Australian Army Research Centre Seminar Series
The Australian Army hosts professionally renowned guests, commentators and academics to enhance the debate on current and future land warfare issues and topics. As seminars are organised, information on seminar attendance can be found here.
22 Nov 19 - Accelerating New Capability: Experimental Wargaming & Doctrine Development - Gordon PendletonThe NATO Urbanisation Project examined the implications of urbanisation on all aspects of future NATO military operations out to 2035. In this seminar we will examine how research, concept development, experimentation and wargaming were used to identify operational shortfalls, outdated doctrine & gaps in current capability. The presentation will conclude with the key lessons learned from th...
14 Nov 19 - Developing a Plan B for the ADF: some implications arising from a Geostrategic SWOT Analysis for Australia - Professor John BlaxlandA spectrum of security challenges ranging from great power contestation, looming environmental catastrophe and a spectrum of governance challenges are leading to a significant security overhaul in Australia with significant implications for.
This talk reviews the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing Australia and what that means for how the Australian Defence Force pos...
- 31 Oct 19 - Insights from learning on the job: The Wehrmacht in Urban Combat - Dr David Stahel
At the beginning of the second World War the Wehrmacht was by any measure a capable organisation. Initially it swept larger better equipped armies before it. This is usually explained in terms of superior concepts, doctrine and leadership - and being built on the sound foundations of a learning organisation – the Reichswehr. Yet the Wehrmacht had a blind spot – urban operations. While it had d...
28 Oct 19 - Like War: The Rules Behind the Weaponisation of Social Media - Peter SingerPeter Singer and Emerson Brooking co-authored the best selling book, Like War: the weaponization of social media. This presentation will explore the collision of war, politics, and social media, where victory or defeat is now only a click away. Through the weaponisation of social media, the internet is changing war and politics, just as war and politics are changing the internet. Terro...
17 Oct 19 - Integration and Performance in the Combat Arms: Women and Men in Army Teams - LTCOL Geoff Orme PhDThere have been substantial changes to ADF organisation, policy and training, as well as major investment in female recruiting in order to fully integrate an increased proportion of women in all defence workplaces In 2016 when restrictions on women joining the combat arms of the ADF were lifted, questions asked went beyond issues of physical performance requirements to raise the issues of the o...
19 Sep 19 - Recognising and Responding to China's Technology Transfer Efforts - Alex JoskeThis seminar examines the ecosystem that China has developed to foster technology transfer from abroad. Analysing the activities in the context of China’s military-civil strategy, the presentation will focus on non-traditional forms of economic activities such as talent recruitment schemes and united front work. An understanding of these technology transfer efforts can help formulate effective...
22 Aug 19 - The Lessons of Tragedy: Historical Amnesia & the Return of Great Power Competition - Dr Charles EdelThe ancient Greek notion of tragedy was that apparently minor inattention or failings could inexorably lead to disaster. By recognising this constant possibility they sought to spur citizens and leaders to take the difficult actions necessary to avert such a fate. Charles Edel and his colleague argue in their book that seventy-five years of great power peace have caused us to lose our sense of...
8 Aug 19 - The Marawi Crisis – Urban Conflict & Information Operations - Dr Charles Knight and Katja TheodorakisBased on their ASPI Special Report of the same name, this seminar examines both capability aspects of kinetic hard power and the strategic impact of soft power information operations (IOs), and how they intertwine in the urban environment. The seizure of the city by mil...
11 Jul 19 - Lessons From Syria - Dr Robert BowkerWith the Syrian regime now secure in Damascus it is timely to examine lessons arising from the conflict. This discussion will focus on two issues: firstly, what the experience of the Syrian civil war, including the approaches taken by the parties to the conflict suggests about the future nature of politics and conflict in the region; and secondly, what lessons may be drawn concerning external m...
27 Jun 19 - The Manual for the Dragon Riders: Chinese Strategic Culture - Kelvin ChauThe presentation provides a cultural perspective on the ways Chinese elites make decisions and process information. Culture drives and shapes political behaviour, thus understanding strategic Chinese culture is fundamental to understanding the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and the evolution of the Chinese Communist Party.
12 Jun 19 - What is America’s vision for multi domain warfare in 2025? - General John MurrayWhat does the future of warfare look like in the longer term? What is America’s vision for multi domain warfare in 2025? What can Australia learn from this? Moving beyond this, what skills and people will modern militaries need in this vision of the future?
12 Jun 19 - A Perspective from China: New Era State Strategies, Structures and Security - Mr Digby WrenThis presentation will offer a view from China. It positions Australia at the nexus of a US-dominated maritime power hierarchy and economic networks dominated by China. The stakes are high – given the strategic interests and economic necessity involved. At the heart of China’s “New Era” foreign policy strategy is the continuing active promotion of international cooperation through the Belt and...
30 May 19 - The Evolving Nature of Terrorism: How we got here - Naguib “Nick” KaldasNick Kaldas served for almost 35 years as a NSW Police officer in Sydney, & held two of the most senior roles in Police Force executive, serving as Deputy Commissioner and prior to that, Assistant Commissioner. His policing career has primarily been in major crime investigations & operations, including counter-terrorism, protection operations, armed robbery, major drug investigations, c...
16 May 19 - Preparing the Australian Army for a Fourth Industrial Revolution - Lieutenant Colonel Scott HolmesThe Fourth Industrial Revolution is a period of transformational change. Army’s organisational design and combat forces are dominated by technologies and structures created by the last military transformation. To be ‘ready now and future ready’, the Australian Army must understand the implications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and develop mechanisms to change by design. This presentation...
02 May 19 - The Meme Justifies the Means - Ms Emily ReadRussian and Chinese influence operations portend war’s changing character. Technology may enable Sun Tzu’s ideal of victory without fighting. What are the psychological processes that enable influence within ‘political warfare’? Memes in social media newsfeeds are an effective tool for mass manipulation since they are un-attributable and readily created. This ANU study examined American respons...
21 Mar 19 - From Dependency to Delusion - Dr Al PalazzoTime for a new beginning for Australian Security?
Australia has had it easy: remote from the world's trouble-spots, having no land borders with a potential adversary and a powerful big brother standing by just in case. Australia's security planners have not had to ply their trade with the same degree of diligence as those in less fortunate countries. Yet good times do no...
07 Mar 19 - Airstrikes and Twitter - Matt BrownMatt Brown (pictured in helmet) is an ABC journalist with experience in covering conflicts especially in the Middle East. In this presentation, he relates some stories of his time covering conflict and the influence social media has on bringing these stories into the public eye.
20 Feb 19 - Accelerated Warfare - by Brigadier Ian Langford, DSC and BarsBrigadier Ian Langford, DSC and Bars, is a highly experienced Army officer who provides detail and fidelity to the concept of Accelerated Warfare, a framework for thinking about how the enduring nature of war and its rapidly changing characteristics in this age of social media, artificial intelligence and contemporaneous conflict and competition.
6 Dec 18 - Chinese interests in Melanesia: potential for accidental friction - COL Peter ConnollySince 2014 Colonel Pete Connolly has researched in China, PNG, Timor-Leste and Fiji for a PhD investigating Chinese interests in Melanesia. He has sought to understand the deep complexity of Chinese economic, diplomatic and security interests on the ground, and how these interact with the interests of Pacific Islanders.
This presentation will give a brief overview of these Chinese inter...
8 Nov 18 - China's military reform and modernisation in the new era - Adam NiThe People's Liberation Army (PLA) is currently facing the most sweeping and comprehensive transformation since at least the 1960s. This presentation will provide an overview of Chinese military reform efforts aimed at turning the PLA into a professional, world-class force. It will focus on recent developments (from 2015), including the wholesale overhaul of the PLA's organisation structure, C2...
13 Sep 18 - A Woman's Place is in the War - LTCOL Melanie LenaghanLieutenant Colonel Melanie Lenaghan has provided guidance and insight into the effects of war on women and children to military commanders during combat operations.
30 Aug 18 - Warfare in the Information Age - Brigadier Andy Harrison, DSO, MBEBrigadier Andrew Harrison, DSO, MBE discusses the vagaries of warfare in the information age including strategic communication and the ‘unexploited ground’ between kinetic effects such as joint fires /manoeuvre and the virtual battleground of cyberwarfare....
15 Aug 18 - Innovation in our Defence Organisations - an example in Israeli missile defenceMr Uzi Rubin is an expert in missile defence within Israel and provides an insight into how innovation is accepted within a defence organisation using his wide knowledge of missile defence and how the Israeli Defence establishment utilised it.
19 Jul 2018 - Transforming Army Logistics: Realising the sustainable joint land forceLieutenant Colonel David Beaumont explains why logistics should be understood by combat forces.
22 Jun 2018 - Thoughts on Future WarHear Lieutenant General (Rtd) Sean MacFarland share his experiences from his recent deployments in Syria and Iraq leading the Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve, and within the US Army's Training and Doctrine Command.
21 Jun 2018 - Amphibious Operations and the Falklands WarHear two key commanders present at the operations give their thoughts about the strategic and operational lessons learned from their involvement in the Falklands War. As an example of the small scale type of amphibious operation Australia may have to conduct in the future, this presentation will provide a unique opportunity for contemporary and future planners to hear about the opportunities a...
17 May 2018 - Kidnap for Ransom of ADF Personnel - a vulnerability for the ADF and the Australian government?For more than 40 years, K&R/E response consultancies, have advised clients on how to negotiate the release of kidnap victims safely. Warwick argues that government agencies are inherently unable to achieve success in this area. .This lecture gives a compelling insight into a response to kidnap for ransom.
19 Apr 2018 - Some thoughts on Expeditionary and Amphibious Logistics - Implications for the Australian Defence ForceThe early 2000s saw a marked increase in the expeditionary employment of UK amphibious forces. Chief among these was experience of doing expeditionary and amphibious logistics which, for Australia, will always present a challenge.
5 Apr 2018 - Emerging Security Challenges in a Post-9/11 Operating Environment, presented by COL Ian Langford, Australian ArmyWhat are the forces shaping the operating environment since 9/11? In an era of constant competition, can it be argued that the character of war is ever changing? What challenges do those two questions pose for contemporary military forces and other national security providers? Colonel Ian Langford’s presentation offers some thought provoking insights on this complex issue.
22 Mar 2018 - The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Changing Character of War, COL Thomas Hammes, USMC (Retd), PhDThe Fourth Industrial Revolution will drive major changes in the character of war. It is creating a family of small, smart, and cheap weapons that will provide even small states with capabilities that until recently were the preserve of major powers.
15 Mar 2018 - Terrorism and Mental Health: Psychopathology & Terrorist BehaviourStudies examining mental disorder and terrorist involvement have a convoluted history. Early studies were correctly debunked on methodological grounds, but the existing consensus, that mental disorder never plays a role in terrorism, is likely to be false when we consider the complexity and diversity of the problem.
1 Mar 2018 - Robosoldiers: Human-Machine Teaming and a New Era of WarfareBy the middle of the 21st century, military forces will contain tens of thousands of robots, and the decisions of human commanders at every level will be informed and shaped by artificial intelligence. While the future is impossible to predict, trends in technology and warfare make this a near certainly. Military organisations must plan now for this new era of warfare. Governments must be prepa...
15 Feb 2018 - Multi-domain Battle: Why it will Fail, presented by Dr Albert PalazzoThe US Army and Marine Corps have begun the transition to a new concept of war fighting which has important implications for Australia. Multi-Domain Battle is an attempt to gain advantage over adversaries by simultaneously leveraging the potential of all the domains of war. With this concept, the land forces of the United States plan to defeat a rising China and turn back a resurgent Russia. Wh...
14 Dec 2017 - Asking Good Questions - Dr Charles VandepeerDr Charles Vandepeer holds a PhD from the University of Adelaide where he is involved in research, lecturing and course development.
14 Dec 2017 - The Urban Challenge - Dr Charles KnightIn military roles, Charles served in Europe, Central America, Asia and the Middle East and his diverse experience ranges from RAF pilot training, through four years commanding Baluchi troops with the Omani Army, to operational counterinsurgency training. As a reservist he has served with the Parachute Regiment in the UK, the Commandos in Australia and commanded an Infantry Battalion.
Ch...
20 Apr 2017 - Future Force DesignOne thing that occupies the minds of a lot of people in the ADF, is the future of force design. One of the key considerations for future force design is, what are the mission sets that we are preparing our people for?
That's where our seminar today comes in because we're speaking about the train, advise and assist mission set. As our speaker points out, the ADF don't currently have for...
23 Mar 2017 - The Worst of Both Worlds - On the Nature and Character of Urban Littoral CombatThe Worst of Both Worlds - On the Nature and Character of Urban Littoral Combat
23 Feb 2017 - Australian Defence Strategy in the Age of Trump and XiIn a surprise reversal of positions, the United States appears set to pursue a more revisionist foreign policy over the coming years, while China has signalled its intension to pursue regionalist and globalist economic and security policies. Dr Lockyer will examine what these changes in US foreign policy will mean for regional dynamics, stability and security and discuss how Australia’s defence...
8 Feb 2017 - Speaking Truth to Power - Advice and Decision Making in the Era of Social Media by Prof. David Irvine AOThis seminar explores:
- The impact of contemporary and emerging media technologies on the decision making processes within Government, particularly in the National Security arena.
- Insight into the challenges for political and policy discourse arising from the unrelenting pressures at the intersection of the 24hr News Cycle and New Media.
- The nuances and dilemmas of providi...
