The 2006 US Quadrennial Defense Review: Influencing Australia’s defence force
Release of Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) Strategic Insight No. 30/2006
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has today released a new Strategic Insight publication titled ‘The 2006 US Quadrennial Defense Review: Influencing Australia’s defence force’ by Peter Layton, an Australian on the faculty of the US National Defense University.
The US has articulated a new strategic direction for defence in tune with the post-September 11, post-Cold War strategic environment. If Australia chooses to follow, this new direction could fundamentally shape Australian defence policy just as the interwar British Singapore strategy and the Cold War US Guam Doctrine did.
In this paper the two key strategic drivers of the new US defence policy are discussed with the intention of stimulating debate on their potential implications for Australian defence polices.
In addressing these priority areas, the QDR defines distinct and important needs for military forces based on both an identified tangible threat and on a potential danger. The 2006 QDR is effectively shaped by two major but dissimilar strategic drivers: winning the ‘Long War’ and hedging against the re-emergence of a major state-based threat.
‘The Long War affects both Australia and the US. Successfully meeting the transnational non-state actor threat requires global action that Australia cannot undertake alone. Collaborating closely with the US is directly in Australia’s interest to overcome a global terrorist threat that may be encountered anywhere. Close collaboration with the US, and others, is essential for the necessary defence-in-depth’, states Peter Layton
‘Australia’s strategic culture suggests that the nation will adopt defence policies pragmatically informed by the QDR. While a lesser power, Australia since Federation has sought to be meaningfully involved in international affairs by being part of a great power’s alliance network.’
‘The new defence policies provide Australia as a ‘model’ alliance partner with opportunities and challenges.’
‘However, this QDR’s vision will influence all nations to a greater or lesser extent, willingly or unwillingly, close ally or implacable adversary’.