Defence from and for Australia

摘要

The prescribed mission of the Australian Defence Force is to "...deter or defeat attacks on Australian territory, contribute to the stability and security of Australia's immediate region and help meet the country's international obligations." MT discusses Australia's much debated Defence White Paper, Armed Forces strategy and military modernisation. Complementing diplomatic and intelligence efforts, a credible ADF is essential to Australia's security interests according to the country's latest defence white paper. By imposing prohibitive costs on potential agressors, the ADF enables Australia to display a high degree of self-reliance in defending its territorial integrity while maintaining an active regional posture and contributing to a stable, rules based global order. Defensive tasks include the protection of continental Australia, the country's maritime territory, its offshore territories and its sea lanes of approach against hostile states and non-state adversaries. Australia strongly supports efforts by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in generating stability in its direct neighbourhood, while the country also continues to maintain the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) with Britain, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Singapore, as well as a number of binational partnerships.