Bushranger 71
I agree with Johnno that there has been an abject failure to focus on basic military needs required for deterrence against interference with trade corridors and littoral interests and to provide modest military assistance to regional nations on request.
Since about Year 2000, the central plank of defence policy has been to featherbed mostly multinational defence industry in lieu of maintaining adequate and affordable military preparedness principally through progressive optimization of well-proven platforms that were in service.
This has resulted in needless high cost capital outlay for mostly somewhat unproven replacement hardware, cascading outsourcing and soaring operating costs that are causing the defence budget in Australia to be unsustainable.
I have had recent contact with multiple former serving Officers since recruited again to boost flagging military expertise and manpower and they are all sworn to silence regarding the ongoing deteriorating state of the ADF.
The long list of dubious merit hardware projects that emerged under the unaffordable and unrealistic John Howard inspired Force 2030 vision is still rolling forward under the incumbent Federal Government, as though sacred. And it still seems largely based on a ridiculous vision that a pissant nation like Australia can afford to deploy sizeable expeditionary forces to engage in conflicts in faraway parts of the world. This view was recently reinforced by the incumbent Chief of Army.
The fundamental problem seems to be that Australia just does not have the calibre of political leadership to adequately assess our status in the world and to drastically purge the Department of Defence realm, including the military leaders hip, of their delusions of grandeur.
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