
MILCIS 19 - Information Architecture Enabling National Security
ADBR TV Interview of John Blackburn and Ian McDonald conducted by John Conway
Interview with Dr Robbin Laird - The Gray Zone is Not Just an Away Game: We Are In Risk of “Losing Without Fighting”
Whilst many Defence writers proclaim the aim of “winning without fighting,” we are much more likely to end up “losing without fighting” if we do not get serious about our supply chain vulnerabilities and related issues. The critical issue that Australians need to consider is what components of critical supply chains are owned or controlled by authoritarian powers.
MARITIME TRADE SECURITY PRESENTATION
AUSTRALIAN NAVAL INSTITUTE - GOLDRICK SEMINAR 2019
Maritime Trade Dependencies and Risks - A National Security Issues
A vital component of Australia’s ‘infrastructure’ is the system of maritime trade. Australians need to recognise that maritime trade underpins our society, our economy and our energy systems. The framework for our preparedness should be a National Security Strategy. At the heart of a National Security Strategy, should be a Maritime Trade Strategy. Today, in Australia, neither exist.
ENERGY SECURITY PRESENTATION
RAAF AIrpower Conference 2018
Energy Security Presentation
There is an assumption that “business as usual” will provide for energy security in “peacetime.” However, this ignores the reality that we already operate in a contested space, and “business as usual” is not what it was a decade ago. We are already in conflict with our competitors.
Energy Security - is there a problem?
Published in the Australian Defence Magazine, September 2018.
Unfortunately the topic of energy has become so politicised, both between the major parties and within the Liberal party, that the national interest has been subsumed by both party and personal interests. The reality is that energy security, like national security, can only be addressed with consistent bipartisan political support.
Whilst Australia is endowed with natural resources, energy security risks across several sectors have increased. Despite this, the Government does not seem to think we have a problem. Unfortunately, energy security is about much more than just a more “reliable” and cheaper electricity supply. It is about our security as a nation, it is about protecting our society and our way of life and, as such, it is a very complex issue.
There are are significant issues with our energy systems that should concern us all; unfortunately, the analysis of our energy security and resilience is inadequate and the management of energy security has been outsourced to the market. The idea that we are at peace and “business as usual” is the appropriate model where the markets can manage all aspects of our critical infrastructure and supply chains is clearly out of date.
Energy security is a vital component of national security and an increased level of Government control / leadership with respect to energy security is warranted. The discussion of these issues is not just for our politicians; it is our collective responsibility to discuss these issues and to tell our politicians what we need to have done and not wait to just complain after our energy systems fail. We need a National Security Strategy that integrates all aspects of national power. An energy security plan should be an integral part of such a strategy.
ECONOMIC SECURITY- 2019 Article
Australia’s Economic Security: Is there a problem?
What is the risk for our National Security and Defence Capability?
Published in the Australian Defence Magazine, February 2019.
Financial and economic indicators that signal the start of a downturn are evident in advanced economies. Australia is at particular risk with households currently the second most indebted in the world and with a total private sector debt ratio of 205% of GDP. We are facing a serious economic security challenge; however, most Australians (including many of our politicians) do not appear to appreciate that economic security is the foundation of our national security.
We cannot rely on past economic performance and assume that we will have the resilience to address the significant economic risks in the decade ahead. Australians need to face an unpleasant reality and take appropriate action. We need a National Security Strategy that integrates all aspects of national power. An economic security plan should be an integral part of such a strategy.
5th Gen Information Architecture articleS
Integrated Information Architecture is a National Security Issue
Published in the Australian Defence Magazine November 2019
In our November 2018 ADM article we noted that the current stove-piped model of Defence networks creates bottlenecks for the passage of essential, time-critical information and also constrains the passage of that information to a number of limited bandwidth classified pathways. A national IME would also need to address such bottlenecks …
The “5th Generation Information Management Environment”
– An Australian Defence Force Enabler or a Roadblock?
Published in the Australian Defence Magazine, November 2018.
The issue faced by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) today is that existing communications and information networks were not “designed” as an integrated system and do not appear to be a good foundation upon which to build the 5th Generation Force the ADF is acquiring. The ADF will need an integrated communications architecture and network, one that is not purely defined by individual projects. There is a need for systems architecture; however, this is not a function that Defence can perform by itself.
INTEGRATED AIR & MISSILE DEFENCE 2017 REPORT
The Williams Foundation conducted an Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) study between Sep16 and Feb17
The aim of the study was to explore the challenges of building Australia’s IAMD capability and the implications for the Department of Defence’s integrated force design function. The study was focussed at the Program level of capability.
THE 5TH GEN ADF / RAAF PLAN JERICHO
In April 2015 Centre for Military Studies and the Williams Foundation hosted a symposium on "Integrating Innovative Airpower" in Copenhagen.
AUSTRALIA’s SPACE POLICY REPORT 2014
This Report summarises the findings of a Kokoda Foundation workshop in March 2014
The Report sought to develop an understanding of the progress made on Australia’s Satellite Utilisation Policy, released in April 2013. The workshop was the first time for some years where the Department of Defence, civilian government agencies (including the Department of Industry, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Bureau of Meteorology and Geosciences Australia), commercial organisations and Academia had come together to discuss the major Space policy issues facing Australia.
FUEL SECURITY REPORTS 2013/14
Australia’s Liquid Fuel Security Part 1
As the world’s ninth-largest energy producer, Australia has abundant renewable and non-renewable energy resources. Despite these resources, we are heavily dependent on imports of refined petroleum products and crude oil to meet our liquid fuel demand. This import dependency has increased in recent years.
The very small consumption stockholdings of oil and liquid fuels in Australia, combined with what appears to be a narrow assessment of our fuel supply chain vulnerabilities, does not provide much confidence that the strategic risks to our fuel supply chain are well understood and mitigated by our nation’s leaders, the business community or the population at large.
In essence, we have adopted a “she’ll be right” approach to fuel security, relying on the historical performance of global oil and fuel markets to provide in all cases.
Australia’s Liquid Fuel Security Part 2
This second report in the Liquid fuel security series addresses four key questions:
1. How much more serious could the problem get?
2. Why has no action been taken to date?
3. What can we do about it?
4. How can we initiate action on a fuel security plan?
Benchmarking Australia’s Transport Energy Policies
This third report in the Liquid fuel security series benchmarks Australia’s energy security policies against those of other nations and finds Australia out of step with virtually every other comparable country in the world.
Australia is the only oil/fuel importing country in the developed world that has none of the following: public owned oil/fuel stocks and/or mandated commercial stock holdings and/or government control or participation in the country’s oil/fuel markets.
We alone, amongst all developed oil importing countries, rely completely on commercial market forces for our transport energy security. This is no less perilous than contracting out our Defence Forces or out-sourcing our food supply.
OVERVIEW OF FUEL SECURITY ISSUES PRESENTED TO THE SENATE INQUIRY INTO AUSTRALIA’S TRANSPORT ENERGY RESILEINCE AND SUSTAINABILITY IN 2015
DEFENCE LOGISTICS REPORT
Australian Defence Logistics
This report aims to highlight to the wider Defence community the challenges faced by Defence Logisticians and the lack of priority that Defence leaders have placed on Logistics systems in the past. Its fundamental contention is that Defence will need to place greater emphasis on the Defence Logistics function if it is to meet the challenges of a more complex and challenging operating environment in the future.
Given the complexity of the Logistics challenge, the report provides a high-level overview of Defence Logistics.
Optimising Australia’s Response to the Cyber Challenge
The Kokoda Foundation embarked on a study of the cyber challenge faced by Australia for two reasons:
First, the government’s identification of cyber security as a national security priority.
Second, because of concerns that whilst the actions taken by the government and some segments of industry are highly laudable, the breadth, scale and growth rate of the threat are such that the current cyber security program is simply not sufficient.
This report examines the nature of the cyber challenge confronting Australia. It reviews how government, industry and the public are responding to the threat both individually and collectively from both a domestic and international perspective.