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Defence

RAND Australia conducts research on complex strategy, acquisition, force employment, and administrative challenges facing Australia’s defence leadership. Our most strategic work focuses on the most pressing and difficult strategy, policy, and defence stewardship concerns of high-level policymakers. Our acquisition and management analysis help Australian leaders control costs and hedge against risk.

Featured Publications

Sep 18, 2024

Australia's Defense Strategy

This article examines Australia's 2024 National Defence Strategy (NDS) within the context of evolving regional dynamics and global strategic competition.

Andrew Dowse
May 1, 2024

Understanding How to Scale and Accelerate the Adoption of Robotic and Autonomous Systems Into Deployable Capability: Phase 1—identifying Barriers

No documented wide-scale deployments of fully robotic and functionally autonomous weapon systems exist despite every major military force having a declared interest in them. This paper explores the potential barriers to their widespread adoption.

Austin Wyatt, Joanne Nicholson, Marigold Black, Andrew Dowse
Jul 5, 2023

Australia's Sovereign Capability in Military Weapons

The authors of this Perspective discuss the objectives of Australia's Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise and examine options to achieve these objectives.

Andrew Dowse, Marigold Black, John P. Godges, Caleb Lucas, Christopher A. Mouton
Sep 8, 2022

Information Warfare: Methods to Counter Disinformation

We consider the nature of disinformation and its use in the hybrid warfare domain, before examining the problem through frames of planning approach, truth theory, systems thinking, and military strategy.

Andrew Dowse, Sascha Dov Bachmann
May 18, 2022

Supporting a Royal Australian Navy Modelling and Simulation Strategy: A Strategy-to-Task Framework

The authors provide an evidence base for an expanded Modelling and Simulation Strategy for the Royal Australian Navy so that it can better position itself to operate in a high-end warfighting environment.

Joanne Nicholson, Mike Brennan, Peter Dortmans, Roger Lough, Jade Yeung, Scott Savitz, Brendan Toland, Victoria M. Smith, Isabelle Winston, Luke Huxtable, Rebecca Lucas, Theodora Ogden, Livia Dewaele, James Black, Benedict Wilkinson
Apr 12, 2022

Prioritising Critical Technologies of National Interest in Australia: Developing an Analytical Approach

In this report, the authors develop an analytical approach for identifying and prioritising critical technologies of national interest to Australia in a manner that balances national security, economic prosperity and social cohesion requirements.

Peter Dortmans, Joanne Nicholson, Jade Yeung, James Black, Livia Dewaele, Anna Knack
Apr 4, 2022

Supporting the Royal Australian Navy's Campaign Plan for Robotics and Autonomous Systems: Emerging Missions and Technology Trends

This report provides a high-level review of the current landscape and future trajectory of robotics, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence from the perspective of maritime missions and enabling technologies.

Linda Slapakova, Paola Fusaro, James Black, Peter Dortmans
Mar 21, 2022

Establishing a Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise for Australia: International and Domestic Lessons Learned

The authors describe the relevance of five international case studies in relation to Australia's creation of a Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise, identified as a key priority by the government in its 2020 Defence Strategic Update.

Christopher A. Mouton, Carl Rhodes, Mark V. Arena, Paul DeLuca, Andrew Dowse, John P. Godges, Adam R. Grissom, Caleb Lucas, Erik Silfversten
Sep 14, 2021

Supporting the Royal Australian Navy's Strategy for Robotics and Autonomous Systems: Building an Evidence Base

In this report, the authors provide an evidence base to inform the Royal Australian Navy's thinking as it develops its Maritime Robotics, Autonomous Systems and Artificial Intelligence (RAS-AI) Strategy 2040.

Peter Dortmans, Joanne Nicholson, James Black, Marigold Black, Carl Rhodes, Scott Savitz, Linda Slapakova, Victoria M. Smith
Jun 2, 2021

Accelerating the Australian Army's Contest of Ideas

In this report, the authors analyse Australian Army publications from the period 2014–2020 to understand how a contest of ideas aligns with a proposed innovation flow model to support the evolution of Army's intellectual edge.

Joanne Nicholson, Marigold Black, Jade Yeung
May 27, 2021

Deciphering Chinese Deterrence Signalling in the New Era: An Analytic Framework and Seven Case Studies

The authors examine how China's approach to deterrence signalling is evolving along with its expanding objectives, growing military capabilities, and the availability of new communication channels—and how regional countries should respond.

Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga, Derek Grossman, Kristen Gunness, Michael S. Chase, Marigold Black, Natalia D. Simmons-Thomas
May 3, 2021

Defence Mobilisation Planning Comparative Study: An Examination of Overseas Planning

Against the 2020 Defence Strategic Update, the authors use evidence from several countries to highlight the merits of a 'total defence' approach to mobilisation planning for Australia with the goal of meeting contemporary threats.

Joanne Nicholson, Peter Dortmans, Marigold Black, Marta Kepe, Sarah Grand-Clement, Erik Silfversten, James Black, Theodora Ogden, Livia Dewaele, Pau Alonso García-Bode
Nov 12, 2020

RAND's Insights on Australia's Naval Shipbuilding Capability

Testimony presented before the Economics References Committee of the Australian Senate on November 13, 2020.

John F. Schank, Paul DeLuca
Dec 3, 2018

Comprehensive Analysis of Strategic Force Generation Challenges in the Australian Army

This report reviews the modernisation efforts and force generation practices of four armed forces with global presence to derive lessons and practices to inform the Australian Army's own reorganisation policy.

Dwayne M. Butler, Angelena Bohman, Lisa Pelled Colabella, Julia A. Thompson, Michael Shurkin, Stephan B. Seabrook, Rebecca Jensen, Christina Bartol Burnett
Mar 21, 2016

Contestability Frameworks: An International Horizon Scan

RAND identified and reviewed international contestability practices on behalf of the Australian Department of Defence.

Cynthia R. Cook, Emma Westerman, Megan McKernan, Badreddine Ahtchi, Gordon T. Lee, Jenny Oberholtzer, Douglas Shontz, Jerry M. Sollinger
Apr 15, 2015

Australia's Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise: Preparing for the 21st Century

RAND researchers explore the feasibility of Australia sustaining a domestic naval shipbuilding industry compared with buying ships from foreign shipbuilders. The authors outline the complex consequences and trade-offs of both options.

John Birkler, John F. Schank, Mark V. Arena, Edward G. Keating, Joel B. Predd, James Black, Irina Elena Danescu, Dan Jenkins, James G. Kallimani, Gordon T. Lee, Roger Lough, Robert Murphy, David Nicholls, Giacomo Persi Paoli, Deborah Peetz, Brian Perkinson, Jerry M. Sollinger, Shane Tierney, Obaid Younossi
Dec 15, 2011

Australia's Submarine Design Capabilities and Capacities: Challenges and Options for the Future Submarine

Assesses the domestic engineering and design skills that Australian industry and government will need to design a new submarine, identifies the skills they currently possess, and evaluates how best to fill any gaps between the two.

John Birkler, John F. Schank, Jessie Riposo, Mark V. Arena, Robert W. Button, Paul DeLuca, James Dullea, James G. Kallimani, John Leadmon, Gordon T. Lee, Brian McInnis, Robert Murphy, Joel B. Predd, Raymond H. Williams