Page 37 - Australian Defence Magazine October 2019

THIS century has seen significant Austra- lian investment in more complex military systems. This is driven by the Govern- ment’s commitment to supporting global security initiatives, evolving threats from conventional armed forces and the rise of asymmetric warfare. It was also driven by the ADF’s decision to embrace its Joint Force initiative.
Providing integrated capabilities across all domains in a more contested bat- tlespace demands more complex weapon systems, and with it, more innovative asset management. Former Chief of Navy Vice Admiral (Rtd) Tim Barrett enunciated
Navy’s approach to this challenge through Plan Pelorus, which describes Navy’s stra- tegic intent, and Plan Mercator, which provides strategic guidance for the evolu- tion of the RAN and transition to the Fu- ture Navy out to 2036.
“Navy has a crucial role in supporting Government policy and we must continue to evolve and prepare for a myriad of oper- ational possibilities,” VADM Barrett said to ADM. “Plan Pelorus provides direction to question the status quo, to innovate, and to act.”
Plan Pelorus defines seven goals that Navy is working to achieve by 2022 that
will enable Australian vessels to conduct sustained combat operations as part of a joint force:
• To be fully crewed at sea and staffed
ashore, able to train for future demand,
and prepared for continued growth.
• Able to deter, deny and defeat adversar- ies in the face of evolving threats and
challenges.
• With the joint force, able to operate ef-
fectively with Australia’s allies and like-
minded partners.
• Able to provide sea, air and cyber-wor-
thy platforms to the Chief of Joint Op- erations.
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