Defence Business: Reserves muscle up | ADM October 2011
Senator David Feeney | Canberra
I have had the privilege of being Parliamentary Secretary for Defence for almost a year now. During the last year, I have seen first hand the challenges faced by ADF Reserves and also appreciated their success.
I have been impressed not only by the capability delivered by Reserves but by the obvious camaraderie and mateship that exists throughout the entire ADF.
Recently, at the Australian Reserve Association’s annual Conference, I foreshadowed a new direction in ADF Reserve capability. Put simply, this new direction will enhance the ADF’s ability to meet operational requirements and defend national security.
Plan BEERSHEBA and the Army Reserve
In late 2010, Minister Smith and I decided that the “Rebalancing Army Review Implementation Plan,” including the Army Reserve Approved Future Force would not be progressed.
In the months since then, Army and the Reserve community have been developing a modernisation plan. Greater consultation and collaboration has occurred for Plan BEERSHEBA.
At its core, Plan BEERSHEBA will optimise the Army Reserve’s contribution to capability within Army’s Total Force. It will achieve this by incorporating the Reserve into Army’s Force Generation Cycle.
The Army Reserve now has clearly defined tasks. These are to:
- deliver specified war-fighting capabilities – with a focus on stabilisation operations
- provide domestic humanitarian aid and emergency response
- provide specialist individual capabilities
- provide Army surge capabilities.
Plan BEERSHEBA recommends the formation of three Multi-role Manoeuvre Brigades (MMB) within the Regular Army (1st, 3rd and 7th Brigades). These will be standard in structure and will operate on a 36-month Force Generation Cycle – Readying (Training and certification to deploy), Ready (Deployed or ready to be deployed) and Reset (Reconstitution of capability, equipment and corporate remediation if required).
Plan BEERSHEBA proposes that each MMB will develop a close professional relationship with a designated pair of Army Reserve Multi-role Brigades (MBs). These ARes brigades will be required to generate a battle group for a 12 month period, each 36 months, and which will be aligned to the MMB ‘Ready Phase’ of the Force Generation Cycle.
Other Army Reserve units, sub-units, small teams and individuals will continue to be integrated with the three Regular specialist brigades – 6 Brigade (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare), 16 Brigade (Aviation) and 17 Combat Service Support Brigade.
Under Plan BEERSHEBA, it is envisaged that the Army Reserve will re-structure in order to generate these integrated capability outputs. Some new units and sub-units will be created and while some existing units will be downsized, their lineage, heritage, customs and traditions will be preserved.
The 2nd Division will continue to provide Reserve Response Force companies and retain responsibility for the vast majority of the High Readiness Reserve.
Navy and RAAF Integration
The Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) continue to progress integration with innovation and professionalism.
For example, in Navy, Reservists have recently been incorporated into the new intelligence specialisation. Navy is also assessing where its Reservists can best be utilised in the amphibious arm of the Navy and the use of Reserve Divers under Project Neptune. These are areas where I see significant opportunities for future Navy Reserve service, noting that there is much work to be done in this area.
The Navy Reserve has been through a period of consolidation following a Whole of Capability Workforce Review. This Review and changes to Navy budgets have refocused Navy Reserve’s workforce. I anticipate that further work will occur over the coming year to ensure that the Navy Reserve continues to contribute to capability in a robust and fully integrated manner.
Similar progress has been made by the RAAF. The RAAF has already adapted Air Force Reserve ‘City Squadrons’ to include responsibility for fixed airbase functions.
A review into Airbase Force Protection will further inform the refinement of the Reserve role. Air Force understands that an integrated structure with its geographical distribution, coupled with Reservist availability, presents a challenge for training delivery. To address this challenge, a proposal for an improved integrated training system is near completion.
Plan SUAKIN
In addition to these reforms, Defence has commenced an analysis of Reserve conditions of service and employment models.
This initiative will deliver a range of employment options to meet the demands of a shared workforce and better align capability requirements with employment conditions.
These two major plans, BEERSHEBA and SUAKIN, will be pivotal in shaping the future direction of the Reserves.
I look forward to working closely with and supporting the ADF as we refine integration and meet capability requirements to advance our national security interests.
Senator David Feeney is the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence.
Subject: Defence Policy