Description
This White Paper, Defending Australia explains how the Government will manage Australia's defence into the next century. It is the most comprehensive review and restatement of the Government's defence policy since the publication of The Defence of Australia, 1987, which established a clear and rigorous analytical basis for defence self-reliance. Since then, strategies circumstances in our region and around the world have changed, and new trends have emerged which will transform Australia's strategic environment over coming years. Military technology has developed, and the Australian Defence Force has undergone major reforms and developed substantial new capabilities. Over the same period, Australia's economic, technological, and social development have changed the domestic context in which we plan and develop our defence capabilities, and our international policies and outlook have evolved even further to give greater emphasis to the importance of engaging with our region.
This White Paper explains how the Government's defence policy can and will respond to these changes. While the fundamental precepts of self-reliance remain valid, the approaches we take to developing and sustaining our defence capabilities and strategic relationships will need to continue to evolve. Defending Australia builds on important changes to our defence policies announced in a number of statements and reviews published over the last four years, including the 1990 Report on the Defence Force and the Community, the 1991 Force Structure Review, the 1992 Price Report on Defence Policy and Industry and the 1993 Strategic Review. From that foundation, it looks ahead fifteen years to describe the key international trends that will shape our strategic environment, and to explain how the different elements of our defence policy will develop to meet the challenges ahead.
ISBN:0644353649
