Monday 5th August 2024

The below blog is a response to a recent US Naval Institute article “Better Tabletop Exercises for Wartime Acquisition” by Ron Weinberger.
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2024/june/better-tabletop-exercises-wartime-acquisition

Strengthening Australia’s Defence Industry through Integrated TTX and Strategic Alliances

BLUF:

1. Australia’s Industrial Capability (AIC) must be strengthened to achieve self-sufficiency and support allied nations as an alternative source of supply.
2. The management of this strengthened (AIC) should not be entrusted solely to foreign-owned Prime contractors.
3. Developing a more resilient supply chain is vital for ensuring the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) supply chain preparedness during severe disruptions.
4. Australia’s strategic location can represent both an opportunity and threat because with a strong industrial base, we are uniquely positioned to enhance defence capabilities and supply chain resilience, however an over-reliance on US sustainment leaves us vulnerable.
5. Peacetime exercise planning typically does not capture all elements of wartime scenarios and our industrial base is rarely tested for its responsiveness.
6. An international US-led Integrated Tabletop Exercise (TTX) is essential to test Australia’s ability to resupply in contested, congested, and interdicted supply chain environments. While Australia could conduct its own TTX (and there is merit in doing so), conducting a TTX in a multinational context will better simulate the actual operational conditions Australia would face, ensuring realistic testing of logistical capabilities. By participating in an international TTX, Australia can assess its coordination and interoperability with allied forces. This is crucial for managing supply chain priorities with multiple countries and clients competing for resources. This collaborative approach enhances readiness and strategic alignment in real-world scenarios.

The author of this paper is Mr. Ron Weinberger, a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) expert formerly at NAVAIR and currently with ASI. He is a strong advocate for a robust allied global supply chain. This response to his paper supports his assertions and underscores the importance of strengthening Australia’s Industrial Capability to achieve self-sufficiency and extend support to allied nations, including the United States. The recommendations, particularly regarding the Naval Integrated Tabletop Exercise (TTX), are crucial in addressing the unique challenges posed by Australia’s geographic isolation, and while Ron focuses here on a contested logistics environment, Australia as a relatively small economy, must also contend with the additional vulnerabilities of a congested and/or interdicted supply chain. Developing a more resilient supply chain will enable Australia’s industry to play a vital role in ensuring the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) supply chain preparedness, even when faced with severe disruptions.

Australia’s strategic location, coupled with its strong and agile industrial base, uniquely positions it to enhance defence capabilities and supply chain resilience. Achieving greater sovereignty in our defence industry aligns with the need to support international partners. This necessitates a framework and capacity that not only addresses peacetime metrics but also prepares for wartime surge requirements.

Much like our U.S. counterparts, our peacetime exercise planners often fail to fully anticipate the urgency and geographic constraints of wartime scenarios, as these exercises are “no-fail” and prioritise ensuring operators can exercise their unique warfighting skills. Australian defence planners, much like their U.S. counterparts, have not encountered a contested logistics environment since World War II. Consequently, TTX planners and participants, lacking firsthand experience, base their decisions on peacetime assumptions. This reliance on an uninterrupted supply line during wartime, especially given the distances for resupplying forces to counter regional threats, poses significant risks. Without continuous involvement in the US’ TTX development with specialised education and teams focusing on international sustainment, the ADF risks overlooking solutions for operating in contested logistics environments.

Australia’s geographic isolation further complicates these challenges. An international US led Integrated TTX must test our ability to resupply in environments where supply chains are contested, congested, and interdicted. Such exercises are essential in revealing the compounding effects of isolation and ensuring that both national and allied forces can maintain operational readiness under adverse conditions. Australia’s industry, with its advanced manufacturing capabilities, can significantly contribute to a resilient supply chain by ensuring the local production of critical components and systems.

Recommendations:

1. If not already, ADF must work with the US on Wartime Response Plans (WARPs) to better understand how to quickly ramp up acquisition and sustainment capabilities during surge operations.
2. ADF must continue to participate in TTXs to tackle the unique challenges of Australia’s geographic isolation and contested logistics environments. This must necessarily include alternative sources of supply and maintenance.
3. Australia must strengthen its Advanced Manufacturing Capabilities to focus on producing critical components to ensure that we have a resilient supply chain that supports both Australia and allied forces.
4. Australia must exercise its Industrial partners/Defence Industrial base to ensure that it can adequately support continued operations in a contested environment. By regularly evaluating the capability, resilience and scalability of our defence industries, we will be able to identify potential or emerging weaknesses in supply chains. Not only will this approach enhance our preparedness but it will also aid defence and defence industry collaboration and foster innovation.

 

Blog Author: Tony Birch, General Manager Operations – Goal Group