These are testing times for Australia and for Australia’s security policies. It is now almost two years since the Defence 2000 White Paper set out the Government’s plans for Australia’s strategic policy and defence forces over this decade and beyond. So even without the tragic events of 11 September 2001 and 12 October 2002, a review would be timely. The rise of terrorism as a threat, globally, regionally and to Australia specifically, makes a review both urgent and imperative.

This Policy Paper, which is ASPI’s first annual strategic and security policy review, identifies three core challenges which we believe Australian...

Terrorism is now a major security problem for Australia, and our most obvious strategic policy challenge is to find effective and proportionate responses to it.The Bali bombing on 12 October 2002 confirmed and amplified a judgement made after 11 September 2001: the risk to Australia from terrorism has increased sharply, and is likely to remain relatively high at least in the medium term.

Of course the Government’s first task is to respond effectively to the Bali bombing itself, and to manage the short-term risk of further attacks. But here our focus is on the longer-term policy challenge: how do we...

The increased threat of terrorism is the most urgent new security policy challenge we face. But it is not the only one.The turbulent events since September 11 last year have brought new challenges but not displaced the old ones.Australia lives in a region—the Asia Pacific—in which armed force continues to play a large role in international affairs.The future strategic balance of the wider region remains unclear, the relationships between major powers are unsure, and our near neighbours are unstable.

So while we must give highest priority to responding to the threat of terrorism, Australia cannot afford to ignore...

Nearly two years after the Defence White Paper was released it is time to review both the plans and directions that it set down, and their implementation.This chapter looks at three key questions. Do our long-term force development plans need to be changed in the light of September 11, the Bali bombing and the new threat of terrorism? Are we adapting effectively to the way new technology is changing the ways wars are fought? Are we on track to deliver the capabilities called for in the White Paper?

The Defence 2000 White Paper produced the first really comprehensive revision of...

On 19 July 2002 ASPI released a discussion paper setting out a dozen of the key defence issues facing the Government and Australia at large.The discussion paper was the basis for a small but valuable public consultation exercise, which we completed by early September.We developed our website to incorporate a discussion forum, and we sought your views at public meetings in Brisbane, Darwin and Perth.We also received your comments through written submissions mailed to us at our office in Canberra.

In total we distributed around 3400 copies of Australia’s Defence after September 11—A quick guide to the issues. In...