The purpose of these linked web pages will be to highlight areas within the ADF and defence industry. The areas will be where there is a perceived weakness to be corrected, and or where adjustments can be made to enhance the ADF.
Proposals for the ADF:
Please note that for all of these proposals are just ideas to consider. These may prove to be unfeasible or ineffective.
Establish joint purchasing agreements with New Zealand and/or Canada for current and new equipment. The objective of this is three-fold. By arranging to have the same equipment fielded by three separate forces this ensures a high degree of inter-operability, maintenance and availability of parts when the forces operate together in the field. It also allows the vehicles to be exposed to a greater range of environments for testing purposes than would ordinarily be available in an Australian military vehicle. By having orders for three different forces placed together as one consolidated order, this should increase the total number of units ordered, and assist in reducing the per unit cost by spreading the re-tooling costs over more units.
Standardize the calibers of ammunition currently used by the separate ADF services. This should be done to increase commonality between services so that ammunition can be exchanged between services. It will also assist in driving down per unit costs by increasing total quantities ordered and reducing the number of separate production runs.
Establishment of two national surveillance command centers, one in Western Australia near Perth, the other in either NSW near Sydney or the ACT. The command centers would be linked to each other by redundant links. Each command center would receive the radar returns from all fixed position military and civilian radar installations in Australia, as well as the radar returns from RAN, Customs, Coastwatch and RAAF vessels and aircraft. Construct on all offshore Australian islands and territories of air/surface search and surveillance radars.
Development of a new type of SAM where the IR seeker head of the Stinger Manpad is added onto a RBS-70 Bolide laser guided SAM to provide a secondary source of guidance.