so we are told… so we are told.

I question the reporting on this. It cannot be anything other than politically motivated in the majority of cases.

Having said that, the aim is not to replace poppies with roses and expect Afghanistan to be a model of western democracy. I think it must really be to leave the government with enough power to keep the Taliban at bay and make Afghanistan less attractive to extremists (even if the fight shifts elsewhere).

After 12 years of ultimately effective counter-insurgency in Malaya the newly independent government was able to keep a crippled force of communists thoroughly suppressed for decades, but no one would have described Malaysia as a racial/ethnic paradise (even till today).

Exactly right. Victory will not be defined by Osama signing a surrender on a US carrier.

maybe while her uhhum *chokes* man is cleaning the BBQ he can convince her of it. Or we could always commision her earlobes as LHAs:D:D

I agree in the top brass lacking…well brass. On the flip side images of AUSTRALIA, ADELAIDE and CANBERRA fighting through the sukhois to deliver 3 brigade where they need to be:cool:

While I believe the current government lacks the morale fibre to deploy more forces in battle, I could see them purchasing more hardware to be seen to do something- and please the Unions with more shipbuilding.

Additional Rhinos may be bought short term for a bit of wave the flag’see, she DOES have whats needed to be PM’!!

Good to see this thread pop up about a little spoken of airforce.

Strategic defence review centre? mark us down for 2 more RAR battalions buddy….and 2 extra commando companys fo 1 cdo

Thanks for the A4 photos, just love them, but still have a soft spot for the red checkerboards!

I say still think that there will be 100+ F-35A/C for the RAAF….75 covers the 71 F/A-18A+s and the other 25 covers the 24 F/A-18Fs with 1&6sqns…….. minimum. a F-35B buy would really need to be of 25(2 sqn of 12 for RAN,1for ARDU) and with our current trend of growth, maybe another 20-40 F-35A/C for new squadrons…. the dream plan of fightertown west at pearce….

I personally hope and think we will go with the F-35C. most of our airfields already have arresting wires and assorted equipment

I’d agree to some of what you said, speaking to some of the guys in my company who were in Iraq, they very much wanted us gone ASAP. But from my mates time on the ground in the ‘stan, we are winning the hearts and minds battle, and as we continue to provide security, better civilian leaders will come to the fore there and help lead the country to a better place.
Victory isnt measured in body counts-on either side!

we HAVE made progress on the ground. there position has been severly eroded this year. Everyone thinks of this war as being ten years old. its not. it more like 5, after it was forgotten as Iraq was key. Just because there is a surge of violence doesnt mean we are losing- in war BOTH sides will attack. The longer we say that we want out in xyears, just means they will stick it out because they have a timeline. Now that the enemy is being engaged more vigorously, and we commit to seeing it through, and continue to improve the lives of normal Afghani citizens, they will negotiate or leave. The majority of Afghanis DONT support them. And if we did withdraw, the vacuum would feed the Taliban, and give them a new target-Pakistan and its nuclear arsenal.

[QUOTE=Aussie Digger;1675445]ADF isn’t the only Government organisation that does Maritime patrol. In fact it isn’t even a primary ADF responsibility. It is a Border Protection Command responsibility that tasks ADF to help provide maritime surveillance.

It is Customs which has primary responsibility for non-wartime border surveillance and they have been given additional funding to provide greater maritime patrol capability with it’s expanding Dash 8-400 fleet…

I’m all for more ADF capability btw, I just take exception to a LOT of things Andrew Davies writes about. Why anyone pays him is beyond me. His grasp of things leaves a LOT to be desired from all appearances…

hahaha……like carlo kopp:rolleyes:

No, i just referring to the fact that our current fleet is being used for it and op slipper and alot of other things, any excuse for additional ADF capability really. I’m sick of buying my own gear:o

I especially like the ‘piecemeal fleets of our neighbours’- like to see him stop 750000 ‘piecemeal soldiers’:(