Pacific peacekeepers

Australia could take lead in multinational force

AUSTRALIA could lead a multinational Pacific “peacekeeping force” under a review that also recommends increased daily air and undersea drone patrols.

A report from a parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s defence relationships with Pacific island nations tabled last Thursday has made 11 recommendations related to bolstering ties with our neighbours.

That stemmed from the committee recognising for the first time that both climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic “will likely intensify” the need for greater government and defence cooperation in the region.

This was on top of “destabilisation” arising from growing regional powers and stability of rules-based order.

“The growth, openness and stability of the Indo-Pacific, which has underpinned Australia’s prosperity and security for decades, is at risk,” the committee found, more so with the pandemic effects on economies, education and health systems.

It reported that Australia remained “anxious” about the vulnerability of the Pacific with the UK and US some distance away, prompting the need to forge closer links with nations including Japan.

“The committee is aware that the growing presence of external powers in the Pacific has resulted in the region becoming increasingly ‘crowded and complex’, and is posing a variety of challenges for Australia in terms of both its own security and how powers could potentially shape and constrain Australia’s actions in the region,” it concluded.

While the Defence Department said security of the region had been a prime focus, the committee questioned if enough was being done.

A peacekeeping force between Pacific nations and Australia could help security.

The committee recommended increased intelligence capacity and sharing with Pacific nations, along with exploration of joint military tasks.

It also suggested that Defence consider additional maritime surveillance initiatives in the Pacific, including an increase in frequency and intensity of existing surveillance operations and the addition of new Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV).

In its submission to the inquiry, the Philippines government noted the potential for expanded Australian Federal

Police and ADF training and doctrine collaborations. The Japanese government also noted a desire to do more in the Pacific.

“Defence and security challenges faced in the Pacific are now more prevalent and complex than ever before,” chair of the defence subcommittee Andrew Wallace said.

The MP added it was recognised the Pacific Step Up program could do more.

“It behoves all members of the Pacific family to be aware of emerging issues, and to face them together in an organised, collaborative, and co-ordinated manner,” he said.