Political Science Commons^™

Submission To The 2015 Defence White Paper, Christopher Rahman

Chris Rahman

This submission establishes why a capable Defence Force is needed by outlining enduring features of the nature of international politics: * It remains an arena of competition and conflict, and even is war prone * Bad things happen, including surprises and the genuinely shocking * Uncertainty abounds It also explains why the character of the current strategic environment is not permissive of assumptions of peace and prosperity, due to both global and regional challenges: * Great power competition is growing * Russia and China, in particular, are dissatisfied powers * The United States remains global strategically preponderant but the international …

Submission To The Strategic Policy Division, Department Of Defence, On The Development Of The 2013 Defence White Paper, Christopher Rahman

Chris Rahman

This submission on the development of the 2013 Defence White Paper addresses briefly four aspects: 1. The structure and content of the White Paper itself 2. Australia’s strategic environment 3. Australia’s military strategy 4. Force structure

China's Maritime Strategic Agenda, Christopher Rahman

Chris Rahman

Just what’s China up to at sea? To casual observers, including a burgeoning legion of journalists, commentators and bloggers, China seems set on a path to becoming a major force on the world’s oceans, developing bluewater naval power with which to protect the Chinese state’s expanding economic ties to far-flung corners of the world and project political and even strategic influence. Such observers rightly note the rapid growth in China’s international seaborne trade, its shipping and shipbuilding sectors, and its marine economy and maritime interests in general. China’s naval developments over the past decade have been widely commented on, especially …

Concepts Of Maritime Security: A Strategic Perspective On Alternative Visions For Good Order And Security At Sea, With Policy Implications For New Zealand, Christopher Rahman

Chris Rahman

This project originated as a research report conducted for the Royal Australian Navy’s Sea Power Centre – Australia. Its intent is not to reprise well‐worn ideas of sea power or maritime strategy, but to address conceptually what is meant by the term “maritime security” in the context of contemporary ideas of the meaning of “security” itself. In doing so, I have purposefully delved into some of the often quite dense and sometimes arcane literature and ideas regarding conceptual treatments of security. This is important, because the ideas inherent in different perspectives on maritime security often have an intellectual or political …

Ballistic Missiles In China's Anti-Taiwan Blockade Strategy, Christopher Rahman

Chris Rahman

No abstract provided.

Australia And Maritime Security In The Northeast Indian Ocean, Chris Rahman

Chris Rahman

Maritime security is vital to Australia and its neighbours in the ASEANAustralia- India "triangle" - or the area of the northeast Indian Ocean. It has become a leading sphere for the construction of deeper forms of security cooperation. Nonetheless, both the "region" in question and the topic of maritime security itself are underdeveloped ideas in the context of rapidly developing relationships. Therefore, the approach pursued in this chapter focuses on four themes. First, the maritime nature of the area's geography is established. Second, different perspectives on maritime security are introduced, with an emphasis on non-traditional factors, including responses to the …

Protecting Australia's Maritime Borders: The Mv Tampa And Beyond, Ben M. Tsamenyi, Christopher Rahman

Chris Rahman

The protection of Australia's maritime borders and sovereign interests at sea has, in recent times, increasingly become a leading national security issue. The arrangements for surveillance and enforcement in Australia's maritime zones have seemingly been in almost constant review in what has become a highly politicised issue. Furthermore, the increased incidence of seaborne illegal migration attempts in late 2001, together with the events of 11 September of that year has focused public, as well as official, attention upon all aspects of what has come to be known as "homeland security." Homeland security is a complex issue, and the problems associated …

Evolving U.S. Framework For Global Maritime Security From 9/11 To The 1000-Ship Navy , Christopher Rahman

Chris Rahman

No abstract provided.

The Implications Of Climate Change For Maritime Security Forces, Chris Rahman

Chris Rahman

Although a consensus on the reality of climate change now prevails, the details of the problem remain unsettled. In particular, the precise local and regional impacts of the global phenomenon of climate change are unknown. The security-related consequences of such impacts are thus inherently speculative. Nevertheless, it has become an increasingly important aspect of the national security policy deliberations of many States, including both civil and defence force capability planning, to consider the potential security implications of climate change. Despite the prevailing uncertainty over specific impacts and their security implications, longrange planning can be undertaken based on the most likely …

A Strategic Perspective On Security And Naval Issues In The South China Sea, Chris Rahman, Ben Tsamenyi

Chris Rahman

No abstract provided.

Singapore: Forward Operating Site, Christopher Rahman

Chris Rahman

Historically, Singapore functioned as a major naval hub supporting the British Empire's position in the Far East. The island was viewed by Admiral Sir John "Jackie" Fisher as one of the world's five key locations enabling Britain's global naval superiority. The fortification of the British strategic position on Singapore reached both its zenith and its nadir with the development in the interwar years of the "Singapore Strategy," which was designed to buttress the empire's Far Eastern defenses agajnst possible Japanese aggression. That controversial plan failed miserably in the breach. However, the island continued to host a significant British military presence …

'The Geopolitical Context', Christopher Rahman

Chris Rahman

The seas and oceans of the Indo-Pacific region present a number of maritime security challenges including piracy, terrorism, territorial claims, jurisdictional disputes, illegal fishing, criminal trafficking, and arguments over the Law of the Sea Convention. The differences among coastal and maritime user nations involving navigation and military operations represent some of the pressing issues affecting the region. Some challenges are localized and others are widespread. For example, in the former case, a number of incidents of maritime terrorism have occurred in the Philippines over the last decade and a half. Yet most attacks against ferries and related infrastructure have been …

Conclusion: Maritime Border Protection After The Tampa And 9/11, Anthony Bergin, Ben M. Tsamenyi, Christopher Rahman

Chris Rahman

The objective of these proceedings has been to review current arrangements for national maritime border protection and to canvass some fresh approaches. The book (and preceding conference) have been designed to avoid getting bogged down in any great detail on sectoral issues, instead taking a more holistic view of the overall maritime border protection regime. The issue is timely in view of the public and political interest in developments regarding maritime security and border protection following the controversy surrounding the MV Tampa incident of August 2001 and the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

On …

The U.S. Strategic Relationship With Australia, Jack Mccaffrie, Christopher Rahman

Chris Rahman

Australia has hosted U.S. bases or troops for most of rhe last seventy years, beginning in the early part of the Second World War in the Pacific. Ironically, the arrival of American troops in Australia was at least partly the result of the failure of the "Singapore strategy," whereby the Royal Navy's Singapore naval base was to support any British fleet sent to the Far East in the event of a war with Japan. Seventy years on, Australia still hosts U.S. defense facilities and U.S. forces continue to visit-primarily now for exercises. Map 4 depicts major facilities utilized at present.

The Rise Of China As A Regional Maritime Power: Strategic Implications For A New Century, Chris Rahman

Chris Rahman

The rise of China as a regional maritime power is having profound consequences for international security in East Asia. China's growing national strength has increased the intensity with which it attempts to influence its external environment, and improves its ability to operationalize its regional ambitions. Those ambitions are distinctly revisionist and expansionist: China seeks to overturn the regional geopolitical status quo by restoring its long lost primacy in Asia at the expense of regional major power rivals, and by reducing the influence and presence of the United States. Because its foremost territorial claims are maritime in nature - Taiwan, the …

Maritime Domain Awareness In Australia And New Zealand, Chris Rahman

Chris Rahman

No abstract provided.

The International Politics Of Combating Piracy In Southeast Asia, Christopher Rahman

Chris Rahman

No abstract provided.

Strategic Trends In The South China Sea/The East Sea And East Asia's Security Architecture: The View From Australia, Chris Rahman

Chris Rahman

Australia has several important security interests in the South China Sea. This paper will outline those interests and the policy responses to challenges to those interests. The first interest is in maintaining regional peace and stability and, in particular, avoiding conflict. Second, Australia has increasingly deep economic ties to both Southeast and Northeast Asia. Any conflict over the South China Sea could negatively impact those ties and the benefits derived from trade. Australia also has both direct and indirect economic and strategic interests in the continued security of South China Sea shipping; or sea lines of communication (SLOC). In a …

Book Review Of The Law And Practice Of Piracy At Sea: European And International Perspectives, Chris Rahman

Chris Rahman

No abstract provided.

The Inescapable Ocean: On Understanding Australia's Strategic Geography, Chris Rahman

Chris Rahman

The development of a distinct maritime school of strategic thought for Australia is an important initiative by the current Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, RAN. Griggs has explicitly attempted to surmount the intellectual obstacle posed by an increasingly sterile defence debate that has witnessed the growth of an expeditionary school of strategic thought as a counter to the longstanding continental school, dominant in Australian policy since 1986. Instead, Griggs has rejected the ‘binary’ approach of this debate to suggest an alternative, maritime, school.1 In so doing it is essential to pay due consideration to Australia’s strategic geography. The …

Australia's 2009 Defense White Paper: A Maritime Focus For Uncertain Times, Jack Mccaffrie, Chris Rahman

Chris Rahman

No abstract provided.

The Global Maritime Partnership Initiative: Implications For The Royal Australian Navy, Chris Rahman

Chris Rahman

No abstract provided.

Adf Training In Australia's Maritime Environment, Chris Rahman, Robert J. Davitt

Chris Rahman

No abstract provided.

The Rise Of The Plan And The Implications For East Asian Security, Sam Bateman, Chris Rahman

Chris Rahman

No abstract provided.

Naval Cooperation And Coalition Building In Southeast Asia And The Southwest Pacific: Status And Prospects, Chris Rahman

Chris Rahman

No abstract provided.

Defending Taiwan, And Why It Matters, Chris Rahman

Chris Rahman

No abstract provided.

Linking Maritime Regimes To Regional Security: Some Caveats And Observations, Chris Rahman

Chris Rahman

No abstract provided.