Australian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Blackstone said:

Australia and its 20 million citizens are better off focusing defense expenditures to address the increasingly Islamist Indonesia directly to the north, with ten times Australia's population, and going through its own industrial revolution? It would be long before Indonesia is economically much, much larger than Australia, and it will no doubt acquire the military power to prosecute its interests. That might happen in a decade, and Australia wouldn't have the optimal defense posture to deal with it, because it's wasting money on weapons to 'rip off China arm.'

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Indonesia's GDP will surpass Australia's around 2025. If current allocations as proportion of GDP are maintained, Indonesia's defence spending will probably surpass Australia's around 2035. In the long-term it is possible that Indonesian military capabilities will surpass Australia's and constitute a potential threat, but I expect China will remain the first item on Australia's strategic agenda for at least the next decade, and quite possibly the one after as well.

In the meantime I certainly enjoy following the news of Indonesia's ongoing economic and military development. On a regional level Australia (and Australians) are used to being the big fish in a small pond, and on a global level as part of the dominant Anglo-American system. The coming decades will be quite challenging for Australia and Australians not only in a political sense, but with respect to the cultural sensibilities that underlie those politics.

Blackstone said:

I'm amused by successive Australian administrations strategic outlook and defense planning. Building large, expensive, long-range platforms to 'rip off China's arm' in South China Sea scenarios thousands of miles away is missing the forest for the trees.

Australia and its 20 million citizens are better off focusing defense expenditures to address the increasingly Islamist Indonesia directly to the north, with ten times Australia's population, and going through its own industrial revolution? It would be long before Indonesia is economically much, much larger than Australia, and it will no doubt acquire the military power to prosecute its interests. That might happen in a decade, and Australia wouldn't have the optimal defense posture to deal with it, because it's wasting money on weapons to 'rip off China arm.'

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No relation or so few with Islamists Australia have a robust military politic cuz China ofc.

The Global Combat Ship for Australia

FORBIN said:

The Global Combat Ship for Australia

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Australia is a medium power, heading downwards relative to developing nations in the region. What need does it have for global combat anything? Indonesia is potentially Australia's greatest future security threat, and it's questionable if Australia isn't better off with larger number of capable, but less expensive shorter-range ships than fewer and more expensive global ones.

Blackstone said:

Indonesia is potentially Australia's greatest future security threat

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???

Care to elaborate more about that?

Janiz said:

???

Care to elaborate more about that?

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Sure.

Indonesia (>87% Muslim) has ten times the population of Australia, with historical grievances against Canberra, is increasingly more Islamist, and continues to grow economically at much faster rates than Australia. Relations between the two countries, according to Australian media, isn't good, and it's not clear what Australia would be willing to do to improve it. If current trends continue, then Australia's greatest security threat is also its closest neighbor, Indonesia.

Indonesia is a long-term potential threat to Australia in the same sense that China is, or the USA for that matter. That is to say, through various combinations of economic and military power and geography, those nations have the ability (or will in future acquire it) to seriously compromise Australian interests and national security.

Such 'threats' should certainly be taken seriously, including appropriate policy response, but that is not the same as indulging in alarmist rhetoric based upon a caricature of the nation in question.

Indonesia is a developing nation with all the problems such nations tend to have, and some of its own. It is true that the role of Islamic organisations has grown in recent times, culminating in the blasphemy trial of Ahok, and that Australia is concerned about this in terms of what it portends for the future of a still immature Indonesian democracy. However one should not overstate the extent of this trend to date, nor imagine that it portends a future inexorable slide into Islamic theocracy.

The relationship between Indonesia and Australia is characterised by mutual apathy, punctuated occasionally by various incidents borne of such apathy. It is a commonly expressed sentiment that Australia should pay more attention to its regional environment than to far-flung nations that have little bearing on Australia's security, but in truth this dynamic seems unlikely to change quickly. Yet on a positive note, it certainly does not reflect the hostile relationship that you describe.

Blackstone said:

Australia is a medium power, heading downwards relative to developing nations in the region. What need does it have for global combat anything? Indonesia is potentially Australia's greatest future security threat, and it's questionable if Australia isn't better off with larger number of capable, but less expensive shorter-range ships than fewer and more expensive global ones.

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You surprise me ! never see Indonesia have or can have problems with Australia !
All the contrary collaborates especialy ofc for SCS area.

In more terrorism and true military things are 2 things completely separated some idiots politicians attribute missions to Armies for it ! can help but it is a mission for Police Forces not for an Army which must be capable with all panoply especialy heavy weapons against main military threads especialy high intensity combats not by ex as Belgium Army almost only able keep prisoners, a shame

Australia had concerns about Indonesia during the Konfrontasi period under Sukarno. Then the Communists in Indonesia were butchered by the military and Islamists (NU), backed by the US and Australia, and we enjoyed a solid relationship with Suharto's military dictatorship for thirty years before the transition to democracy in the late 1990s. A familiar story, yes?

For a close-up look at the slaughter of the Indonesian communists in 1965-66, check out Joshua Oppenheimer's film 'The Act of Killing':

FORBIN said:

You surprise me ! never see Indonesia have or can have problems with Australia !
All the contrary collaborates especialy ofc for SCS area.

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I'm surprised you never seen any problems between Indonesia and Australia. The relationship between the two countries are not good, and there are lots of news to be had on Google, and not merely minor problems but serious ones like sovereignty violations. Here's a few for reference, there are lots more to be had.