Release of Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) Strategic Insight No. 31/2006

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has today released a new Strategic Insight publication titled ‘Australian domestic security: The role of Defence’ by Brigadier Andrew Smith and ASPI Director of Research Programs Dr Anthony Bergin.

Over the last five years the need for greater involvement by Defence in domestic security, both in counter-terrorism and consequence management, has been recognised by the government and the community.

While Defence has certainly not dropped its focus on traditional warfighting, much greater attention has been given to internal missions.

This paper examines the factors that have shaped the Defence organisation’s role in Australia’s response to the domestic security environment that has emerged since September 11 2001 and suggests that, while progress has been impressive, some further changes are needed.

These include developing a dedicated strategy for Defence support to domestic security, including capability benchmarks for military and civil agencies for counter terrorism missions, examining the need for a designated agency to assume standing responsibilities for special event security, finding a more relevant role for our reserve forces in domestic security and developing standing relationships between the military and local law enforcement and emergency response communities.

The Insight paper suggests that Defence should devote more intellectual effort to domestic security challenges, including adapting military culture to embrace domestic security as core business. Defence response capabilities, along with the emergency services, should be tested much more in no-warning exercises involving whole-city terrorism. Defence and civilian emergency services should share training and experience opportunities more regularly.