Page 94 - Australian Defence Magazine June 2021

92 LAND FORCES
PROTECTION
JUNE 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
ABOVE: An Australian Army soldier from the 3rd Combat Service Support Battalion camouflages a logistics vehicle during Exercise Brolga Run, Townsville Field Training Area.
easily replaced. To address this, versatility and the ability to respond effectively in unfamiliar situations are charac- teristics of the Australian Army today.
It relies on the ability to leverage greater mobility, flex- ibility and firepower, the support of its allies, more effec- tive intelligence, and superior technical resources.
CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER
The ADF has been forced to adapt to an ever-changing array of new threats including Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), insider attacks and cyber warfare. It has shown a commit- ment to innovate as a way of overcoming some of the disad-
AUSTRALIA’S CYBER INVESTMENT
“THE ADF HAS BEEN FORCED TO ADAPT TO
vantages the Australian Army faces as a smaller military force.
This view is supported by com- ments from Brigadier Ian Langford, Director General Future Land War-
Cyber is now regarded as the greatest and most immediate threat to all Australians, whether in uniform, or not. While bank fraud and other attacks against individuals and cor- porations are deeply disturbing, threats to the ADF’s sup- ply lines, sensors and effectors are potentially catastrophic. The Royal Australian Corps of Signals, the Australian Sig- nals Directorate, other service branches and intelligence organisations, as well as Federal and State police forces all contribute to Australia’s response to cyberattack.
Early detection of intent, as well as the ability to con- stantly determine the location, direction and speed of en- emy threats are the gold standard for force protection. As a member of the Five Eyes nations, Australia’s intelligence agencies contribute to and benefit from international agreements with their coalition partners.
All branches of the ADF and civilian intelligence agen- cies have been well funded to perform their signals in- telligence (SIGINT) roles. The Federal Government has increased funding in cyber and information warfare ca- pabilities to around $15 billion over the next decade, as announced in Defence’s 2020 Force Structure Plan.
All branches of the ADF benefit from Army, Navy, Air Force and Joint programs through closer force integration. Additionally, there are a number of programs within the intelligence community that are vital to protecting service personnel – with counter cyber having the highest profile.
SEEING BUT NOT BEING SEEN
The need to see without being seen is an ongoing challenge for troops in the field. Transmissions from active sensors such as radar carry tell-tale signatures that can be detect- ed by opposing forces. Passive radar is different: It employs background radio transmissions to provide ground forces
AN EVER-CHANGING fare, who said, “Our commanders
ARRAY OF NEW THREATS INCLUDING IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES
have directed that we accelerate the adoption of new technology as a capa- bility enabler – to pull the future into the present. We will be increasingly
(IED), INSIDER ATTACKS asked to do tasks and solve problems
the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces.
AND CYBER WARFARE.”
that are not part of our traditional mission set, as we understand them.” Rapid response from Army and the Defence Science and Technology Group to threats from IEDs is one example where Australia has taken prompt and innovative action to develop new tac- tics and technology. This work has not only advantaged Aus- tralian forces, but also our allies. For example, L3Harris Mi- creo and other industry partners have produced more than 200,000 award winning Redwing IED detection devices for
DEFENCE