The suspended death sentence, now likely to mean life imprisonment, passed by the Chinese courts, in the service of the Chinese Communist Party, against Australian academic and writer Yang Hengjun is a sign of the utter contempt Beijing has for Australia, for human rights and the rule of law, and for international agreements such as those providing for consular access to our citizens.

It’s a tragedy for a man guilty of nothing worse than being a brave dissident. It’s also a stark reminder of the nature of the government that is, second only to the United States, the biggest military power on Earth, and that seeks complete dominance of our region.

This underlines the extreme irresponsibility of the Albanese government’s failure to provide for any enhanced Australian defence capability over the next decade. Even our existing capabilities are degrading and disappearing. It’s a secondary scandal that the nation is not more agitated about this. It indicates a bipartisan, cultural collapse in Australia, which no longer seems to take its own defence seriously.

The promise of nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS slowly becoming available in a decade’s time has become an excuse for both sides of politics to do nothing, commit to nothing, and say nothing of substance on actual defence capabilities.
...
In a period of acute strategic vulnerability, with the US more stretched than at any time since World War II, we have decided to do nothing in our own defence interests
...
Dibb told me: “It is blatantly obvious nothing much is happening in decision-making in defence, when the world is facing the most dangerous strategic circumstances since World War II. Where is the implementation on anything? We’ve created a bureaucratic monster.”

Dibb referred me to figures that show the mind boggling proliferation of “star-ranked” officers in the Australian Defence Force over the past 20 years. It’s nearly doubled from 120 to 219. That’s one star-ranked officer for every 260 other ranks, whereas in the US it’s one to 1526, and in the UK one to 1522.

...
“We are quintessentially in a maritime threat environment, which means not just ships and submarines but also air power over water. The priority must be maritime strike power, in particular long-range maritime strike. That means missiles with ranges not of hundreds of kilometres but thousands of kilometres. We’re putting in some missile orders, but in very small numbers.

“Drones are clearly a capability we need ourselves. Not only drones but the exquisite intelligence you need to target them accurately. And we need to be able to protect ourselves from drones.”

I pointed out to Dibb the leaked Defence document showing the department was planning to take eight years to evaluate the best type of counter-drone capability to acquire.

He replied: “It takes years to make a decision on anything. It’s worse than crazy, it’s bordering on criminal.”

Defence Minster Richard Marles and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy do not effectively run Defence. Defence runs them. This is a personal failure for both men but it’s partly due to the bizarre ministerial structure Labor has put in place.

Defence is the most demanding portfolio in government yet Marles is also Deputy Prime Minister. During Albanese’s frequent absences, he’s Acting PM. Marles is himself an enthusiastic and frequent traveller on defence diplomacy. He’s often not across the detail of defence equipment and is ineffective in leading the department.

The huge portfolio of Defence Industry, responsible for billions upon billions of dollars, is with Conroy. He’s a junior minister, lacking cabinet status, but also lacking a cabinet minister’s staff allocation. Worse, he simultaneously has a second portfolio, so Defence Industry is notionally led by a half-time junior minister with no staff.

In some ways Defence loves this lack of ministerial supervision. But it’s an unmitigated disaster for the nation.
Greg Sheridan.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/this-is-a-death-sentence-for-our-def...

Frank wrote on Dec 14^th, 2023 at 8:44am:


... and with no drone defence apart from the close-in defence system .... which doesn't hit bombs dropped from drones... though existing systems could take out drones.... but under what rules?

Down 'em All!  Let God Sort 'Em Out!!  'Allied' drones would have an IFF system.

"This underlines the extreme irresponsibility of the Albanese government’s failure to provide for any enhanced Australian defence capability over the next decade"

I would suggest we need to look at that in terms of 'government' overall in recent history - not just Wobbly Albo.

Brian Ross wrote on Feb 7^th, 2024 at 1:52pm:



Figures compiled for the Greens by the Parliamentary Library show a tremendously top-heavy Australian Defence Force with the number of flag officers almost doubling since 2003 from 119 to 219.

This means there is a one star level officer for every 260 full-time uniformed members. This is way out of whack with comparable militaries around the world.

The most senior level of officers in the ADF with a 'star rank', Generals, Admirals and Air Commodores, have multiplied while enlisted numbers have gone backwards falling from 62,429 in 1983 to 41,079 in 2023.

This is part of a broader trend towards a top-heavy military with the proportion of officers to enlisted members doubling from 14 to 28% between 1983 and 2023. International comparisons on senior pay and numbers are below.

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens Defence Spokesperson, said:  "When you have so much gold braid and so few troops it feels like a Bbwianesque satire, not a military."
https://www.miragenews.com/australian-defence-leadership-collapses-under-1135059...

Frank wrote on Feb 7^th, 2024 at 2:25pm:


Oh, dearie, dearie, me, that has nothing to do with capabilities, Soren.  You need to learn English, it appears. I know it's your second language but you could at least make an effort.  Bloody immigrant.  Tsk, tsk, tsk... 

Belgarion wrote on Feb 7^th, 2024 at 2:44pm:


Sounds like a naval problem to me, the Army does not use that many civilian contractors for training.  Not sure about the RAAF.  Not sure why the Navy would be reliant on civvies but it might be a conscious decision to have sailors on duty, on board ships rather than wearing a uniform in front of a classroom.  Diversity is an important factor, it shows the ADF is not dominated by one ethnicity or class, there are no cries of the ADF being disproportionate, as the US Army was when the draft was in force.  Teamwork is important and no team could ignore the diversity of it's members.  In my time in the Army, we had Asians, Muslims, Greeks, Italians, Poms, Kiwis, Indigenous and Islanders, we all thought we were Australians and were treated as such.

Frank wrote on Feb 7^th, 2024 at 8:02am:

Oh, dearie, dearie, me, you are a worry-wart, Soren.  We presently have no enemies so who are we supposedly defending against?  China is a distant worry, way off there, some 5000 kilometres away.  Who else is a danger?  Asylum seekers?  Terrorists?  Anyone?  Americans perhaps?  Tsk, tsk, tsk...