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U.S., Australian Militaries Plan for New Threats
The militaries of the United States and Australia are planning significant changes in order to better focus on the treats of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, according to reports this week (see GSN, Aug. 8). U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is expected to release the quadrennial long-range plan for the Pentagon in early 2006, the Associated Press reported. He is looking to craft a military able to move faster and better equipped to deal with terrorists and unconventional weapons, according to AP. Cost-savings are expected to come through personnel cuts rather than from weapons programs, AP reported. Options being considered include: cutting 40,000 active duty, reserve and civilian Air Force positions over six years; eliminating three National Guard brigades, a potential total of more than 10,000 positions; and trimming a planned increase of active Army forces (Lolita Baldor, Associated Press/HeraldTribune.com, Dec. 14). Australia’s Defense Force will gain 1,500 new troops and be divided into more flexible battle groups, AFX reported today. The army now has 51,000 service people. The new structure is expected to make it more mobile and to increase the amount of time it could stay in combat situations. “Defeating the threat of terrorism, countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and supporting regional states in difficulty remains the government’s highest priorities,” said Defense Minister Robert Hill (AFX, Dec. 15).
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