- The Strategist - https://www.aspistrategist.org.au -
Challenges for Mr Rudd's northern naval posture
Posted By Andrew Davies on August 27, 2013 @ 16:25
In a speech at the Lowy Institute, the Prime Minister today announced that a re-elected government will
… establish the Future Navy Taskforce that will provide advice to the Government on implementing these recommendations and other recommendations of the Australian Defence Force Posture Review and 2013 Defence White Paper that offer operational advantages, enhance capability sustainment requirements and relieve future pressure on the current location of Fleet Base East in Sydney.
The Taskforce will provide advice on the timing, proportions and implementation of moving some or all of Fleet Base East to Queensland and Perth and developing, upgrading or expanding Darwin and Broome.
Navy faces the greatest challenges in accommodating changes required by Force 2030 and needs a fresh master plan for its future basing to meet significantly greater demands on the capacity of wharves, dockyards and support facilities at Navy’s bases.
Defence should commence planning now on long term options for establishing a supplementary east coast fleet base at Brisbane for the Future Submarine and large amphibious ships.
The Government has decided not to proceed at this time with long-term planning for establishing a supplementary east coast fleet base in Brisbane (which had been recommended by the Review). The significant preliminary cost estimate (in the order of $6 billion), challenges associated with land acquisition, environmental considerations, the need for extensive dredging and the wider dispersion to a third fleet base of Royal Australian Navy personnel and training, all suggest that establishing a fleet base in Brisbane would be challenging and require significant continued investment for it to remain sustainable.
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URL to article: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/challenges-for-mr-rudds-northern-naval-posture/
[1] Image: http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/20121022ran8109938_143.jpg
[2] speech at the Lowy Institute: http://www.kevinrudd.org.au/latest2_270813
[3] Australian Defence Force Posture Review: http://www.defence.gov.au/oscdf/adf-posture-review/docs/final/default.htm
[4] Department of Defence: http://images.defence.gov.au/fotoweb/Preview.fwx?&position=392&archiveType=ImageFolder&archiveId=5003&albumId=5003&sorting=ModifiedTimeAsc&search=fleet%20review&fileId=8590496097A739A256310C7D03801DA68D63C262324DFB8ED7F17CB3E297E30BF90A747715E33C61629B8355D938FC32176D61D67003E0DA4FEF86433E5232B2D154420E0B08EA0A1A7201113BDF34969C9CD2B2EBD16DF3F92BE1DDB738C84696A6190EE73AA855CB9315770831C51FB3DF0CB48905597FF1FDAED3CB19B1A6EA4E4F3B43629416F42A2E1FE884F8A6EF02F241E5E33E183EC17A1D20C5A51223F2704783EF7521FF12894C5DE15701865246E82A68DDDAE46068DB4D54787D993A7123A713EE4A
[5] Who goes where? Positioning the ADF for the Asia-Pacific century: http://www.aspi.org.au/publications/publication_details.aspx?ContentID=311