Inquiry into Australia's Maritime Strategy

Terms of reference

Preamble

The primary priority for the Australian Defence Force (ADF), identified in the White Paper Defence 2000, is 'to defend Australia from any credible attack, without relying on help from the combat forces of any other country'.

The key to defending Australia is to control the air and sea approaches to our continent, so as to deny them to hostile ships and aircraft, and provide maximum freedom of action for our forces'. For this purpose Australia relies on a 'fundamentally maritime strategy'. To successfully apply a maritime strategy the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) will maintain and further develop an integrated and balanced joint force.

This inquiry aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of Maritime Strategy and its place within Australias broader military strategy and defence policy. It is not limited to an examination of Australias naval or maritime forces nor is it focused only on the Defence of Australia.

The inquiry also seeks to understand the implications of a Maritime Strategy for the other tasks set out in the White Paper, namely: contributing to the security of our immediate neighbourhood; contributing effectively to international coalitions beyond our immediate neighbourhood; and support of peacetime national tasks.

Terms of Reference

The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade shall inquire into and report on the ADO ability to deliver the necessary capabilities to meet Australias strategic interests and objectives as defined in Defence 2000, with specific reference to the:

• ADO capability to apply the maritime strategy outlined in Defence 2000 in the current strategic environment;
• primary roles in Australia's maritime strategy of the key components of the ADO, including the three services, Defence Intelligence Organisation and ADF Command and Control structure;
• impact of Australia's maritime strategy on ADF capacity to participate in combined, multi-national regional and global coalition military operations;
• integration of maritime strategy with the other elements of Australian national power to achieve specified national strategic interests and objectives;
• impact of the evolving strategic environment on Australias maritime strategy; and
• integration of Australian Defence Industry into capability development to support a maritime strategy.

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