Page 57 - Australian Defence Magazine October 2019

missile capabilities and threaten almost all sealinesofcommunicationandsupplyinthe Western Pacific. Warships have been help- less against their own demise.
The question to answer is this: why would China move right of boom tomor- row for results it is achieving left of boom today, particularly given the near certainty of defeat? And if warships cannot defend us against left of boom operations today, what use will they be tomorrow?
How do we defend Australia today?
The arguments of White, Shoebridge, Davis and others may take different per- spectives on how to best defend Australia tomorrow, but few address how we defend Australia now. To paraphrase John Len- non, strategic erosion is happening while we’re busy making other plans.
Even if the economic and political will were mustered to raise defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP, quadruple the submarine fleet, forward position military forces and buy new warships, we would remain unable to prevent China from us-
The Raduga Kh-15 or RKV-15 NATO: AS-16 "Kickback"; GRAU is a Russian hypersonic aero-ballistic missile carried by the Tupolev Tu-22M and other bombers. Operational range: 300 km. Yield: 300 kt
ing left of boom tactics to keep punching holes in Australia’s force structure. The Commander of US Indo-Pacific Com- mand Admiral Philip Davidson has told Congress that Beijing’s left of boom con- quests have already effectively pushed the US Navy out of the South China Sea. This has happened without hypersonic missiles and despite the presence of US warships.
Let’s sum up. Australia’s new fleet of war- ships will provide theatre air defence, mod-
ern anti-submarine warfare capabilities and a suite of amphibious options. Hypersonic weapons will threaten those warships with an unprecedented combination of speed and manoeuvrability. Newer technologies may mitigate the hypersonic threat. But what can any of these do against the left of boom fric- tion happening while you read this article?
So is the hypersonic threat to warships really the problem? Or do we need to start asking different questions?
JEDS is pleased to introduce the latest version of the MAS224 Microwave Antenna Systems
Meet JEDS and our Partners at PAC2019 PulsePro Analysis
Our company has a proven track record in designing state-of-the-art antennas for EW applications and supporting EW and Radar equipment for Defence
BREAKOUT HEAD
Breakoutbody noindent xxxx xxxx x xx x xxxx xxx xxx xxx.
Breakoutbody xxxx xxxx x xx x xxxx xxx xxx xxx.
KATHERINE ZIESING | CANBERRA
LowBand DF System Radar Signal Detection 0.4 - 3 GHz Coverage
Software
JEDS has a new large Anechoic Chamber which is capable of fully characterising antennas, radomes and masts (RCS) up to 2m diameter over a Frequency range from 400 MHz to 40GHz in both the Far Field and Near Field
For more information contact:
Bengt Larsen, Marketing Manager E-mail: benlarsen@jeds.com.au
Jenkins Engineering Defence Systems, 1/1 Military Rd, Matraville NSW 2036 (PO BOX 327 Matravile NSW 2036) Tel: 02 9311 2111 Fax: 02 9311 2011 info@jeds.com.au www.jeds.com.au
Acquisition Antennas
www.australiandefence.com.au | October 2019 | 57
JEYHUN PASHAYEV VIA FLICKR