Page 23 - Australian Defence Magazine Sep-Oct 2022

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
DEFENCE BUSINESS TOWNSVILLE 23
In terms of the growing importance of local industry, LT- COL Elias pointed out that Defence vehicles and vessels are growing in number, size, weight and complexity – for which Defence needs greater supply chain certainty and confidence. Next-generation Army vehicles, such as self- propelled howitzers, will be based at Lavarack Barracks (the largest ADF base in Australia); and HMAS Cairns/ Regional Maintenance Centre – North East will see 200 per cent naval vessel weight increase based in Cairns by 2048 (under Plan Galileo).
STRATEGIC LOCATION
LTCOL Elias was followed by LTGEN (Ret’d) John Calig- ari, the Defence Sector Strategic Advisor for Townsville City Council, who observed that 25 July – the day of the Forum – was the 80th anniversary of the first bombing raid on Townsville in World War Two.
Caligari went on to outline Townsville’s position as a mounting point for ADF operations in the southwest Pacific. “There is increased strategic interest returning to Towns- ville,” Caligari said. “Our vision is that by 2030, Townsville and north Queensland will be a preferred location for al- lied forces training, an Army home base of choice, and the ADF forward mounting base for the southwest Pacific. We can either sit back and let that happen, or we grab the op-
portunity with both hands.”
Dr Anna Hayes, Senior Lecturer Political Science, James
Cook University and a Senior Fellow, East Asia Security Centre, gave a detailed overview of China’s grand strategy and how it affects the southwest Pacific following the pact signed recently with the Solomon Islands government.
ABOVE: The ADM Townsville Defence Forum provides
a platform for Defence and industry in the area to connect and discuss issues of local and regional importance
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Delegates also heard from David Mead, Executive Direc- tor Strategic Development, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), about the similarities between the civil- ian research capabilities of that organisation and what Defence is looking to develop in terms of underwater situ- ational awareness capabilities. In particular, AIMS’ Reef- Works Tropical Marine Technology Test Range offers “test and evaluation services for technologies, especially autono- mous and uncrewed systems for civilian and Defence ma- rine applications.”
“Progressively we are moving across from science into marine technology, both for our own use and for facilita- tion more generally of the development of marine technolo- gies,” Mead said.
Mead also observed that Australian science and organ- isations such as AIMS provide the Commonwealth with considerable soft power around the development of sea-de- pendent economies in the South Pacific: “There are things Australia can do that China can’t,” Mead said.
The event was chaired by Michael Rinaudo, Defence Sec- tor lead for ADCO Constructions, and included additional speakers from Hanwha Defense Australia, the Office of Defence Industry Support, TEi Services, the Queensland State Government, and more. ■
DAVID GOULDING UNSPLASH