Force from the sea: Developing Australian amphibians

摘要

As part of efforts to expand the power and lethality of its military forces, Australia is aiming to duplicate the amphibious capabilities of its Western allies and adopt a more modern concept of operations for amphibious deployment. Canberra has become more ambitious in its aspirations for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and wants it to be a major contributor to forward operations in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. The 2020 Defence Strategic Update (DSU 2020) highlighted a change in the ADF's posture from a more defensive approach to one that aims to shape, deter, and respond in a more pro-active manner. DSU 2020 clarified that the ADF will "prioritise [Australia's] immediate region for the ADF's geographical focus, the area ranging from the northeastern Indian Ocean through maritime and mainland Southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea and the Southwest Pacific".