Reshaping the Australian Army: challenges for the 1990s

Abstract

This monograph contains a collection of papers prepared by academic defence experts for the Directorate of Army Studies, Department of Defence, with an introduction by Lieutenant General H.J. Coates, Chief of the General Staff. Written against a background of current defence policy, the first paper reviews the relevance of land forces in the defence of Australia in the 1990s, develops operational concepts, and makes recommendations on the structure and capabilities the Army will require to undertake its primary roles. The second paper provides an alternative approach to structuring the Army. It examines Australia's defence posture, its strategic circumstances, and its capacity to support current strategic guidance, and concludes with a defence posture involving new ground force structure and roles. The final paper assess Australian public perceptions of its Army, and examines how these perceptions arose and how they might change (or be changed) in the future.