Hard power is projected with energy and infrastructure. Critical infrastructure needs to be urgently hardened and energy supply assured. ⬇️

The Institute of Public Affairs and Strategic Analysis Australia have released the latest paper in their excellent ‘The Defence of Australia’ series. Paper 5 focuses fixing Defence Infrastructure and Energy vulnerabilities.

Echoing the analysis of the late great Jim Molan AO DSC, the paper urges hardening of infrastructure assets and increasing fuel reserves and onshore supply in anticipation of competition and conflict that will impact Australia at home, not just expeditionary forces away:

“A major Indo-Pacific war would involve adversaries with the ability and willingness to strike Australian territory to disrupt military operations, intimidate our government and population, and damage our economy. War in the 21st century will not be an ‘away game’ for Australia.”

The report makes six recommendations to better prepare the nation to enable deterrence and respond should competition give way to conflict but it was the recommendation that Government should develop a mobilisation plan with Industry that caught our attention. Mobilisation can’t be achieved without leveraging the nation’s civil infrastructure and assuring energy supplies. One day Defence may run on batteries but for now fossil fuels will be the difference in scaling to conflict or grinding to a halt.

Defence and Government need to bring Industry into the classified conversation on mobilisation. The Captains of Industry have knowledge and experience no amount of star ranked officers or career bureaucrats can ever replace. Different perspectives, ideas and knowledge – subject matter expertise to ensure Industry is ready to mobilise and scale.

In large scale combat operations Defence will need to leverage civilian infrastructure and the private sector at a scale not seen since WWII. The sooner the conversation includes Industry – and not just Defence Industry – the better.

Thanks as always to the team at The Institute of Public Affairs and Strategic Analysis Australia for your contribution to the contest of ideas.

Food for thought!

🖼️ via @The Institute of Public Affairs